How Are Serious Burns Commonly Caused?

Serious burns are commonly caused by fire, hot liquids, steam, and touching hot objects. Exposure to electricity and certain chemicals also represent common causes of severe burns in Florida.

If your injury was caused by another person’s negligence, you can get help from a Fort Myers burn injury lawyer who can help you recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages related to your burn injury.

What Are the Common Causes of Serious Burns?

The common causes of serious burns include:

Fire and Flames

Exposure to open flame can cause thermal burns, often requiring immediate medical care. Thermal burns represent one of the most common household injuries.

Hot Liquids

If a scalding liquid boils over onto your hands or face, it could cause second-degree burns, which involve damage to both layers of your skin (epidermis and dermis). These burns might look like blisters filled with clear fluid and are often painful.

Steam

Steam from boiling water or hot showers can also cause second-degree burns. Steam can burn your skin if you walk into it or lean forward and rest your hands on a hot surface when you’re too close to the source of heat.

Electrical Currents

Contact with the electric current that flows through metal wires, metal pipes, or other conductors that carry electricity in your home or workplace can cause electric burns.

Electricity is not the only danger associated with electrical currents. Fires caused by overheated wires and faulty wiring can burn you before you even realize they’re present in your home.

Chemical Burns

Chemical burns occur when chemical agents come into contact with the skin and cause damage to the tissue underneath. They can also cause chemical poisoning, which can lead to death if not treated in time.

Whether caused by fire or contact with hot liquids or objects, burn injuries can be very serious. Burns can cause permanent damage, scarring, and disfigurement. Depending on the extent of the burn, you may need to go to an emergency room or a hospital for treatment.

How Common Are Severe Burn Injuries?

Burn injuries are a common occurrence in the United States. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) information on burns, approximately 180,000 people die from burn injuries each year.

How are these serious burns commonly caused? Contact with hot liquids, steam, electricity, and chemicals can cause this severe injury.

What Are the Types of Burns?

Typically, doctors categorize burn injuries into three degrees of severity.

The severity of a burn depends on the size of the area affected, how deep the burn goes into your skin, and how much damage your body’s tissues have sustained. The main types of burns are:

First-Degree Burns

First-degree burns are milder than other types of burns, but they still require medical attention because they can cause blistering and swelling. The affected area will become red and feel tender when touched.

A first-degree burn usually heals within two weeks without scarring or discomfort afterward. These injuries are typically very complicated, and there are many nuances to a person’s case that require the experience of an attorney.

Second-Degree Burns

Second-degree burns involve damage to deeper layers of skin and tissue beneath the outer layer known as the epidermis. Second-degree burns cause redness and tenderness, along with blisters that eventually form scabs over them as they heal over several days or weeks, depending on the severity.

Second-degree burns may also cause swelling, blistering, and pain. A Fort Myers personal injury lawyer can advise you on who to hold liable and how to collect compensation for your burn injury damages.

Third-Degree Burns

Third-degree burns are the most severe type of burn, causing damage to the outer layer of skin, as well as deeper tissues below it. Blisters that break open and leave raw, charred tissue exposed often accompany these burns. The affected area will feel hot to the touch and may appear grey or black in color due to a lack of blood flow.

You can learn more about what burn injury categories are with an attorney.

Injuries involving third-degree burns require immediate medical attention because they can lead to shock, infection, and tissue damage. These are usually treated with antibiotics and may require skin grafts or skin flaps in order to repair the damage.

How Do You Know if a Burn Is First, Second, or Third Degree?

Visiting the doctor represents the most efficient way to diagnose the severity of a burn and receive appropriate medical care. Doctors often look at the appearance of a burn to classify the injury. 

First-degree burns, for example, generally appear red and dry. They do not usually blister up, though they may cause you pain. Second-degree burns, on the other hand, often blister and swell up. As a result, you may experience more pain with a second-degree burn. 

Third-degree burns often appear charred or blackened. Some appear white, instead, depending on the location of the burn. In addition, some patients with severe burns do not experience pain at first due to the destruction of their nerve endings. 

What Damages Can You Get for a Burn Injury in Florida?

Generally, if someone else caused your injuries, you may receive funds to cover your current and future medical expenses. More severe burns may require more extensive medical treatment, so that you may receive more compensation for these injuries. You could also receive funds to cover your:

• Time off at work
• Physical pain
• Emotional distress and mental suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Once the degree level of a burn is determined, it could impact the compensation you receive for your losses. An attorney can review your situation and provide information about the specific funds available to you.

A lawyer can also explain how pain and suffering is determined in a burn injury case.

Why Is a Lawyer Needed for a Burn Injury?

There are a number of situations where people will benefit from having a lawyer on their side. A lawyer will be useful for helping to ensure that appropriate procedures are followed during the treatment process and for negotiating with insurance companies on behalf of clients who sustained injuries in a burn accident.

Talk to Us After a Burn Injury

So, how are serious burns commonly caused? Flames, hot water, chemicals, steam, and electrical currents all represent common causes of severe burns.

If you have suffered a burn injury due to another person’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. An experienced attorney at Viles & Beckman can help determine whether you have a case and assist in getting fair compensation for your injuries and damages.

Burn injuries are painful. However, knowing when to hire a burn injury lawyer and what to expect from the process can make it much easier to deal with. If you have suffered a burn injury, it is critical that you contact us today. We’re here to help and have attorneys who speak Russian, Spanish, and Creole.