One area of personal injury law that isn’t often explored or explained is that regarding burn injuries as the result of negligence or the actions by others.
without leaving permanent scars.
If you or someone you care about has suffered burn injuries as the result of the negligence or actions of others, it is important that you seek legal assistance.
Understanding the Severity of a Burn
Burn injuries are categorized according to the damage done to the body:
- First-Degree Burns – These are the most minor form of burns, damaging only the outer layer of skin. Usually, the only result is skin redness and does not include blistering.
- Second-Degree Burns – These types of burns affect the second and third layers of skin, the dermis and epidermis, and result in blisters and skin thickness.
- Third-Degree Burns – Third-degree burns are the most severe burns, damaging the third layer of skin and deeper tissues. Third-degree burns are extremely painful and can take a lengthy recovery period. Third-degree burns can be the eventual cause of death when a significant portion of the body has been burned.
Types of Burns
According to Johns Hopkins University, there are four types of burns.
- Thermal Burns – These are burns that are caused when the temperature of the skin is increased by hot liquids, hot metals, flames or steam when they become close to or in contact with the skin. This can cause tissue cell death or even charring of skin. Most of us have experienced thermal burns through touching a hot pot on a stove or fueling a fireplace.
- Chemical Burns – These types of burns are caused when the skin comes in contact with strong acids, solvents or detergents and cleaning products. Chemical burns can occur when chemicals come in contact with the eyes as well.
- Radiation Burns – The most common type of radiation burn results from extended exposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun. They can also occur from contact with other sources of radiation, including X-rays or nuclear material.
- Electrical Burns – This type of burn happens when a person is exposed to AC or DC current strong enough to cause physical damage to the body. Electrical burns can be caused by everything from a car battery to lightning.
It is important to note that the four “types” of burns can occur in any of the three “degrees” of burns.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
There are potentially many situations that can result in burns of varying types and severity. Each situation may lead to a different source of liability.
- Scalding of a child in a daycare or a senior in a nursing home
- Burns that occur as the result of an auto accident where a party was found at fault
- Workplace burn injuries on a construction site, metal fabrication company or on other jobs
- Faulty products or containers
- Negligence in providing enough protection from potential burns.
If you have suffered from a burn, especially a second- or third-degree burn, you understand the amount of pain that can be associated with treatment and recovery. There may be an opportunity for you to be compensated for this suffering if you contact a lawyer in the Tucson, AZ, area whose focus is on burn liability and personal injury cases. We encourage you to contact us at the Khalidi Law Firm.
How We Can Make a Difference
Many feel a burn may just be the result of an accident or may even be the victim’s own fault.
contributed to a burn and its severity.
If someone you care about has suffered burns as the result of an auto accident, incident while on the job, due to negligence in a nursing home, while using a household product or in another situation, you may have legal recourse. You may not know for sure, unless you call to find out.
The Khalidi Law Firm is a personal injury litigation firm based in downtown Tucson’s Historico Barrio. For almost a quarter-century, we have been building our reputation on our practical and honest approach to practicing law. If you believe you or a family member has suffered as the result of the actions or negligence of others, please contact us.
For a free consultation, call our office at 520-629-9909 or use our convenient online contact form.
