Burn injuries rank amongst the most painful experiences that can be endured. This is because when a burn occurs to the skin, nerve endings are damaged causing intense feelings of pain, panic, and shock. Every year, millions of people receive burns in one way or another, and many of these burns are completely avoidable as they resulted from defective products and unsafe environments. Of those burned, thousands die, and many more require lengthy treatment and hospitalization. Burns are currently ranked third, (behind automobile crashes and falls) as a leading causes of accidental death in the United States.

Aside from the burn injury itself, many other bodily functions can be impaired as a result of a severe burn. Burns affect bones, muscles, the nervous system, and the respiratory system. In addition to the physical injuries caused by burns, victims often suffer from the emotional and psychological problems that accompany the disfiguring injuries and scarring that result from severe burns.

Categories of Burns

Burns can be characterized by their source, and are commonly classified in the following manner:

Thermal burns

Thermal burns are one of the most common types of burns, and often result from an individual coming into contact with a fire, a flame, or extreme heat. These burns regularly occur from residential fires, automobile accidents (including fuel-fed fires), stoves, generators, space heaters, and improperly stored fuel including gasoline, butane, kerosene, and propane.

Chemical burns

Although rarer than thermal burns, chemical burns have the ability to cause significant tissue, nerve, and muscle damage. These burns usually result from an individual being exposed to strong acid or bases (alkali), such as batteries, bleaches, polishes, ammonia, toilet bowl cleaners, oven cleaners, lye, and cement mixtures.

Electrical burns

Electrical burns occur when an electrical current from an external source runs through a person’s body, with heat measuring up to 5,000 degrees Celsius. These external sources can include faulty electrical equipment such as improperly placed power lines and defective circuit breakers, as well as defective electronic products including washing machines, dryers, power-washers, kitchen appliances, and hair-dryers. If the burn victim survives the electrical shock, the extreme heat generated from the electricity will often cause massive nerve and tissue damage.

Severity of Burns

Thermal burns, chemical burns, and electrical burns are also commonly classified by their severity, which comes in three (3) distinct degrees:

First degree burns are the most common type of burn injury. This involves only the top layer of skin and is characterized by pain, redness, and swelling. Sunburn is a typical first degree burn.

Second degree burns involve the first and second layer of skin. They are characterized by blistering of the skin, redness, and swelling and are very painful.

Third degree burns are catastrophic, life-threatening injuries. Third degree burn victims typically exhibit charring of the skin, with damage to underlying ligaments, tendons and muscle. These types of burns may eventually become painless, due to the destruction of nerve endings in and around the burned area. Third degree burns can prove fatal if the affected area is significantly large.

Burns are one of the most expensive injuries to treat with the patient having to undergo painful skin grafts and long-term therapy, often taking place in a major hospital’s burn unit. Burns covering just 30% of a person’s body can cost in excess of $200,000 in hospital and physician costs.

Your next step

The attorneys at Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg and Jeck P.C, are here to help you and your family. Call us toll free at (866) 569.3400 for a free consultation. We will help you understand your legal rights and options and get the compensation you deserve.