Types of Burn Injuries

There are many different types of injuries that can result from burn injuries including physical injuries from the effects to the skin and surrounding tissues as well as the lungs from smoke inhalation. Burns can be very painful and have and can have long lasting effects both physically and mentally. Burns can cause permanent forever scarring as well disfigurement physically as well as depression and anxiety mentally.

Burns are generally classified by the degree of burn. First degree burns are the most minor of the burns. These types of burns are superficial and only affect the outer layer of skin, the epidermis. First Degree burns may or may not require treatment. Second degree burns affect both the outer layer (epidermis) and the dermis, which is the next underlying layer. Second degree burns clearly will require treatment at your closest burn clinic. Third degree burns typically totally destroy the epidermis and dermis. These third degree burns have the ability to also damage the bones, muscles and tendons. When these other organs(besides just the skin) are involved, these burns can be referred to as fourth degree burns. With these types of burns, skin grafts are likely to improve the burned area. There are other classifications of burns that are worse and can be discussed.

The most common type of burn occurs when a person comes into contact with a substance that is hot and the skin is not ready for the temperature change. These are called thermal burns. Thermal burns can cause tissue death and cell death. Some common causes of these thermal burns involve cooking oils, grease, hot water, steam and fire.

Chemical burns can cause lasting effects and permanent forever injuries also. Chemical burns are typically due to burns from acids, alkalines and other cleaning chemicals when they come into contact with the skin or eyes.

Electrical burns from electrical currents are another type of injury(more common in workers compensation cases) that can cause serious life threatening injuries. Bus Duct explosions can cause massive electrical fires that can displace an entire building of people, but the electrician working on the bus duct will likely need medical and legal help if they were in area at the time.

Radiation burns can happen from prolonged exposure to radiation.

Inhalation injuries can be very challenging injuries to treat for medical providers. These types of injuries can develop after excessive heat exposure to the upper airways (possibly after a fire outbreak). The inhalation of burned chemicals (not meant to be burned) can cause serious injuries and damages. In a closed environment(such as a fire in a building), inhaled carbon monoxide and other chemicals combined together can be dangerous and even fatal depending on amounts inhaled.

Any of types of burns can cause permanent injuries and lasting effects from the burns. Depending on the type of burn and the degree of burn, the injuries can be minor to life changing. After a burn, it is imperative to go to the best burn care clinic in your area immediately for treatment. Recovery from burn injuries can be a long recovery with years of treatments. Some first degree burns may require medical treatment. All second degree burns and worse require medical treatment. The worse the burn, the more extensive the treatment that will be needed. Likewise, the worse the burn, the permanent injury and permanent forever disfigurement will likely be worse.

People can get burned in different ways. Workers can get burned on the job in countless ways. People can get burned at home, in workplace accidents or in car or truck accidents. The Law Firm of Foran & Foran have represented people injured in burn accidents as a result of many types of injuries resulting from a bus duct explosion on the job to a fire after a car or truck accident. Motorcycle accidents can cause severe burns from effects of the accident. House or building fires cannot only displace the residents of the building, but also cause serious personal injuries and damages.

The damages that can result from burn injuries are past medical bills, future medical bills, past lost wages, future lost wages, pain and suffering, disfigurement and loss of earning capacity. Commercial businesses may have a claim for business interruption if the fire caused provable damages of the loss.

Burn injury cases can require different levels of proof in court. Workers compensation cases do not consider fault with a few exceptions. In civil cases, the injured party has the burned of proof in terms of proving liability. In order to recover damages in a civil case, the injured party must prove who is responsible and why they should be held responsible for damages. The burden of proof in a civil case cannot be overlooked and identifying the correct defendant and correct parties in your case early is crucial in obtaining the evidence in your case. Investigation of the case should be done as early as possible to make certain all evidence is secured and the correct parties are identified and placed on notice. In some cases, the cause of the fire is obvious, but still must be proved. In all civil cases, expert witnesses will need to be hired to determine the cause of the fire.

During the investigation phase, a deep investigation into the property and fire must be performed. There are always several questions that must be addressed up front such as: Was any construction performed recently on the premises? Were other contractors on the premises that might have been responsible for the fire or contributed to the happening of the fire at all? Was work performed on the car or truck that caused the fire after the accident? In order to make certain that all necessary parties to the case are in the case, make certain to hire a competent Maryland burn injury lawyer that represents you.

The burn injury lawyers at Foran & Foran, P.A. handle all types of complex cases including burn injuries. Please reach out to the lawyers at Foran & Foran, P.A. to discuss your burn injury case today.