The Types and Causes of Burn Injuries

Experienced Burin Injury Lawyer serving Nationwide

Throughout the United States, there are thousands of people every year that will suffer a burn injury sustained in a household accident, at work, while driving and other causes. Burns can be extremely careful regardless of the degree of the burn.

In instances of more severe burns, there’ll be cases that require long periods of rehabilitation and recovery, which are accompanied by:

• Costly Surgeries
• Extended Stays in the Hospital
• Ongoing Medical Treatment

Whenever burn injuries are the result of reckless conduct or the negligence of another party, you have the ability to file a personal injury lawsuit in order to receive compensation for:

• Medical Bills
• Pain and Suffering
• Other Injury Related Expenses

A Texas burn injury lawyer at The Doan Law Firm is able to assist you in the litigation of your personal burn injury lawsuit to help you obtain the financial compensation you’re entitled to receive. Call The Doan Law Firm 24/7/365 to speak with one of our catastrophic personal injury lawyers. An actual lawyer is available to answer your calls no matter the day or the time, even weekends and holidays.

Types of Burns

The rating system for burns is done in the degree of the burns severity, it ranges from first degree burns (the less serious), to second degree burns (more serious), to third degree burns (the most severe of the burns). It’s possible for burn victims to have different degrees of burns on different parts of their body and isn’t completely uncommon to sustain two or even all three burn degree types.

There are many different types of burns and their causes, we’ll cover:

• First Degree Burns
• Second Degree Burns
• Third Degree Burns
• The Causes of Burns
• Heat Burns
• Electrical Burns
• Chemical Burns
• Scalding
• Oil and Gas Explosions

First-Degree Burns

First degree burns is the least serious of the burn categories and only affects the thin top layer of the skin called the epidermis. First degree burns can be caused by many things, including touching the metal handle on a boiling pot of water briefly, or just grazing your skin on a hot curling iron. First degree burns usually don’t ever require any medical treatment, nor do they cause any permanent body or skin damage. They’ll likely result in puffiness, minor pain and redness at the point of the burn. These types of minor injuries aren’t likely to ever result in any viable lawsuit.

Second-Degree Burns

Second degree burns are more serious than a first degree burn as the name implies. Second degree burns will extend deeper into the skin, past the epidermis and affect the superficial or papillary and reticular dermis. There’ll be more intense pain, as well as blistering of the skin and can be caused when the skin is exposed directly to an open flame or any other high source of heat. Due to the fact that second degree burns may not extend deep enough down into the skin to damage any of the nerve endings, it’s not uncommon for second degree burns to only seem mildly painful initially. Once the skins nerve endings have had a chance to recover though, there’ll be an increase in pain sensation. An extensive second degree burn can be a very serious thing.

Third-Degree Burns

Third degree are the most serious of all the burn types and will most commonly be evidenced by the burn area leaking purple fluid, a visible charring of the skin, and the formation of eschars, which are leathery skin legions. Almost always the nerve endings in the skin will be affected by third degree burns. This will make the burn feel much less painful right after the initial burn and will lead many third degree burn victims into believing that their burn isn’t all that serious. Bone and muscle tissue can also be affected by a third degree burn. If you believe you’ve suffered a third degree burn you must seek medical attention immediately as this will help guard against both infection and all other complications.

If you’ve suffered a burn injury, please contact The Doan Law Firm immediately in order to get a free case evaluation and to get the proper guidance for your legal claim. After seeking the proper medical professionals to get medical attention so your wounds can get treated and get you on the road to recovery, your next call needs to be The Doan Law Firm to get proper legal guidance. Actual personal injury lawyers are on call 24/7/365 to answer your call, day and night, Christmas or New Years at (800) 349-0000.

Causes of Burns

There are many different ways a burn injury can occur, whether it be from an explosion, a fire, caustic chemicals, coming into accidental contact with a downed electrical wire, molten liquid that’s erupted from an improperly designed plastic injection extruder or molder, or anything else. Most commonly burns are associated with flames from a fire; however, burns can also occur from coming into a hot liquid.

Heat Burns

Exposure to heating elements, fire and other heat sources is the most common burn injury cause. Things that are common to the majority of homes hold the responsibility for thousands of yearly burn incidents.

These are things like:

• Auto Parts
• Fireplaces
• Barbeques
• Ovens

Heat burns come in any type of burn degree, from the most minor to the serious and the most severe, the third degree burn.

Electrical Burns

Whenever there are electrical currents transferred to the body the internal organs and skin tissue can sustain serious injuries. Coming into contact with wall outlets or “live” electrical wires are the most common sources of electrical burn injuries. Also, electrical burns can be caused by lightning strikes; however, those are much rarer. Electrical burns can be particularly dangerous due to the fact that the body’s electromagnetic structure and internal organs can be critically injured.

Without seeking proper medical attention immediately these injuries can continue to manifest as the area of the body where the electrical current entered can appear relatively unscathed even though there is severe internal damage. Regardless of how your skin appears, seek immediate medical attention if you’ve suffered an electrical burn.

Chemical Burns

Whenever someone comes into contact with a caustic chemical compound, a chemical burn is the result of the contact. An example of a caustic compound would be acid.

Some of the most common sources of a chemical burn are:

• Nitric Acid
• Silver Nitrate
• Hydrofluoric Acid
• Sulfuric Acid
• Sodium Hydroxide

Additionally, we cement can cause an alkaline burn and some household solvents and cleaners are threats to cause a chemical burn. The Doan Law Firm is available to review your case and make the determination on whether or not your chemical burn is the result of an unreasonably dangerous product or a defective product. If it is you could have the basis for a personal burn injury lawsuit.

Scalding

Scalding burns can be caused whenever you come into contact with hot water, other hot liquids, or gasses. Scalding burns will most often occur in the home.

The most common examples of scalding burns are:

• A Pot of Hot Cooking Oil Falls from the Stovetop
• A Pot of Hot Water Falls from the Stovetop
• Someone Steps into or a Child Is placed into a Bathtub with Water that’s Far Too Hot

Mots typically a scalding burn will be localized, only affecting the body area that’s come into direct contact with the hot gas or liquid, however, they can be extremely painful. Those that work in an industrial area that has any exposed water or steam pipes may suffer a scalding burn on the job. If you’ve suffered a burn injury on the job you may have the basis for a personal burn injury lawsuit.

Oil or Gas Explosions

An oil or gas explosion is the cause of some of the worst burn injuries. Whenever gas is exposed to eat it expands, at which point it may expand sufficiently enough to cause a failure in the vessel holding the gas. At this point, any source of ignition (including static electricity) near the exposure of the escaping gas can cause an explosion on a massive scale and causing severe injuries to anyone caught in its path. An open flame near a leaking propane tank can also be the source of a serious explosion leading to a severe burn injury.

Whenever an oil or gas explosion has occurred, it’s important that you contact The Doan Law Firm immediately so they can ensure the scene is fully investigated and done with the appropriate experts, as well as consulting with the local public authorities that are investigating the accident. This will ensure that the cause of the gas escape, and the source of the ignition, is determined appropriately.

Cold Burns

Hot surfaces and fires are so closely associated with burn injuries; there are many people that are surprised to actually learn that cold elements can cause serious burns as well. One of the most common types of cold burns is frostbite. Frostbite happens when the skin has prolonged exposure to freezing cold temperatures.

Keeping that in mind, there can also be quick causes of cold burns, such as when the body has come into contact with:

• Dry Ice
• Liquid Nitrogen
• Liquid Helium
• Compressed and Canned Air (Specific Types)

A cold burn can result in the same types of symptoms and injuries as the more common burn types that are caused by heat and cold burns should be taken just as seriously as a burn caused by heat of any type.

Consulting a Lawyer

In order to get additional information and the legal rights that you have relating to your burn injury, contact The Doan Law Firm, day or night, 24/7/365. Our experienced burn injury lawyers are available to answer your call and offer a no obligation, free consultation to evaluate your burn claim and give you all your legal options and rights. Call now at (800) 349-0000.