Burn injuries are serious and they often have lasting and devastating impacts on victims and their families. In many cases, the physical and emotional pain of a burn injury lasts for long after the injury has occurred.
The more severe the burn the more time-consuming and expensive the recovery process can be. For many, the burn injury settlements from the insurance company are hardly enough to cover all the medical treatment bills and lost wages. This is why it is recommended that you speak to a burn injury lawyer to help you get the compensation you deserve if your burn is due to the negligence of someone else.
Most Common Types of Burn Injuries
Knowing the type of burn injury you are suffering from is important. It allows you to get the proper treatment. Here are some of the most common types of burn injuries:
- Chemical burns. Chemical burns occur with a strong acid or alkali comes into contact with our eyes or skin.
- Thermal burns. This is when a heat source, such as a hot metal or flame, touches and raises the temperature of the skin.
- Friction burns. This is when the skin is rubbed or scraped off by contact with a hard surface, such as concrete or asphalt.
- Radiation burns. These are caused by prolonged exposure to the sun’s UV rays or another source of radiation.
- Inhalation burns. These happen when you breathe in hot, polluted air from a fire.
- Scald burns. Scald burns are the result of heavy exposure to hot water or steam.
Burn injuries are also categorized by how severe the damage is. There are four degrees of damage that can happen. The different degrees of severity for a burn include:
- First-degree burns. This is the least serious form of a burn. They only affect the outermost lawyer of the skin. Typically these burns heal up on their own and rarely require medical attention.
- Second-degree burns. These cause damage to the epidermis and part of the layer of skin under it, known as the dermis. These burns often require treatment but rarely need surgery to fix them.
- Third-degree burns. These occur when all layers of the skin a destroyed, permanently damaging nerve endings, hair follicles, and sweat glands. This type of burn likely requires surgery to fix and should always receive prompt medical care.
- Fourth-degree burns. This is the most severe type of burn injury. It happens when not only are all the skin layers destroyed but there is damage to the underlying bones, muscles, and tendons. They require immediate medical attention and have a higher rate of amputation and death.
We know that a burn injury is often terrifying and that is why we highly suggest talking to a burn injury lawyer like our friends at John K. Zaid & Associates if your burn was caused by someone else’s negligence.
