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Burn injuries are some of the most painful injuries a person can experience. Think about what it feels like when grease pops off the bacon in a skillet or you accidentally touch a hot curling iron. Those accidents typically cause minor first or second-degree burns, and even seemingly minor burn injuries can cause scarring.
Serious burn injuries are much worse. Widespread second-degree burns and any third-degree burns can cause significant scarring, disfigurement, and unthinkable pain. In rare cases, fourth-degree burns extend so deeply into the tissue that they affect tendons and bones in addition to skin and muscles.
At DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo, we, unfortunately, can’t erase the memory or effects of a severe burn injury, but we do promise to do everything in our power to help you move forward. Our burn injury lawyers in San Bernardino assists individuals who suffer from chemical burns, boiling liquid burns, severe sunburns, fires, and electrical burns. If you have suffered a serious burn injury, schedule a free case consultation today.
First and second-degree burns may not require medical intervention unless they affect widespread areas of the body. Burns are considered critical if they are of a moderate to serious nature and occur over widespread areas of the body or affect sensitive areas including the face or genitals. Third-degree burns, regardless of the affected area, almost always require medical intervention. Burn treatments involve the surgical removal of burned tissue, cleaning the wound, and may also require skin graft surgeries and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
In addition to recovering from the initial injury, burn injury patients also face an increased risk for complications. Life-threatening infections such as sepsis or tetanus can occur in any type of burn injury. Third-degree burns may also cause severe blood loss, shock, or hypothermia.
Most people think of first-degree burns as only burns that are worse than the average sunburn but they can be much more than that and much more painful. First-degree burn injuries affect only the top layer of the skin. The usual signs are white plaque, redness, some swelling, and pain. It may take about six to seven days for the burn injury to heal.
Second-degree burns are injuries where the burn has hurt more than just the outermost layer of skin. They may even go down as deep as the reticular dermis layer. The signs for second-degree burns are redness, blistering, and mild to severe pain. The healing times are on average about three weeks but it can vary greatly.
Third-degree burn injuries are when the burn fully injures every layer of skin and even causes problems to the tissues beneath the skin. Because these burn injuries damage the nerves, they may not cause any pain at first. The victim will still be in pain, though, as most third-degree burns have first or second-degree burns around them and those still are painful. The signs that it is a third-degree burn are that the burned area of the body looks charred, brown, white, or leathery.
A burn doesn’t necessarily have to be life-threatening to become part of a negligence-based lawsuit. Our firm handles burn cases including:
Anytime an act of negligence leads to a burn injury, you may want to consider consulting a San Bernardino burn injury attorney. If a reasonable person would have acted differently under the circumstances, you may have a strong personal injury case. If your burn injury occurred at work, our San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyers can help.
You may need help finding qualified medical care, support groups, and starting on the road to recovery after a burn injury. At DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo, we offer aggressive legal counsel, but we also serve our clients as compassionate supporters. Our personal injury attorneys in San Bernardino can help you find the answers you need to start recovering.
For more than 40 years, clients have trusted us with serious injuries including burn injuries of all kinds. If you want to know more about your legal options after a serious burn-causing accident, reach out to our San Bernardino office today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. Contact us today.