Burn injuries are among the most devastating of severe injuries. Burn injury treatment is extremely painful, and survivors are often permanently and severely disfigured. Scarring can be so severe as to cause physical disabilities, as well as causing emotional distress and causing the victim to avoid social settings or even going out in public at all. The pain and terror that burn victims experience during the accident which caused their burns can be so extreme that many victims must cope with life-long post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Burn injuries come with very high economic and non-economic damages. Estimating the long-term costs and the non-economic damages of burn injuries and presenting your interests to a jury in a meaningful and believable way is critical to recovering full compensation for your burn injuries.
Immediate and Long Term Consequences of Burn Injury
The immediate and short-term consequences of burn injuries can include:
- Extensive medical care in a burn unit or intensive care unit just to survive
- Extremely painful medical treatments
- Severe infections
- Rhabdomyolysis
- Extensive medical treatments over time, after the initial danger has passed
- Skin grafts
- Amputations
- Physical therapy to regain mobility and range of motion
Long term consequences of burn injuries can include:
- Severe scarring
- Loss of use of the affected area
- Loss of mobility
- Nerve damage
- Organ damage
- Respiratory damage
- Chronic pain
- Disfigurement so severe as to cause the victim to withdraw from society completely
- Long-term physical pain and suffering
- Long-term emotional pain and suffering
- PTSD
- Permanent physical impairment
Types of Burn Injury
The thought of burn injury conjures images of fire, but there are many types of burns which do not involve flames. Types of burns include:
- Thermal – flames, scalding, hot surfaces
- Radiation – sun, tanning booths, X-Rays, radiation therapy
- Chemical
- Electrical
- Friction, such as severe road rash
Types of Personal Injury Cases Which May Involve Burn Injury Claims
Burn injuries can be the result of many types of accidents and incidents.
For instance, scalding can be caused by a defective water heater or a negligent caregiver such as a babysitter or nursing home staff member. House fires may be caused by a defective product. Burns sustained in a building fire can be the result of a defective product such as a malfunctioning smoke alarm, falling under product liability, or they can be the result of inadequate escape routes which is a premises liability issue.
Burn injuries can result from:
- Motor vehicle accidents, typically as a result of fuel-fed fires and explosions
- Hazardous materials truck accidents
- Defective electronics, including toys
- Defective lawnmowers causing residential fires
- Defective safety equipment including smoke alarms, and fire extinguishers
- Premises liability including lack of fire escapes, lack of safety equipment, and failure to remedy or remove known fire or burn hazards
- Construction accidents which can include electrical burns, flammable materials, chemical burns, and explosions
- Nursing home neglect or abuse including inadequate supervision leading to severe sunburn or touching hot objects, and scalds from baths or showers which are too hot