What Are The Types of Burns?

Burn injuries are among the most painful injuries you can suffer. If you or someone you love have sustained a burn injury due to someone else’s negligence, it is critical that you retain legal representation as soon as you can. The New York burn injury lawyers of Finz & Finz, P.C. are committed to helping burn victims recover full and fair compensation for their injuries. Call 855-TOP-FIRM now for a free and confidential consultation.

The most common types of burns include:

Thermal Burns

Thermal burns often result from household accidents, fires, and car accidents. Thermal burns are caused by contact with a hot substance, including fire, hot water, steam, and heated objects. Exposure to the heat source can cause blistering and scarring, and inhalation injuries.

Electrical Burns

Electrical burns occur in construction sites, restaurants, farms, offices, and other workplaces. These burns happen when an electrical current comes into contact with the body. The degree of injury depends on the voltage, type of current, and the pathway the current takes through the body.

Chemical Burns

People who work with acid, detergents, alkalis, and solvents are at risk of suffering a chemical burn. If you clean pools or work somewhere where chemicals are used, you are more susceptible to chemical burns. That said, even some household chemicals can lead to serious chemical burns.

Radiation Burns

Radiation burns are sustained from UV light from the sun, radio wave radiation, microwaves, medical devices, commercial machines, and high exposure to radiation from x-ray machines, among other sources.

Friction Burns

Friction causes heat. Road Rash, a common injury in motorcycle accidents, is an example of a friction burn.

Degrees of Bruns

Burns are categorized according to their severity. There are four types of burns:

• First-degree: First-degree burns damage the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Victims usually experience mild pain, swelling, and reddening of the skin. These burns are considered minor, and they usually heal within a few weeks.
• Second-degree: Second-degree burns affect the epidermis and the dermis, the second layer of the skin. Symptoms include pain, blisters, scarring, and whitening of the skin.
• Third-degree: A third-degree burn destroys the epidermis and dermis. These burns might cause nerve damage, which leaves a victim numb to pain. The skin may appear dry, leathery, and charred. There’s also the risk of infection because having the first two layers leaves you exposed to bacteria and viruses. Proper treatment usually involves the use of a skin graft – using artificial and natural skin to protect the open wound and allow it to heal.
• Fourth-degree: The serious types of burns, fourth-degree burns reach the deepest levels of the skin. These burns destroy all layers of the skin and underlying bones, tendons, and muscles. Fourth-degree burns are typically life-threatening.

Common Causes of Burn Injuries

Some of the common sources of burn injuries include:

• Car accidents – When a car gets into an accident, the gas in the car sometimes ignites, causing the vehicle to burst into flames.
• Scalding injuries – A scalding injury is a burn caused by a liquid. Even hot water can cause the skin to blister and scar. Kitchen workers are at a high risk of suffering these injuries as they are commonly exposed to hot liquids.
• Gas explosions – People who work in the oil and gas industry are especially at risk of sustaining serious injuries from explosions caused by dangerous working conditions and negligence. Even at home, a defective or faulty oven or water leader can lead to explosions.
• Chemical accidents – Chemical accidents are not limited to the workplace. They can occur at home as well. Household products like bleach, cleaning products, and concrete mix can all lead to chemical burns.
• Defective products – When products are defective, they can overheat and lead to burn injuries. Products that use batteries or combustible fuel are especially at risk for fires and explosions.
• Electrocutions – An electrocution can occur due to an exposed wire, downed utility line, or a lightning strike. In addition to burns, electrocution can cause serious injuries to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and respiratory system (lungs, airways, and blood vessels).

Compensation for Your Burn Injuries

Burns are among the more costly injuries to treat. Even a first-degree burn can become infected and require medical attention. Third-degree and fourth-degree burns may take years and hundreds of thousands of dollars of treatment before they fully heal. Severe burns can have a major impact on the accident victim’s quality of life and ability to earn a living.

The burn injury lawyers at Finz & Finz, P.C. will fight tirelessly to get you the full and fair compensation that you deserve. If you have suffered a burn injury that was caused by another party, you will likely be entitled to recover several types of compensation, which may include:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Disfigurement
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life

The New York burn injury attorneys at Finz & Finz, P.C. believe that you should not have to pay for the expenses that were incurred because of your burns. Our committed and compassionate Long Island personal injury lawyers will do everything they can to ensure that you receive every last cent that you are due for your injuries.

Contact a New York Burn Injury Attorney

It’s critical that the New York City burn injury lawyers at Finz & Finz, P.C. start investigating your case as soon as possible. Our attorneys understand the road to recovery that comes with these injuries, and we will fight to recover all the compensation you deserve. If you have suffered a burn injury in New York, contact Finz & Finz, P.C. today at 855-TOP-FIRM to set up a free initial consultation.