Types of Burns & How They Impact Your Body
The type of burn can dictate not only the severity of the burn but the degree of pain and scarring that results.
There are four main types of burns people suffer:
- Thermal burns: These burns are caused by contact with flames, steam, hot liquids, or any other source of extreme heat.
- Light burns:Â These burns are caused by sources of UV exposure.
- Chemical burns: These burns are caused by contact with acid or alkali.
- Radiation burns:Â These burns are caused by contact with nuclear radiation or ultraviolet light.
What is a good settlement offer for a burn injury?
When entering litigation for a burn injury, many victims worry about how much they’ll receive in a settlement from their personal injury claims. As a burn injury victim, you likely face months or years of pain and suffering, with the possibility of permanent scarring, disfigurement, or the need for skin grafts. Financial compensation can go a long way to help accident victims and their family members.
If another responsible party caused your burn injury, you are entitled to compensation from that negligent party. This could help you cover your medical bills. Your personal injury lawsuit will help cover medical expenses but may also compensate you for emotional trauma, lost wages, and other personal damages.
The amount of compensation you recover from your personal injury lawsuit will depend on the severity of your injuries and their long-term impact. A Chicago burn injury lawyer will look at your case and work out your legal options based on your medical records, physical injury, and other circumstances of your claim to get you maximum compensation. This includes potential lawsuits against insurance companies or workers’ compensation from workplace accidents.
Varying Degrees of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are also classified by their depth. The treatment for a serious burn injury can take years, cost thousands of dollars, and require extensive, multiple surgeries. Burns are also prone to infection and must be carefully taken care of. In severe cases, a burn injury can damage your nerves and affect other body parts and bodily functions.
The degrees of burns are:
- First-degree burns:Â With this burn, the epidermis (the outer layer of your skin) is affected. Symptoms include redness, pain, and swelling. First-degree burns usually heal in a week. The most common type of first-degree burn is mild sunburn.
- Second-degree burns:Â With this burn, the first layer of your skin has been burned through to your second layer, also known as your dermis. Symptoms include blisters, severe redness and inflammation, and severe pain.
- Third-degree burns: These are the most severe burns, as they destroy your first and second layer of skin, burning down to your third layer, called the subcutaneous. Symptoms include skin that appears white, black, or leathery. With third-degree burns, your skin’s nerve endings may have been destroyed, so you may not feel pain. However, the skin surrounding your burn can be incredibly painful. These severe burns and the pain associated with them can cause a rapid pulse and difficulty breathing.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries
When you think of a burn injury, you often think of burns caused by a house fire. While this is indeed a common cause, burn injuries can happen just about anywhere.
Burn injuries are commonly the result of:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Explosions in furnaces and boilers
- Industrial accidents
- Chemical spills
- Electrical accidents
- Scalding water or liquids
- Cooking accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Gasoline spills
- Defective products
- Household fires
- Defective Citronella candles
- Plant explosions
Filing Your Burn Injury Claim
If you have suffered a burn injury due to another person’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation, but you need to take the steps to file a personal injury claim for damages. The purpose of a personal injury claim is to help restore the victim to the place they were prior to their burn accident. We can help you file a claim for medical bills, lost income, and other damages, such as emotional distress.
Calling Walner Law® won’t cost you a dime. We will review your case for free and help you understand the legal options that are available to you and your family members.
If you live in the Chicago area and have suffered a burn injury, please contact our burn injury lawyers today to learn more. Our injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means you won’t pay unless we win your case.
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