Burn Injury

The American Burn Association states approximately 450,000 patients receive hospital and emergency room treatment for a burn injury annually. There are roughly 3,400 burn injury fatalities each year.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has determined burns and fires are the third leading cause of death in the home.

The American Burn Association has determined the percentage of burn center admissions causes to include:

• 44% of all admissions to burn centers result from fire or flame burns
• 33% of all burn center admissions result from scalding injuries caused by wet or moist heat
• 9% of burn center admissions are the result of direct contact with a hot source
• 4% of burn center admissions are caused by electrical burns
• 3% of burn center admissions are caused by chemical burns
• 7% of burn center admissions are caused by other miscellaneous sources

There are multiple types of burn injuries:

• First Degree burn injuries reach the epithelium and the wound appears light to dark pink. A sunburn is an example of a first-degree burn. The healing time for first-degree burns is typically between 2 to 5 days. During the healing process the first-degree burn is very painful, sore and sensitive to the touch.
• Second Degree burns extend through the epithelium and upper dermal layers of the skin, leaving behind blisters. These injuries typically result from scalding burns, chemical burns, and flash burns. A second-degree burn is very painful with a healing time from 5 days up to a month.  A second-degree burn may result in minimal scarring.
• Third Degree burns extend through the epithelium, dermis, and beyond. A third-degree burn leaves the affected area charred.  Charring may result from electrical burns, chemical burns and liquid burns. Because of the depth of the wound, nerves may be destroyed. The destruction of nerves may result in the victim having little or no pain.  A third-degree burn will result in permanent scarring and more than likely surgical skin drafting.

Unfortunately, the typical burn injury is caused by someone’s carelessness or neglect of fire safety regulations.  The type of incidents described above are the result of numerous situations with resulting catastrophic effects. The injured party and his/her loved ones face a long and painful road to recovery.  The prompt retention of one of our experienced Las Vegas personal injury lawyers burn injury lawyers is the best decision a burn injury victim can make.

Burn injury victims experience one of the most physically traumatic events of his/her life. Moreover, there are serious emotional injuries that occur for the burn victim. Those that survive a burn injury are often times disfigured. In addition, the survivor suffers from immense pain as a result of skin grafting surgeries. The cost associated with rehabilitation from a burn injury and cosmetic surgery may be substantial.

The emotional toll of a burn injury is equally devastating.  The loss of self-confidence leads to both social and personal issues that diminish the burn victim’s quality of life. The medical professionals that treat the burn victim have an understanding of the physical and emotional toll that occurs as the result of the burn injury and how the injury has long and devastating effects on the victim.

The compensation a burn injury victim is entitled to includes the medical bills associated with the injury. The burn victim is also entitled to compensation for pain and suffering to include damages for the physical, mental and emotional toll the burn injury has on the victim. Damages may include loss of earnings and the loss of earning capacity. The loss of quality of life damages are also available. In the event the burn injury results in the death of a loved one wrongful death damages are also available.

If you sustain injury due to a commercial fire, residential fire or automobile fire to name a few due to the negligence of another, contact our personal injury lawyers today.  Burn victim cases require competent counsel and the retention of expert witnesses. The scars from a burn injury may last forever and the victim is entitled to be compensated for this permanent disfigurement. The law provides for money damages not only for the present pain and suffering but also for the future painful effects of the injury including emotional trauma.

If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury, please contact an experienced Las Vegas burn injury attorney to discuss your case for a FREE and CONFIDENTIAL consultation.  Here at Hayes Wakayama Juan we promise that you will meet with one of our seasoned personal injury attorneys. We also accept Henderson Burn Injury cases, Summerlin Burn Injury cases, Las Vegas “Strip” Burn Injury cases, Green Valley Burn Injury cases, and North Las Vegas burn injury cases.