Burns are among the most painful types of critical injuries. Physically, the pain can be debilitating, and burns can result in other limitations, such as mobility impairments and disfiguring scars. Burns also have a high risk of infections and other health complications. The pain can be so overbearing that it affects every aspect of your life. Emotionally, you might find it hard to deal with the pain and the scars. If you cannot work during your recovery, you might suffer financially.
A Houma and Terrebonne Parish burn injury lawyer could help you if someone’s carelessness caused you harm. A catastrophic injury attorney could help you obtain payments as compensation for your losses.
Frequent Causes of Burns
Burn injuries can occur in many ways. Most commonly, they happen due to the following:
- Building fires
- Explosions, such as from faulty gas lines
- Car accidents, which result in fires or explosions, often from gas
- Electrical shock accidents, from exposure to high-voltage electricity
- Chemical incidents
- Radiation accidents
- Use of defective and dangerous products
- Construction site, industrial site, and other workplace accidents
- Hot liquids, such as boiling water and even coffee
Burn injuries can occur in both commercial and residential settings. A diligent team of attorneys in Houma and Terrebonne Parish could comb through the evidence in a burn injury case. They know how to review police reports and medical records. They also know how to question witnesses and bystanders to determine what happened and who is to blame.
Different Categories of Burns
Healthcare professionals generally classify burns according to their severity, with each higher degree of burn being more serious.
First Degree
First-degree burns are primarily superficial, only causing damage to the outermost skin layer. They cause a temporary reddening of the skin. They can be somewhat painful and irritating for a short period, but they generally go away on their own and do not require medical treatment. Sunburns are examples of first-degree burns.
Second Degree
Second-degree burns injure both a person’s outer layer of skin and the layer located just underneath. They are painful and can cause swollen, red skin, leading to blisters. The blisters can leave permanent scars, and the burns can permanently change the color of the skin.
Third Degree
Third-degree, or full-thickness burns, destroy all skin layers. Instead of causing redness, these burns cause the skin to appear black, white, brown, or yellow. They can be painful, but they can also destroy some nerve endings in the affected area, causing numbness and lack of sensation. Many people with third-degree burns need surgery to repair the tissue damage. These burns often leave permanent scars.
Fourth Degree
Fourth-degree burns are the most severe. In addition to destroying all skin layers and underlying tissues, they also damage tendons, muscles, and bones. Survivors of these burns must undergo extensive surgeries and frequently have lingering complications. Sadly, fourth-degree burns are often fatal.
Compassionate attorneys in Houma and Terrebonne Parish understand the damage and pain all types of burns can bring, and they could work tirelessly to hold responsible parties accountable.
Speak with a Houma and Terrebonne Parish Burn Injury Attorney
If someone else’s reckless, careless, negligent, or willful actions caused you to suffer a burn injury, you should not have to bear the financial burden. An at-fault party should be legally responsible for your losses, including your medical bills, lost income, property damage, pain and suffering, and mental trauma.
Speak with a Houma and Terrebonne Parish burn injury lawyer who could help you develop a plan of action. They could help you recover what you need to resume your life. Get in touch today to learn more about your legal options.
