Burn Injuries – How a Spokane Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help

Survivors of burn injuries in Spokane, Washington, and beyond are confronted with some of the most terrible and extremely painful injuries that a person can suffer. According to the American Burn Association, about 1.1 millions Americans seek medical attention for burns every year. About 50,000 of them require hospitalization. Another 20,000 have major burns across 25 percent of their entire body surface, and about 4,500 of those end up as fatalities.

Your skin is an organ

People don’t think of human skin as an organ, but the skin is the largest organ of the human body. Its primary purpose is to protect us from pressure, trauma, germs, foreign substances and temperature variations. Our skin has three layers. Those are:

  • The epidermis is the outermost protective layer that we’re able to see
  • The dermis is below the epidermis
  • The hypodermis is below the dermis

Categories of burns

As there are three layers to human skin, there are three categories of burn injuries too. They’re categorized by depth.

  • First degree burns affecting the epidermis that hurt, but they heal quickly
  • Second degree burns go into the epidermis and leave blisters with increased pain
  • Third degree burns pierce all tissue layers, muscles and bones, causing extreme pain with permanent scarring

Common causes of burns

What many people don’t realize is that burns often occur without fire. They can be caused by:

  • Scalding from boiling liquids or steam
  • Electrical burns caused by electrical current passing through the body
  • Chemical burns from caustic chemical substances like acid
  • Radiation burns usually resulting from radiological therapy

Many different types of accidents can cause severe burns. Some of the more common accidents are:

  • Car crashes
  • Home fires
  • Kitchen accidents
  • Electrical shock
  • Acid spills

Treatment for burn injuries

Doctors will first remove damaged or dead tissue. Any other tissue that is left remains, but there are times when that skin can’t repair itself, so skin grafts are necessary. Physical therapy should begin as soon as possible to retain or regain use of affected body parts. Survivors of severe burns can be confronted with protracted periods of rehabilitation

Compensation for burn injury victims

Most burn injuries are caused by carelessness and negligence. An error or omission was made, and the victim’s burn injuries were the result. The costs involved in treating those burns can be staggering with continuing medical expenses that can include:

  • Surgeries
  • Skin grafts
  • Physical therapy
  • Medications

Along with those expenses, burn injury victims often struggle with the psychological and emotional trauma of permanent disfigurement and disability, and they aren’t able to return to work for lengthy periods of time.

Do I need a Spokane Personal Injury Lawyer?

If the burns suffered by you or somebody close to you were caused by the carelessness and negligence of somebody else, it’s likely that the right to recover damages exists. We can bring the necessary resources to your case like medical, economic and engineering experts to advance your claim for compensation that can include damages like:

  • Past and future medical bills
  • Past and future lost earnings
  • Permanent disfigurement
  • Permanent disability
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of a normal life

Our job is to hold negligent parties accountable and maximize the compensation payable for the burn injuries that you or your family member may have suffered. As soon as you retain us, we’ll take charge of the legal process on your behalf while you work toward recovery.

Burn injuries are horrific, extremely painful and expensive to treat. You don’t need to have a penny in your pocket to meet with us. If you or somebody close to you has suffered a serious burn injury due to the carelessness and negligence of somebody else, contact us right away for a free consultation and case evaluation. Our goal is to maximize your compensation. No legal fees are due unless we obtain that compensation for you. We are experienced Spokane personal injury lawyers and have been serving the community since 1948.

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