Burn Injury
US, Canada and Puerto Rico
Burn injuries are some of the worst injuries a victim may face. Besides the physical pain, burn injuries leave permanent scarring and can cause severe emotional damage. If you have suffered a burn injury due to the negligence of another person, company or entity, please contact the burn injury lawyers at Balkin & Eisbrouch, LLC.
Burn Injury Statistics
In the United States alone, roughly 2.4 million burn injuries are reported annually. Burn injury victims often face a lifetime of serious healthcare challenges, from costly skin grafting procedures to psychological counseling and therapy to deal with the emotional anguish associated with disfigurement.
Situations That Create Burn Injuries
A burn injury can arise from any situation that involves a fire, or hazardous chemicals in the air. Burns can affect your skin and you lungs, if inhaled. You can suffer a burn injury at work, in your vehicle or on another person’s premises. Some causes of burn injuries include:
- Plant explosions
- Exploding furnaces, boilers, stoves, or other appliances
- Industrial accidents
- Chemical spills
- Electrical accidents
- Truck accidents, automobile accidents and SUV rollovers
- Careless smoking
- Cooking accidents
- Property manager negligence
- Water heater located too high
- Excessively hot commercial coffee
- Defective products
- Disrepair and misuse of heating equipment
The treatment for a serious burn injury can take years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and require multiple surgeries and rehabilitation. The site of your burn is also highly susceptible to infection. Severe burns may even cause nerve damage, which can affect other parts of your body.
Types of Burns
There are three main types of burns:
- First Degree: Characterized by red and very sensitive skin, these burns involve a minimal amount of tissue damage and only damage your epidermis (skin’s surface). One example is sunburn.
- Second Degree Burns: These burns are characterized by redness, pain, swelling and blisters and affect both the outer-layer (epidermis) and the underlying layer (dermis) of your skin.
- Third Degree Burns: These types of burns affect your epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. The burn areas may be numb, but second degree burns around the third-degree may cause pain. Healing is very slow because your skin’s tissue and structures are destroyed, resulting in significant scarring.
You can also suffer a burn injury from:
- Heat inhalation
- Systemic toxins (such as carbon monoxide poisoning)
- Smoke inhalation
If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury in the United States, Canada or Puerto Rico, please contact the burn injury attorneys at Balkin & Eisbrouch, LLC today. We can answer your questions and help you move forward with filing a claim against the at-fault party.
