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Consequences of Serious Burn Injuries and Why It’s Important to Consult an Attorney

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Man in Hospital After Suffering from Burn Injuries

If you’ve been burned at work or have suffered a burn injury due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, you will need to consult a personal injury attorney.

Burns are often very serious injuries and may carry lifelong effects; your life following a burn injury may never be the same. If you’ve been burned due to someone else’s negligence or due to unsafe equipment at work, you’re entitled to compensation for your injury and the aftermath of that injury. Being injured on the job or in the workplace means you’ll likely have what’s called a Workers’ Compensation case in which you’ll need an experienced Workers’ Comp lawyer, but if you’ve been burned someplace other than work, you will need to consult a skilled personal injury lawyer who handles complex cases dealing with burn injuries.

Serious Burn Injuries

A burn injury most often damages layers of skin, but deeper burn injuries may damage tissue (including fat and muscle) or even bone. These are the most common ways that burns occur according to an article on MedlinePlus:

  • Coming in contact with fire or a flame
  • Coming into contact with a flash from the heat of an explosive blast
  • Being scalded with hot liquids or hot steam
  • Coming into contact with hot grease
  • Prolonged contact with something hot
  • By electricity passing through the body and heating the skin and underlying tissue
  • Coming into contact with chemicals such as acid

Medical professionals measure the severity of a burn in terms of “degrees”:

First degree burns are the mildest type of burn and are also referred to as “superficial burns.” These burns damage only the epidermis, which is the first layer of skin, and they usually don’t get infected or leave a permanent scar. The skin may get red but won’t break and usually heals within a very short amount of time (3-5 days).

Second degree burns are also called “partial thickness burns.” This type of burn damages the epidermis and the dermis, which is the second layer of skin. Second degree burns are painful, and the burned area can swell and appear red with blisters. With second degree burns, the damaged skin will grow back unless it becomes infected.

Third degree burns are also called “full thickness burns.” This type of burn goes through the epidermis and dermis and affects deeper tissues which may also be damaged or completely destroyed. With third degree burns, the area may appear charred and may be black, white, or deep red in color, and the skin is often numb to light touch. Skin grafting may be necessary with serious burns such as these.

Fourth degree and deeper burns destroy the skin, fat, muscle, and even bone.

More Information About Serious Burns

The size of the burn is measured using the term “total body surface area” (TBSA), and a percentage is used to indicate the amount of the body that is burned. To estimate burn size, medical professionals use a formula that considers the age of the injured person and a diagram called the Rule of Nines. When someone says that the burns cover 50% of the victim’s body, that number is not simply an estimate, it is arrived at using the TBSA formula.

Medical professionals will also consider many factors to determine the severity of a burn:

  • Depth of the burn (the “degree”)
  • Size of the skin that’s burned (using a percentage)
  • Age of the injured person
  • Location of the burn
  • How much inhalation of smoke or toxins occurred
  • Type of burn
  • Other injuries like bone fractures
  • Other health issues like heart disease

There are many options for treatment and rehabilitation following a serious burn injury that you and your medical team will discuss:

  • Burn centers provide intensive physical and occupational therapy
  • An inpatient rehabilitation facility is a specially designed medical rehabilitation facility where patients full-time after discharge from the burn center. 
  • A skilled nursing facility is where patients may go after they leave the burn center; patients typically live in these facilities and receive medical and nursing care as they recover. 
  • An outpatient rehabilitation center is a medical facility that provides physical and occupational therapy services to people living and recovering at home.

Burns are serious injuries that may take weeks, months, or years to heal from as these injuries don’t only harm the skin, but the muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and bone. Additional consequences of severe burns may include:

  • Scars and disfigurement
  • Extensive emotional and psychological damage
  • Infection
  • Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (lungs fail to the burn injury)

When burn injury results from the irresponsible or harmful behavior of a person or entity, the victim deserves compensation for cost of medical treatment, loss of income, and physical, emotional, and psychological damage. Your personal injury attorney will work hard to get you any compensation you deserve following your burn.

Burn Injuries: Getting Help

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Burn Injury Danger

Severe burns are some of the most painful and life-changing injuries you can suffer in an accident. The consequences are both physical and psychological. And, the financial devastation doesn’t end with the medical bills.

Burn injuries can happen in the home, on the job, and in car accidents. They can also be caused by chemicals and defective products. When someone else’s negligence or a defective product caused your injuries, an experienced burn injury attorney can help you recover compensation to pay for your medical expenses, lost income and your personal suffering.

Burn Injury Treatment

Severe burns are life-threatening and should be treated in a burn center or burn unit whenever possible. Treatment is expensive and painful. After the initial dangers have passed, you may require extensive treatments and ongoing medical care and physical therapy. Even with the best medical care, you may have severe impairment and disfigurement.

Consequences of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries can change your life forever. Consequences of burn injuries can include:

  • Skin grafts
  • Multiple surgeries
  • Amputations
  • Ongoing physical therapy to regain mobility and range of motion
  • Permanent physical impairment, even with physical therapy
  • Loss of mobility
  • Nerve damage
  • Loss of use of the affected area
  • Organ damage
  • Respiratory damage
  • Severe disfigurement
  • Chronic physical pain
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Learn more about burn injuries can haw an experienced burn in jury attorney can help by viewing this slideshow.

If you or someone you love has suffered severe burns as a result of someone else’s negligence or a defective product, please do not wait until it’s too late to get the help you need. Talk to an experienced burn injury attorney today.

Life after a Burn Injury

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Every burn injury is serious. Some are life threatening, demanding all of your energy to recover. This may mean long periods of bed rest, medicine regimens, and treatments. It’s a big job that takes time on your part, and compassion from your loved ones. Likely, you will feel stressed by your injury and recovery. Your sleep habits, diet, energy levels and comfort levels will change during this time. You may experience side effects from treatments or medications. Your body may look or behave differently. Emotionally, you may feel a sense of loss, wishing your injury never happened and wanting the recovery process to be over as soon as possible.

The burn team who cared for you during your hospital stay works very hard to ensure your recovery, but when you get home, you will need to be patient with yourself. Dealing with frustration and worry is part of life after a burn injury. You can help to speed your recovery by following all medical instructions, as well as eating, drinking, and resting properly. Be aware that your nutritional needs will increase following your burn injury because your body is working harder to heal. This means you’ll need more calories, vitamins and minerals and protein. High-calorie, high-protein meals are recommended, along with protein supplements.

Getting Help from Loved Ones

Family members will be concerned and want to help, so ask them to create a plan for family visits and helping out with specific tasks, like cleaning, laundry and paying bills. Knowing what to expect from each day can help to ease your emotions.  Family members may also feel a bit frightened about caring for you and your injuries. Your medical team will provide the information they need to get through the early stages of your recovery at home. If you are feeling especially anxious, ask about anxiety medications your doctor may be able to prescribe.

Controlling Your Pain

Another common issue for burn injury patients recovering at home is pain control.  Pain serves several purposes – it tells the brain to protect the injured area, and it lets you know that you need to take care of yourself. Calming techniques, such as deep breathing, imagery and meditation are surprisingly effective in the treatment of pain and reduction of anxiety. The pain from a burn injury may stem from different sources, such as the injury itself, skin grafts, dressing changes, or physical therapy. A specific type of pain from burn injuries occurs from “stretch receptors” found around the burn. This feels like a pulling sensation as the burned area shrinks during healing. For severe pain, morphine and other strong medicines can help to control pain sensations. The overall goal is to feel more comfortable and, as your wounds heal, your comfortable periods should last longer using less medication.

Once again, follow all medical instructions given. Do not skip physical or occupational therapy, even on days when you feel sore or weak. Therapy is an important component of recovery, and avoiding therapy can lengthen recovery times as well as causing secondary issues with your joints or the grafts contracting – becoming too tight – which can affect your ability to move.