Severe burns are among the most traumatizing injuries anyone could experience. Deep burns require extensive medical intervention, often including multiple surgeries and lengthy hospitalization. Healing from burns can be physically painful and emotionally challenging.
Burns usually result from accidents, and accidents are almost always preventable. When another party’s negligence created a situation that led to a burn, the victim could hold the negligent party liable for financial damages.
Contact a local negligence attorney as soon as possible after suffering a severe accidental burn. A Beaumont burn injury lawyer could demand appropriate compensation from the party or parties responsible for your suffering.
The severity of a burn depends on how deeply the burn penetrates and the size of the damaged area. A National Institute of Health fact sheet explains severe burns are complicated injuries because of how the body responds to the damage.
First and second-degree burns affect only the outermost layers of skin, and usually, first aid is sufficient to promote healing without complications. Some extensive second-degree burns might require medical care. Third-degree burns penetrate the deeper levels of the skin and might destroy them, so healing requires skin grafts.
Fourth-degree burns penetrate to the fat layer below the skin. Treatment involves skin grafts, and infections are a serious risk with burns this deep. Fifth-degree burns damage muscle and often lead to amputation or permanent loss of function. Sixth-degree burns penetrate to the bone and are almost always fatal.
The damage a burn causes to the skin and other tissues is significant, but the inflammatory response the body mounts can be fatal. Blood flows to the damaged area, which could starve the body’s other organs of fluids and oxygen. The heart and brain are especially vulnerable to damage when someone suffers a severe burn.
Ironically, fluids migrating to the damaged area could cause edema, complicating treatment. The cascade of potential impacts means that most people with severe burns should receive treatment at centers specializing in burn injuries.
Severe burns could require multiple surgeries, including skin grafts, and specialized supportive care. Rehabilitation from burn injuries is also specialized. Intensive burn treatment can be expensive, and health insurance sometimes does not cover all the services that would benefit a burn victim.
A Beaumont attorney could often help ensure someone with severe burns has access to necessary treatment. Texas Property Code §55.002(a) allows a hospital to automatically impose a lien against a legal settlement if a patient’s accident results from negligence. A legal professional could negotiate a similar arrangement with other providers, allowing the person to pay for services later from the proceeds of a lawsuit settlement or verdict.
Thermal burns, which result from exposure to heat or flame, are what usually spring to mind when someone thinks about a burn. However, there are other ways to get a burn. The friction that arises when skin drags against a rough surface causes road rash, a type of burn common among people who crash their bicycles or motorcycles. Electrocution or lightning can cause electrical burns, and contact between the skin and certain substances can cause chemical burns.
A careless act or omission could result in someone receiving a severe burn. Leaving a candle unattended could cause a fire which might lead to a burn. Shoddy manufacturing that causes a battery, appliance, engine, or another item to explode could cause an innocent person to suffer a burn injury. Faulty wiring could lead to electrocution or fire, causing someone in the building to suffer burns.
When a burn victim engages a Beaumont attorney, the legal professional investigates the incident that caused the injury. They identify all parties whose failure to use reasonable care contributed to the accident that caused the burn.
Recovery from a severe burn can require months of medical treatment and rehabilitation. Burn victims often lose partial functioning of the affected body part, and scars can be disfiguring and limit movement. The psychological impact of a severe burn is significant, and burn victims often require mental health support.
Damages from the negligent party can provide the funds to pay for treatment. Economic damages cover an injured person’s medical and rehabilitation expenses including mental health treatment, incidental expenses, lost wages, and diminished capacity to earn in the future.
Non-economic damages provide money to compensate for the individual’s reduced quality of life. A Beaumont attorney could seek non-economic damages for a burn victim’s emotional suffering, physical pain, disfigurement, lost enjoyment of life, and similar impacts of the injury.
If you or loved one recently suffered a severe burn, you are probably under tremendous strain. Allow a Beaumont burn injury lawyer to identify responsible parties and hold them accountable.
Do not wait to seek legal advice. Call today to discuss your situation with a knowledgeable attorney.
