BURN INJURIES AND ACCIDENTS

San Francisco Injury Lawyers > Burn Injury

In the United States, approximately 2.5 million cases of burns are reported every year. Some 650,000 burn injuries are treated medically, with 75,000 burned so severely that they require hospitalization. Of burn victims who are hospitalized, 20,000 have major burns over at least 25% of their total body surface. Up to 12,000 burn patients die each year, and hundreds of thousands of burn victims sustain substantial or permanent disabilities resulting from their burn.

Burn injuries can occur in any number of accidents, such as motor vehicle crashes where the gas tank catches fire, contact with exposed power lines, or clothing that is not sufficiently fireproof that catches fire from a stove's flame. Burn injuries can vary significantly depending upon the type of tissue burned, how severe the burn injury is, and the medical complications that result from a burn injury. Burn injuries are not limited to causing damage of the skin. A burn injury can affect the victim's muscles, blood vessels, and bones as well, as well as causing extreme pain.

Burns are classified in two ways: method and degree of burn. The method of the burn may be by flame or excessive heat from fire, steam, and hot liquids and hot objects; caused by a chemical, such as various acids; electrical; light, including ultraviolet light and sunlight; and radiation. The different degrees of burns range from the reddened and painful first-degree burns such as sunburns, to second-degree burns in which the first layer of skin is burned through, to third-degree burns, which burn through the skin and damage muscle, tendons, and ligament tissue. Third-degree burns require skin grafting, and, as they heal, leave dense scars.

There are three major types of scars from burns: keloid, hypertrophic, and contractures. Keloid scars are an overgrowth of scar tissue, in which the scar grows beyond the injury site. Keloid scars are generally red or pink and will turn a dark tan over time. Hypertrophic scars are red, thick, and raised, but unlike keloid scars will not develop beyond the site of injury. A contracture scar is a permanent tightening of skin that may affect the underlying muscles and tendons, limiting mobility. They may also cause damage to or degeneration of the nerves.

There are two major types of surgical interventions that can help to conceal scarring and replace lost tissue for severe burn victims: dermabrasion and skin grafts. Dermabrasion improves or minimizes the appearance of scars, restores functioning, and corrects disfigurement resulting from an injury. A skin graft is a surgical procedure in which a piece of skin from one area of the victim's body is transplanted to another area of the body. In some cases, numerous skin grafts are necessary. It should be noted that burn injuries not only affect the physical portions of the body, but also cause severe emotional and psychological problems due to pain, scarring, and deformity.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious burn due to someone else's carelessness ("negligence"), you need to be represented by an experienced personal injury law firm that understands the emotional as well as the physical trauma burn injuries inflict.

San Francisco Injury Lawyers > Burn Injury

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BURN INJURIES AND ACCIDENTS