Burns are among the more serious injuries that you can suffer in any accident. If you have sustained serious burns, you are looking at a long recovery ahead of you with continuous medical treatments and relentless pain. Still, insurance companies can be reluctant to pay you for all of what that suffering should be worth.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a burn accident, attorney Frank Hartman is a burn injury lawyer in Charleston with the drive to get you full financial compensation when you deserve it. Reach out to The Hartman Law Firm, LLC today to discuss your case.
Types of Burn Injuries We Represent
Research shows that human skin could begin to become burned at 111°F. Human skin can become destroyed when it is exposed to temperatures of 162° F.
The most common types of burn injuries that you could suffer are:
- Thermal: Heat sources, such as a hot surface or flame, can damage the skin.
- Radiation: Prolonged exposure to any type of radiation, such as an X-ray, can burn the skin.
- Chemical: Strong acids, alkalies, detergents, or solvents can burn when they come into contact with the skin.
- Electrical: Electrocution from contact with a strong electrical current can cause serious burn injuries to the limbs or body.
You can even suffer a serious burn from scalds by a hot substance, such as grease or water. In the past, Frank represented a client who suffered serious burn injuries when they fell through the floor of their shower and were under scalding hot water for hours.
Degrees of Burn Injuries
There are four degrees of burn injuries, based on the severity. The degrees are as follows:
- First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of the skin. They may be very painful at first, but they are often temporary and leave little lasting effect.
- Second-degree burns are more painful, involving several leather layers of the skin, but not reaching through the skin.
- Third-degree burns are very serious. They destroy the skin, and they can reach the underlying bones, muscles, and tendons.
- Fourth-degree burns are when the damage reaches the bones, muscles, and tendons.
Third and fourth-degree burns are extremely serious, and they are often fatal. If a burn victim survives these injuries, they will be left with lasting damage for perhaps the rest of their life.
Causes of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries can happen anytime your skin comes into contact with anything extremely hot. You can suffer a burn injury in a sudden accident or based on prolonged exposure to something hot.
You could suffer these kinds of injuries as a result of the following:
- Burning fuel in a crash
- Coming into contact with a hot surface
- Malfunctioning machinery
- A fire caused by an accident
- Extremely hot food or liquids
- Exposure to certain chemicals
No matter the cause, you may be entitled to financial compensation if you can prove that your burns were the result of someone else’s evidence.
Treatments for Burn Injuries
Your burn injury treatment is often divided into two phases.
At the outset, you need medical treatment to stabilize your condition. Burns can lead to serious infections and respiratory distress and the initial hours and days after the injury. You may need intensive treatment at a specialized burn center.
Then, you may need long-term treatment, especially if the burns cause nerve damage in your body. Plastic surgeons could also perform skin grafts to repair the affected area. You would likely need far more than just one skin graft. These treatments are incredibly expensive.
As a burn injury lawyer, Frank tells clients to stick to their treatment plan and follow their doctors’ orders so their condition can improve as much as medically possible.
How Much Your Burn Injury May Be Worth
Burns impact your life both in the immediate short-term and in the aftermath of an accident. You may need treatment years into the future. Each of these procedures can cost thousands of dollars and can mean lengthy recovery times.
If our firm represents you, Frank can go after the full value of your burn injury damages, which can include:
- Medical expenses
- Plastic surgery costs
- Rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
- Embarrassment and humiliation
Burns are an extremely painful injury. It follows that your non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, may be very high. The more prominent the location of the burn, the more money to which you may be entitled.
Contact Our Charleston Burn Injury Lawyer Today
If you have suffered a serious burn injury, you must obtain full financial compensation if someone else is to blame for what happened. Between the expenses and the other impacts on your life, you will need every dollar that you get.
If you hire Frank as your attorney, he will fight for you and defend against the insurance company that will look to devalue your suffering. The first step in your financial recovery is to schedule a free initial consultation, where we can learn more about your situation and explain your legal options.
You can speak with our firm today. Send us a message online or call us now at 843.300.7600.