Burns present one of the worst types of injuries. They are very painful, slow to heal, and unfortunately quite common. The American Burn Association estimated that in 2016 486,000 burn injuries required medical treatment, and 40,000 of the victims needed hospitalization. Sizable financial damages accompany all of these severe burn injuries. Personal injury cases related to burns require detailed investigations before collecting a settlement. For this reason, burn victims often seek representation from injury attorneys.

Different Types of Burn Injuries

The fire and heat necessary to damage your flesh can arise from various sources. The medical community categorizes burn injuries according to their cause.

• Thermal burns result from contact with fire, hot objects, scalding liquid, and steam or other hot gases.
• Chemical burns result from contact with powerful acids, strong detergents, and solvents.
• Electrical burns result from contact with electrical current.
• Radiation burns result from exposure to radioactive materials in medical equipment and other sources, ultraviolet light, and the sun.
• Friction burns result from abrasive contact, such as might happen when the body skids on the pavement after a motorcycle accident.

Although bad luck is the sole cause of some accidents, others occur due to negligence of some sort. If you have suffered serious burns that required medical treatment, a conversation with a Vegas injury attorney is appropriate. A legal evaluation of the circumstances of your accident could reveal sources of compensation.

Degrees of Burn Injuries

You’re likely familiar with burns being described as being first, second, third, or fourth degree. The degree describes the depth of the burn damage on your body. A first-degree burn is a minor form, and heat or caustic agents only caused light damage to the outer layer of skin. You may not even need professional medical treatment. However, if you suffered first-degree burns over a large portion of your body due to an accident, you could have financial losses.

Second-degree burns are a more serious matter. You will need medical care because skin tissue damage has occurred beneath the top layer of the skin. Pain will be more intense than a first-degree burn, and you can expect unpleasant issues like fluid discharge and skin loss.

Third-degree burns represent an emergency. Deep skin damage has occurred, and pain could be overwhelming. Permanent scarring is very possible, and you may need skin grafting surgeries.

The worst form of burn is called a fourth-degree burn. Tissue beneath the skin has suffered damage, and muscles, tendons, nerves, and even bones may be affected negatively.

Costs to Victims and Families

The financial hardship that hits you and your family after a serious burn injury will be immediate and prolonged. You’ll need hospitalization and perhaps transport to a special burn unit. Medical personnel will work to prevent you from becoming dehydrated and developing an infection. Healing will be slow and painful. Depending on the location and extent of your burns, you may need multiple surgeries and physical therapy.

The mental and emotional toll for burn victims cannot be ignored. They must struggle through an excruciating injury while their loved ones watch them suffer. Work will, of course, be impossible for quite some time, if not forever. Permanent scarring can impact your quality of life. Lingering trauma from a distressing accident is not uncommon due to the physical shock and fear that victims endure at the time of the accident.

Your financial damages could include:

• Emergency rescue services
• Hospitalization
• Burn treatments
• Physical and mental therapy
• Lost income
• Lost future earning capacity
• Transportation to medical appointments
• Home care services
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium

At times, people succumb to their burn injuries. In 2019, 25 people in Nevada died in fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Many of those deaths created financial consequences for surviving family members who lost household income and companionship. Burial expenses and emergency medical bills can be left in the wake of a burn victim’s death. When negligence represents the root cause of the death, the family could seek damages with a wrongful death lawsuit.

Injury attorneys work with victims and their families to identify sources of compensation, such as insurance policies and sometimes other assets. Due to the lengthy recovery periods, a full accounting of current and projected damages may require consultation with multiple physicians and therapists.

Negligent Causes of Burn Injuries
Many accidents can inflict terrible burns. Negligence behind accidents can take many forms. Some examples of negligence are:

• Defective products
• Reckless driving
• Landlords failing to maintain smoke alarms or fire extinguishers
• Neglected equipment like boilers or chemical storage tanks
• Bad electrical wiring
• Failing to warn people about burn hazards

Workplace Accidents
Workplaces often have many burn hazards related to chemicals, hot water pipes, hot grease, or steam. Various types of equipment could burst into flame unexpectedly. People driving as part of their job duties can get into accidents that cause vehicles to catch fire.

Even in the absence of any negligence, you should have access to benefits through your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. However, your accident might involve negligence, and a third party like a machine manufacturer or negligent driver might bear responsibility for your losses. Even if you have a legitimate workers’ compensation claim, you may wish to speak with a personal injury lawyer about the person or organization responsible for hurting you. Additional compensation for your injuries may be recoverable from a negligent outside party.

Why You Need a Burn Injury Attorney in Las Vegas
Establishing the facts of an accident is essential for building your personal injury case. The causes of fires are not always immediately detectable. A specialist will need to determine the cause before a Vegas injury lawyer can bring a claim against the at-fault party. The Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations from the National Fire Protection Association sets the standards for analyzing fires and creating reports usable in court.

Multiple legal issues might intersect in a personal injury case for a burn victim. Your case may need expert testimony and the attention of a burn injury attorney in Las Vegas who can handle complex cases. Moss Berg has an impressive track record of winning settlements for accident victims who have endured huge losses. We cannot undo the pain of what happened to you, but we know how to hold negligent parties accountable. Contact our office for a free consultation today.