Suffering a severe burn can have a devastating effect on your future. When the burn resulted from a preventable accident or event that was another person’s fault, you could be eligible for compensation. These damages could reimburse your medical expenses, compensate you for your pain, and supplement your wages to support your family.
If you suffered any kind of burn injury because of someone else’s actions, contact a catastrophic injury attorney as soon as possible. A Kingstree burn injury lawyer could help you get the compensation you deserve to invest in your well-being.
Classifying Burn Injuries
The skin is the largest organ in the body that has multiple crucial functions. It protects the body from infection, helps regulate body temperature, and has a role in respiration and excretion. The sensory nerves also live in the skin and are the body’s warning system to detect heat, cold, and painful intrusions. Though some burn injuries are no more than a slight inconvenience, others can lead to devastating consequences.
Burns are classified in six degrees depending on the depth of damage. First-degree and second-degree burns affect the outermost layers of skin. They cause pain and may blister but usually require only first aid, although some second-degree burns might require skin grafts. Third-degree burns penetrate several layers of skin and destroy sweat glands, hair follicles, and deeper tissues. Fourth, fifth, and sixth-degree burns penetrate deeper into the fat, muscle, and bone. As Kingstree injury attorneys know all too well, these burns can be devastating and even fatal.
Potential Impact of Severe Burns
Treatment for severe burns can include extensive hospitalization and multiple surgeries. Depending on the burn’s location, the injuries may require amputations. Burns often leave severe scars that can impair sensation and movement in the affected area and cause persistent itching. People with burned hands may lose their manual dexterity.
When the skin suffers severe damage from a burn injury, the body sometimes responds by going into shock. Blood rushes to the affected area, which can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Fluid collects in the tissues near the burn, and the brain, heart, kidneys, and other organs might not get enough oxygen. Organ failure is a potentially fatal complication of burn injuries.
Infection is also a risk with severe burns. Bacteria might infiltrate the damaged body part and enter the bloodstream, a condition called sepsis. An infection in the lungs could cause pneumonia.
Patients with severe burns can also suffer severe psychological effects. The trauma of the accident, long recovery period, severe pain, repeated invasive procedures, and social isolation could all have a devastating impact on a burn survivor. A Kingstree attorney could speak with an injured person and their family to assess an injury’s impact and determine legal options for recovery.
How a Lawyer Could Help After a Burn Injury
Burns can result from car accidents, fires, industrial accidents, hot water or steam exposure, and other preventable events. When a burn injury is caused by someone breaching a standard of care, the injured person could hold the responsible party legally and financially liable. A Kingstree attorney could investigate the incident leading to a burn injury and pinpoint negligent conduct. They could identify the responsible parties and assert a claim against them for compensation.
When an injured person’s behavior contributed to the incident, South Carolina Code of Laws § 15-38-15 still allows them to collect reduced damages. Recoverable damages could include reimbursement for medical expenses and lost wages. If the injured person cannot return to work, damages would cover their diminished future earning opportunities. A burn victim could also receive money to compensate for emotional anguish, physical pain, lost enjoyment of life, disability, and the injury’s other impacts.
Work With a Kingstree Attorney After a Burn Injury
Rebuilding your life after a significant injury could be easier with financial stability. A personal injury lawsuit could give you the means to move forward.
A Kingstree burn injury lawyer could help fight for the parties who caused your injuries to take responsibility for their actions. Call today to speak with a compassionate attorney at Whetstone Perkins & Fulda.
