Severe burn injuries can have a catastrophic impact on accident victims. From the cost of medical treatment, the physical pain of the burns themself, and the emotional trauma, burn victims need support following their accident.
The Munley Law Reading burn injury lawyers understand the devastation burns can have on the victim and their family. Whether you sustained a burn from a work accident, a defective product, a house firm, or another accident, our lawyers will help you get the financial compensation you need to take care of yourself.
If you or a loved one sustained catastrophic burn injuries, call the Reading personal injury lawyers of Munley Law today for a no-obligation, free consultation.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a burn is “an injury to the skin or other organic tissue primarily caused by heat or due to radiation, radioactivity, electricity, friction or contact with chemicals.”
When we think of burns, we often think of thermal burns or heat burns, which cause death to some or all of the cells in the tissues impacted by hot liquids, hot solids, or flames.
Burns can happen anywhere for several reasons, with most burns occurring at home or in the workplace. However, certain factors can put a person at more risk for a burn injury. This includes:
- Children and the elderly may not be able to escape flames as quickly or have a fast enough reaction time to dangers
- Alcohol and drug consumption
- Occupations that involve flames or chemicals
Burn can occur at any time, including in a car accident, chemical burns from using cleaning products, or electrical burns in a home. Below are more causes of severe burn injuries.
Workplace Accident Burns
Workplace accidents are one of the leading causes of burn injuries. Be it a construction accident where you are using heavy equipment, working with electrical wiring or chemicals, or you work in the industrial field with machinery. You may come into contact with hot objects or radiation burns. Workplace accident victims in Reading have a right to pursue compensation for their injuries.
Your employer’s insurance company will require you to file for workers’ compensation to get compensation for your injuries and lost wages.
But if your employer denies your claim, our personal injury attorneys will guide you through the appeals process to ensure you get the financial support you need. If a third party is liable for your injuries, we can also walk you through the personal injury claim process to secure maximum compensation.
Severe Burns From Defective Products
Under product liability law, product designers, manufacturers, and retailers must warn consumers of potential risks of using their products. However, when a product has design flaws, issues in manufacturing, or inadequate warnings and someone gets hurt, you may have a legal claim.
Everyday products that have an elevated risk of burn injury include:
- E-cigarettes
- Vapes
- Electric blankets
- Batteries
- Cars
- Grills
- Space heaters
- Deep fryers
- Fireworks
If a product is a burn risk not noted on the packaging or a defective product causes burns, you have the right to compensation for your injuries and losses.
House Fires From Faulty Electrical Wiring
Faulty wiring is the leading cause of house fires. These fires are most likely to occur in the colder months, where people may rely on additional heat sources to be plugged into the circuits to heat their homes.
The liable parties will ultimately be determined depending on what caused the house fire. In the case of faulty electrical wiring, the construction firm could be liable. Still, chances are if your home is old and has bad wiring, so long as that was disclosed in your buying contract, you’ll likely contact your homeowner’s insurance to see what can be done for the physical damage.
But, if you were burned in a fire elsewhere, you must meet with experienced personal injury lawyers who can establish fault and prove liability for your burn injury claim.
Types and Degrees of Burn Injuries
According to the Cleveland Clinic, half a million Americans seek medical care for accidental burns each year. Medical providers categorize burns by severity, with third-degree burns being the most severe and life-threatening if left untreated.
First-Degree Burns
First-degree burns are most commonly thought of as sunburns. These burns impact the top layer of skin, the epidermis. When a first-degree burn occurs, the skin is red and painful but does not blister or have long-term effects.
These minor burns usually resolve on their own; however, if they change appearance, you should seek medical attention for the following:
- Large first-degree burns
- Sunburns in infants or the elderly
- Burns to the eyes, nose, or mouth
- Signs of infection like pus, swelling, or oozing
A flash burn, a sudden burst of heat, can also cause first-degree burns. If the flash burn occurs to the eyes, seek medical treatment immediately.
Second-Degree Burns
Second-degree burns impact the top and lower layers of skin or the dermis. These burns are caused by heat, chemicals, or light sources such as:
- Scalding water or steam
- Hot objects
- Sunburn
- Chemical exposure
- Contact with electricity
- Open flames
Second-degree burns, also known as partial-thickness burns, can cause pain, redness, swelling and blistering, and skin discoloration that appears red, white, or splotchy.
In most cases, second-degree burns can be handled at home. However, there are certain things you should do to aid in recovery.
- Take pain medication as needed
- Wash the burn with mild soap and water unless medically directed to do otherwise
- Dress the burn in loose gauze, but do not wrap too tightly to avoid added pressure
- Remove clothing or jewelry on or near the burn in case swelling occurs
- Do not put ice on the burn, as it can damage the skin cells
If signs of infection appear, seek medical care immediately.
Third-Degree Burns
A third-degree burn is the most severe type of burn. These burns destroy the first three layers of your skin and destroy fatty tissues. In serious cases, it can also destroy sweat glands, hair follicles, and nerve endings. Since third-degree burns destroy nerve endings in the affected tissue, the area becomes numb and insensate immediately after injury – however, there is typically severe pain in the surrounding areas where nerve endings remain intact. This absence of pain in the most severely damaged area can actually be a dangerous sign indicating very serious tissue destruction. The skin will appear black, dry, and leathery.
You may also have second-degree burns that look shiny, moist, blistered, and discolored.
Common locations for a third-degree burn include the hands, face, feet, arms, and legs. The most common causes of a third-degree burn include:
- Fire flames
- Contact with a hot object
- Ultraviolet radiation
- Boiling water or steam
- Chemicals
- Electrocution
- Dry ice, liquid nitrogen, etc.
After sustaining a third-degree burn, you must seek emergency medical treatment, even though you may not be in extreme pain. . Immediate treatment of third-degree burns involves careful cleaning of the affected area, specialized wound dressings, and often surgical intervention including skin grafts, along with aggressive infection prevention measures.
Other Types of Burns
In rare cases, a burn may go past the third-degree ranking. Other categories of burns include fourth-degree burns.
Fourth-degree burns impact all layers of skin as well as the muscles, tendons, and bones. They can be caused by fire, chemicals, and electricity, with the length of exposure being the leading cause of severity. Fourth-degree burns may be numb and appear charred.
These burns are life-threatening and require immediate medical care. Skin grafts will likely be needed along with multiple surgeries and therapy to regain movement once the skin has healed.
Your Burn Injury Case May Require Expert Witnesses
An expert witness will be key to your case if you want to hold the liable parties accountable. With an experienced burn injury attorney, you will have access to accident reconstruction specialists, medical experts, and law enforcement who can clarify your catastrophic accident. Be it electrical accidents that require construction experts, industrial accidents that require industry professionals, and medical experts who can understand the long-term impacts of your devastating injuries, the resources you need for a successful claim are available with the help of a burn accident attorney.
Reach Out to a Reading Burn Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one suffered severe injuries from a burn, the Munley Law firm will guide you through the legal process to hold the responsible party accountable.
Our burn injury attorneys have years of experience working with victims to secure economic and non-economic damages in their burn injury lawsuits. This includes compensation for:
- Medical expenses
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
If you suffered in a workplace accident in Reading, we can help you get compensation through workers’ compensation. If the injury was due to a defective product, we’ll get to the bottom of the cause.
In the case of wrongful death, we help the family of the family of the deceased fight for their legal rights and secure compensation for the mental anguish they must endure.
Call the Reading burn injury lawyers of Munley Law to sue a property owner or employer or file a product liability claim. Call us today to schedule a free, no-obligation initial consultation.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
606 Court St.
Reading, PA 19601
(610) 831-4234
