Help for Burn Injury Victims
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A burn is an injury that is caused by heat, radiation, chemicals, or electricity. Serious burns – especially third degree or higher burns and those that involve a large surface area – can be fatal.
Burns are complicated injuries; they affect not only the skin but muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and bone. Burns also affect body temperature, body fluids, dexterity, and physical appearance. A severe burn injury may have far-reaching consequences in terms of emotional and psychological damage. This damage may last for years. A Baltimore area burn injury lawyer can help you receive long-term financial compensation for your extended care.
Types of Burn Injury:
Our burn injury lawyer is experienced with radiation burns and other types of burn injury at our Lexington/ Columbia, South Carolina law firm. See below for a link to each type of burn injury and its causes.
Radiation Burns:
Radiation burns may be caused by X-rays, radiation therapy for cancer treatment, or tanning beds. Sunburn also falls under the category of radiation burns. Even a malfunctioning (halide) light bulb can cause radiation burns; the bulbs – often used in places such as school gyms, where their bright light can illuminate the large space – may crack and expose people to short-wave radiation. Radiation burns can come from unusual sources; contact our South Carolina law firm to learn more.
Thermal Burns:
Thermal burn injury is common and may be caused by flame, steam, hot metals, hot oil or grease, hot liquids (“scald burns”), fireworks, space heaters, electrical malfunctions, or improperly stored flammable liquids such as gasoline. Thermal burns resulting from explosions – such as from gas tanks, car accidents, boat accidents, and airplane accidents – can be swift and severe when fuel and clothing ignite.
Inhalation Burns:
A burn injury to the airways can be caused by inhaling smoke, steam, or toxic fumes. The injury may be intensified if the victim is inhaling within a poorly ventilated space.
Electrical Burns:
Electrical burns can have many causes including high voltage wires, damaged electrical cords, and electrical outlets. The internal injuries that may result from an electrical burn are not always evident in that the visible burns may simply be small entry and exit points of the electrical current.
Chemical Burns:
Chemical burns are often associated with industrial accidents. The chemical compounds that can cause moderate to severe burns include strong acids or bases; these compounds are found in cleaning products, battery fluid, pool chemicals, and drain cleaners. The severity of chemical burns may be deceptive. Hydrofluoric acid, for instance, can eat to the bone before the extent of the burn injury becomes evident.
Burn Injury Severity:
Radiation burns and other burns need to be evaluated for their severity. Our Lexington/ Columbia, South Carolina burn injury lawyer can assess your medical information in order to best present your burn injury claim. The severity of a burn injury is determined by the following factors:
Source of Burn Injury:
Some sources of a burn injury are inherently more serious, other factors being equal. A minor burn caused by nuclear radiation will be more serious than a minor thermal burn. Chemical burns may be more serious than radiation burns or thermal burns if the chemicals have remained on the victim’s skin for a length of time.
Bodily Region:
Burns to the face are more serious because they may affect the victim’s breathing or eyesight. Burns to the hands and feet are serious because they can limit the mobility of fingers and toes.
Degree of Burn Injury:
Higher degree burns mean deeply exposed tissue and therefore a greater risk of infection to the burn injury.
Burn Injury Surface Area:
The total body surface area (or TBSA) refers to the percentage of the body that received the burn injury. Each area of the body is assigned a different percentage (see table below). For example, if both legs received third degree burns, one would say that the victim was burned on 36 percent of his or her body.
Age of Victim:
Children and senior citizens are at greater risk; they may experience more extreme physical reactions to burns, and they have different healing capabilities.
Physical / Mental Condition of Victim:
Victims who have a respiratory illness, heart condition, kidney disease, or diabetes are at greater risk for a more severe burn injury than those who do not.
The Weltchek Mallahan & Weltchek Law Firm concentrates its practice on representing individuals who have been severely injured:
All consultations are 100% free of charge. If your case is accepted, you are not responsible to pay a single dollar in either the review of your case or the prosecution of your case unless the Firm recovers by way of settlement or verdict. Please do not hesitate to call the experienced trial team at Weltchek Mallahan & Weltchek today.
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