Severe Burn Injuries May Leave You Disabled and Permanently Scarred

Severe burns caused in an accident can result in extreme pain and leave you disfigured. You may need an extended hospital stay, ongoing treatments, and rehabilitation to get you back to normal functioning and work. If you suffer severe burns because of another party’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for what you endure.

Your burns were probably caused by direct exposure to fire, heat generated by fire, or electricity. You may have suffered them in a vehicle crash, a structure fire, or at work. You may also be dealing with smoke inhalation and other injuries caused by the accident.

Burns caused by fire or heat, known as thermal burns, happen when heat contacts the body’s surface, usually the skin, which suffers the most damage. These burns may penetrate below the skin and into muscle, fat, or bone, according to the Merck Manual.

How are Burns Classified?

Burns are categorized based on their depth and how much harm was caused. How deep the burn is described as superficial, partial thickness, or full thickness:

• Superficial (first-degree) burns are the most shallow and only affect the skin’s top layer (epidermis)
• Partial-thickness (second-degree) burns go into the skin’s middle layer (dermis)
• Full-thickness (third-degree) burns involve all three skin layers (epidermis, dermis, and fat layer). Often nerve endings, hair follicles, and sweat glands are destroyed

Doctors estimate a burn’s extent by the percentage of the body with partial or full-thickness burns. Burns are also classified as minor, moderate, or severe. This is based on how well they’re expected to heal and the chances of complications, using the depth of the burn and how much of the body is affected.

What are Burn Symptoms?

Symptoms vary with the burn’s depth:

• Superficial: Red skin, and the area is swollen and painful. The burned area may whiten when touched, but there are no blisters
• Partial-thickness: The burns are red or pink, swollen, and painful. Within 24 hours blisters may develop and ooze a clear fluid. The burned area may whiten if touched
• Full-thickness burns: They’re usually not painful because nerves sensing pain are destroyed. The skin can be leathery and could look bright red, white, or black. Hairs may be easily and painlessly pulled from their roots

Some symptoms may quickly develop, while others take more time to develop. 

What Complications Can Happen With Serious Burns?

Minor burns usually don’t cause complications. Deep partial and full-thickness burns swell, heal slowly, and cause scar tissue. It shrinks as it heals and may limit the movement of nearby joints.

Severe and some moderate burns may cause serious complications because of fluid loss and tissue damage. The more extensive and deeper the burn, the worse the problems may be. The following are some moderate to severe burn complications:

• Dehydration
• Shock may happen if the dehydration is severe
• Chemical imbalances
• Muscle tissue destruction (rhabdomyolysis) may happen if the burn is full-thickness. If this happens, proteins leaked into the blood may cause kidney damage
• Infections, if spread through the bloodstream, can result in severe illness or death
• Deep, full-thickness burns can cause crusty, thick surfaces (eschars) that may cover a limb or the chest and become so tight it cuts off the blood supply to healthy tissue or impair breathing
• Severe pain may be the result of the burn or a side effect of a complication or  treatment

Complications will vary depending on the patient, who may also suffer other accident-related injuries and pre-existing medical conditions. 

What’s the Prognosis for Someone Severely Burned?

Some partial-thickness and superficial burns should heal within days or weeks without scarring. Small full-thickness and deep partial-thickness burns may take weeks to heal and commonly cause scarring that requires skin grafts. Burns covering more than 90% of the body, or more than 60% of an older person, are often fatal.

What Treatments Are Available for Serious Burns?

Hospitalization may be necessary to adequately care for burns. If they’re serious enough, the person may need to go to a specialized burn unit that is specially equipped and staffed to treat burns, their side effects, and complications.

Deep minor burns may require a skin graft (a piece of healthy skin from another part of the body, a dead person, or an animal) to replace burned skin that will not heal. Physical and occupational therapy may be required to avoid immobility due to scarring around the joints and to help the patient function if joint motion is restricted.

Severe, life-threatening burns need immediate care. Large amounts of intravenous fluids are given to those who are dehydrated, in shock, or whose burns cover a large area.

Eschars may be surgically cut open if they limit a limb’s blood supply or impair breathing. The burned area must be kept clean to prevent infections. Skin grafts would be used to cover burns that don’t heal.

Physical and occupational therapy will probably be needed to help the patient function more normally. Because of the long recovery time and disfigurement, many severe burn patients become depressed, which should be treated.

Can I Obtain Compensation for the Harm Burns Caused?

If your burns are the result of another party’s negligence, you may be able to obtain compensation for the financial, physical, mental, and emotional harm that it caused. Trying to accomplish this without legal representation could end your ability to hold someone accountable or substantially limit your recovery.

Talk To a Satterley & Kelley Personal Injury Attorney Today

If you’re seriously burned because of another’s negligence, Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyers can protect your interests and legal rights to compensate for your harm.

Call our Louisville office at 855-385-9532 to schedule a free initial consultation so we can talk about your accident, injuries, and legal options. If it’s more convenient, you can complete our contact form.