Burns are one of the most painful types of injury anyone can sustain. They can also take the longest of just about any type of injury to heal if the victim suffered third degree burns. If you were injured by a defective product, careless driver, or other unintentional yet preventable way, you have the opportunity to file a personal injury claim with the other party’s insurance company. If you were injured at work, you can file a Columbia workers’ compensation claim, regardless of fault, and you may also be able to file a personal injury claim on top of that, depending on the circumstances of the accident. Marc Brown is here to help you every step of the way.
How Did the Burn Injury Occur?
Depending on how you were burned, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against the at-fault party who caused the incident. Common scenarios in which burn injuries occur include traffic collision, defective products, premises liability incidents, and work accidents. A personal injury claim in Columbia enables you to collect compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost earnings, and more.
Five Types of Burns
- First Degree Burn—Only the first layer of skin (the epidermis) is affected. First degree burns may turn red, but otherwise there is little injury, and no lasting scar, caused by a first degree burn. However, they can be painful.
- Second Degree Burn—A second degree burn causes damage to the epidermis, as well as the dermis (the layer of skin below the epidermis). Second degree burns are painful, and can result in swelling, blistering, scarring, and infection. If a large percentage of the body has second degree burns, there will be a need for hospitalization.
- Third Degree Burn—A third degree burn damages all of the layers of the skin, causing a white, red, or blackish discoloration. Third degree burns are incredibly painful, and dangerous. Treatment may require extensive hospitalization, plastic surgery, skin grafts, and multiple follow up surgeries months later. Third degree burns are always life-threatening due to the chance of infection.
- Fourth Degree Burn—Fourth degree burns cause damage to body parts below the level of skin, burning fat, muscle, bone, tendon, ligament, and even internal organs.
- Chemical Burn—A chemical burn is not a true burn, in the sense that they are not caused by heat. However, chemical burns often result in the same type of injury: damage to the out and lower layers of the skin. If a chemical burn is located at the face, loss of eyesight and permanent scarring and disfigurement is a major concern.
Call a Columbia Burn Injury Lawyer Today
As a burn victim, you must take into account the extensive hospital bills and future medical costs that your injuries will undoubtedly incur. Other expenses include lost wages and reduced working capacity. An attorney can help you recover these expenses, and more, by filing a personal injury claim against the party you caused your injuries. Call Columbia burn injury attorney Marc Brown at (803) 848-0008 today to schedule a free consultation.