Burn Injury Lawyers Serving Adults & Children
Each year in the United States there are approximately 500,000 burn injury cases that require medical care whether it is a superficial burn warranting a trip to the emergency room or a severe burn mandating hospitalization at a burn trauma hospital. Suffering a serious burn injury, or electrical injury, can result in a broad range of severe side effects that can impact the victim for the rest of their life. Nerve damage typically impairs the use of the injured body part and the permanent scarring resulting from a serious burn can result in a variety of self-esteem, emotional and other psychological issues. Burns and electrical injuries can often times be fatal resulting in wrongful death. If you, your child or spouse has been burned in an auto accident, at school or at work you may be able to obtain benefits and financial compensation for injuries, lost wages, medical expenses, property damage, physical pain, emotional suffering, psychological trauma and loss of quality of life compensation. In the extremely tragic event that someones life was taken their estate may be entitled to funeral expense compensation, death benefits and survival actions. As burn injuries are more often than not catastrophic you absolutely need the help of our burn injury lawyers. They are skilled trial attorneys and handle burn injury lawsuits nationwide. Please contact them here. You can also visit @burninjurylawyers for a free case exam. Burn injuries that occur in accidents that occur due to the negligence of another party, may allow the victim the right to be fully compensated for any losses they suffer as a result. These are complex cases that require the attention of our qualified burn injury lawyers as they have the experience & ability to fully protect your child’s interests.
Our fire accident attorneys the entire country including, but not limited to, the Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, New York City, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Boston, Wilmington, Baltimore, Minneapolis and Washington D.C. areas.
Jobs Where Burn Injuries Occur
While burn accidents can happen to anyone they seem to happen in the workplace more than in a non-work setting. Our burn accident attorneys have experience handling both however. That does not mean some occupations are more dangerous than others. Burn lawsuits are common in first responder jobs such as firefighters aka firemen/fireman. Manufacturing workers and welders also see a fair amount of burn injury claims. Also, service workers like chefs, waitresses, waiters, hair stylists and salon workers are also very susceptible to a burn injury during an average work day. In addition, power line workers and those that work for power and utility companies such as Exelon, SDG&E, Conectiv, PG&E, Southern California Edison and the more than 150 others in the U.S. are frequently the victims of fire accidents.
Burns As A Result Of Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice, also referred to as medical negligence can be a factor in burn cases and the cases are slightly different than on the job burn injuries. Medical devices such as DaVinci Surgical Robots, MRI machines, laser procedures hot liquids and chemicals used for medical procedures can all cause easily preventable burns to victims who are under the care of a doctor, hospital or burn care center.
While medical malpractice can result in a burn injury other burn injuries can occur in a hospital, children’s hospital, cancer center or surgical center but not as a result of medical negligence.
Some can occur as a result of having a hot liquid spilled on someone other than a patient. For instance you can get burnt while visiting a loved one at the hospital and you go to cafeteria for a cup of coffee. These can lead to scalds and other skin injuries. These types of burns are considered premises liability cases.
Many medical devices have the potential for injury such as MRI machines. They can result in thermal burns to the patient. MRI’s, which stands for magnetic resonance imaging, has resulted in 2nd degree burns in patients for different reasons. One, is the fiber or material the patients clothing is made of. Doctors, hospitals and healthcare providers should be aware of any potential injury due to a MRI searing clothing to the skin. If this happens, severe burns can occur and that can be grounds for a medical negligence lawsuit.
Also, DaVinci Surgical Robots manufactured by Intuitive have been named in several lawsuits as the device is unfit for many surgical procedures such as pediatric surgeries and thyroid surgeries. The system has also been improperly marketed in that it is not for any and all surgical procedures. Training is also another issue that has resulted in injuries and death of patients. Doctors, surgeons and surgical teams do not have a complete grasp over operating the device and this causes severe burns, irreparable tissue trauma, hemorrhaging and injuries. Even with proper training of how to use the robot the system has caused internal bleeding, organ damage, tissue tears and serious burns. In addition, wrongful death has been the result of some DaVinci system accidents. While these cases do occur in a hospital or healthcare facility the manufacturer of the system, Intuitive Surgical, is who is named in the lawsuit as their product is defective. One could also make a case against the doctor or surgical facility where procedure was done but these are typically mass tort cases also known as defective products or product claims. No matter where your DaVinci Surgical Robot injury happened our burn accident attorneys can help. With offices in Delaware, South Carolina, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, Manhattan, Irvine, Las Vegas & Houston they can help.
Burns & Workers’ Comp Cases
Burns can happen in office settings, restaurants, medical facilities, gas stations, hair and nail salons. They are more common in utility company jobs, industrial and manufacturing setting like chemical companies, steel companies, oil refineries, etc. Our nationwide team of burn accident attorneys handle workers’ comp burn lawsuits. Please contact them for a free case review.
Firefighter & First Responder Burn Injury Lawsuits
The very nature of being a firefighter, male or female, means you are exposed to extremely dangerous work conditions every single day. Most states, have specific laws for firemen and firewomen should they be injured, or die, on the job. These laws can also apply to public service workers along the lines of police officers, ‘cops’, detectives, prison guards, lifeguards, emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
In addition to the possibility of fire accidents and burn injuries, firefighters are also at risk of developing cancer due to carcinogens in their firefighting foam (FFF). Our firefighter injury attorneys handle these claims as well.
Smoke Inhalation
A common injury involving fires and burns is smoke inhalation. This happens when toxic fumes, gases and smoke is breathed in. Serious, permanent and fatal injuries can occur to firefighters, men, women and children. Getting medical care is first thing you should do when exposed to gas resulting in smoke inhalation. From there call or email our smoke inhalation injury lawyers for a free case review.
Pressure Cooker Burn Injury Lawsuits
Pressure cookers are not safe for in home use but are sold in this country regardless. Almost every brand has issued recalls based on their products exploding and seriously burning and injuring those in the vicinity of the explosion. Our Washington D.C. burn injury attorneys handle these lawsuits across the United States.
Skilled Burn Injury Attorneys Handling Child Burn Cases
Our Wilmington, Delaware child burn injury lawyers provide aggressive representation to children throughout the United States who have been seriously burned or suffered severe electrical injuries. Our child burn injury lawyers fully investigate how the injury happened and who was responsible. We build the strongest possible case to support your child’s claim for damages and seek the maximum level of compensation available in the case.
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania burn injury lawyers on our team have represented children in a wide variety of burn and electrical injury cases, including the following:
- Exposed outlets or damaged wiring
- Insufficient warning on electric fences
- Downed power lines
- Car fires
- Scalding due to a defective water heater
- Chemical burns including bleach, acid and other chemical agents
- Gas fires
- Defective flame-retardant fabric
- Burns from sun-heated playground equipment
- Death by electrocution
- Radiation burns due to the sun, medical imaging, chemotherapy, radiotherapy aka radiation therapy
- Nursing home burns
- Space heater fires
- Apartment complex fires
Relentless Advocacy For Victims Of Serious Burns
For a free consultation please contact our team of Washington DC burn injury lawyers to schedule a free consultation about your child’s burn or electrical injury claim. They can be reached via email here.
Burns, even seemingly minor burns like sunburn, can be excruciatingly painful for the burn victim. This is especially true for children. Depending on the severity and degree of the burn they can cause severe physical, emotional & mental trauma. The deeper the burn the longer and more extensive the treatment plan and recovery period. A burn injury is measured in terms of degrees which refers to the depth of the burn. A first degree burn is superficial and rarely poses a health threat the the victim. First degree burns allow the skin to perform its functions such as regulating body temperature and preventing infection. Second degree burns are deeper and damage the 2nd layer of skin called the dermis. Often times they are also referred to as partial thickness burns. Loss of skin function is normally a result of 2nd degree burns. Blistering of the skin is very common with 2nd degree burns. Second degree burns are among the most painful due to the layer of skin that falls away, exposing the raw nerve underneath. Third degree burns, the deepest & most severe, destroy any sensation in the nerves so the burn victim may feel nothing at the burned area.
Burn Injury Causes
Just as there are many types of burns, each with differing health consequences, burns are caused by many different accidents such as:
– Injuries in the workplace including industrial accidents, construction sites, office settings, restaurants and hospitals
– Auto accidents including trucking accidents, motorcycle crashes, tractor trailer collisions and car accidents
– Explosions in/on boiler rooms, kitchens, ships, airplanes
– Chemical burns in plant manufacturing settings, coal mines, construction sites
– Defective products such as home products, children’s toys, lamps, stoves, ovens, electrical appliances and products, motorcycles, lighters, grills
– Nursing home abuse, scalds, burns as well as treatment center abuse and hospital negligence
– Electrocution in home, office, construction, industrial and manufacturing environments
Burn injuries usually require a very long and painful recovery process. Regardless of the cause of the burn often times victims needs multiple surgical procedures such as skin grafts or reconstructive surgery. They may also need extensive physical rehabilitation as part of their recuperation due to loss of nerve sensation & soft tissue functionality.
Ultimately burn injuries can lead to massive medical & physical therapy bills as well as prescription costs. Many burn victims may need to undergo emotional counseling as well to address any emotional scarring that may have occurred as a result of the burn injury. Add to that the potential for loss of wages and burns can cause as much financial strain as physical strain so having a skilled Pittsburgh, PA workers compensation lawyer that truly understands the various aspects of burn injuries on your side is very important.
There are many factors involved in a burn injury case. Our Nevada burn injury lawyers have the experience to understand, address & anticipate any medical, legal and financial issues that occur as a result of a burn injury. They will work tirelessly to obtain the financial compensation you and your family are entitled to.
Assessing Burn Injuries
Burns are injuries to the various layers of the skin. The skin can be superficially burned of deeply burned. The depth or the burn indicates the degree of the burn such as first, second or third degree burns. The amount of body surface area burned indicates the severity of the burn. A burn injury can be sustained in the home, in an accident or workplace injury. Burn injuries can cause scarring, disfigurement and loss of sensation if the effected area of the body.
The Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) effected by the burn is used to assess burns of the skin. In an adult the ‘Rule of Nines’ is typically used when trying to determine total percentage of body burned. The Rule of Nines takes into consideration factors such as burns covering multiple body parts or burns not fully covering a body part. In adults, each area of the body is assigned a percentage based on its size and surface area. Rule of Nines percentages for an average sized adult are outlined below:
Anatomic Structure Surface Area %
Head 9%
Front Torso 18%
Rear Torso 18%
Each Leg 36%
Each Arm 18%
Genitalia 1%
The arms and legs can be further broken down percentage wise if only front (anterior) or rear (posterior) portion is burnt.
Burn Assessment in Children
In children burns are assessed very similarly to adults with one primary difference. For an infant, toddler or child with a burn injury the body parts are assigned a different surface area percentage. The percentages differ at different ages due to the fact that the ratio of combined surface area of head and neck differs to that of an adult. This assignment is called the Lund-Browder chart and is outlined below:
Anatomic Structure Surface Area %
Head 17%
Front Torso 18%
Rear Torso 18%
Each Leg26%
Each Arm 18%
Genitalia 1%
A burn injury can easily become a catastrophic event in one’s life. If you are burnt at work or in an accident of some sort please reach out to our catastrophic injury lawyers handling burn injury cases. They have offices nationwide.
Recovery Process & Timeline
In cases of severe burns covering large areas of the body and or deep layers of skin and tissue the recovery can be very long and painful. A surgery called a skin graft may be necessary to replace the dead skin and necrotic tissue. There are 2 types of skin grafts:
- Split thickness grafts which account for most skin graft procedures
- Full thickness skin grafts which are for injury victims with deeper burns over larger areas of the body
The recovery time for each type of graft varies with a few days convalescing at home to several weeks in the hospital.
As with any surgical procedure there are risks such as an anesthesia error, a surgical error and post-operative infections.
While you would hate to think of an injury caused by treating the burn injury it happens. If you were injured, contracted a hospital acquired infection or lost a loved one there may be grounds for a medical malpractice claim against the doctor, emergency room or hospital. Our nationwide team of accident attorneys also handle medical malpractice cases.
Burn Injury Lawsuits, Settlements & Jury Verdicts
The nationwide network of burn injury attorneys we have assembled are all award winning trial attorneys with a. extraordinary history of obtaining very favorable, large and absolutely just settlements and verdicts for all injury victims including burn injury victims. Examples of burn accident case results are:
$54,000,000 settlement in a food truck explosion in Pennsylvania resulting in a teenage female with 3rd degree burns on more than half of her body.
$2,700,000 settlement in Illinois for faulty water heater that exploded filling 1 worker and severely injuring 2 others on a job site.
These are just two examples of the burn injury claims our catastrophic injury attorneys have handled. Let them use their experience to get you the benefits, financial compensation and exquisite medical care for your 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th degree burns.
Contact Our Burn Injury Attorneys
If you have been burned in the workplace, or as a result of a defective product or someone else’s negligence do not delay in contacting our team of workplace burn injury lawyer lawyers handling burn injury claims today to schedule a free consultation.
No matter what state you were injured in our team of trucking accident burn injury lawyers can help as they serve all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. including: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wyoming & Wisconsin.