Most people experience burns at some point, but most burns are minor injuries. A first-degree burn from the kitchen stove, hot water, or sunburn from being outside too long is typically not life-changing moments. However, not everyone is so lucky. Los Angeles burn injury lawyers work with victims who have experienced extensive burn injuries. Sustaining a serious burn is not only painful, but it can be disfiguring or dramatically change your day-to-day life.
Severe burns are often the result of another person’s carelessness or outright negligence. For instance, poorly maintained property, defective product, or car accident could result in burn injuries. These cases are far more common than most people are led to believe. Even major instances of product defects that cause burns, such as electronics that would reach high temperatures quickly, are often downplayed by manufacturers. Although burns can result from a variety of causes, most severe burns happen because of carelessness and negligence.
Burn Injuries – Causes and Complications
Besides household mishaps, the most common causes of burn injuries among adults are traffic accidents. A close second for adults involves various workplace injuries. However, for children or older adults, defective products and electrical accidents are the most common causes of burns.
Then, there is the risk of being hurt in a fire. Fires can happen in public places such as restaurants, hotels, and clubs. However, fires can also happen in private residences, and the resident is not always the responsible party. Lightning strikes, wildfires, and other conditions outside the home can spark a blaze. Or the fire can result from dangerous wiring and other maintenance issues.
The cause of the burn typically indicates what doctors should expect from the type of burn injury. It can even help them determine the severity of the burn. Different types of burns can include friction burns, chemical burns, thermal burns, and even cold burns. Knowing what happened to a victim helps doctors treat their patients effectively.
Furthermore, each of these different types of burns can come in four different degrees of severity. First-degree burns rarely call for a trip to the emergency room, but second and third-degree burns are serious injuries. Fourth-degree burns are rare, and many people do not survive them. This extent of the injury means that deep muscle tissue and bone were affected by the burn.
Almost all severe burns have a high risk of complications. Major burns can result in sepsis, tetanus, loss of bodily fluid, breathing issues, and other lung complications from smoke inhalation. Worse, they can result in lifelong bone and joint challenges.
Los Angeles Burn Injury Lawyers Help Identify Responsible Parties
Los Angeles burn injury lawyers help assess the situation and identify who caused the victim’s burn injuries through their negligence. These situations can include an employer’s failure to properly maintaining their equipment, burns resulting from a car accident, or even product defects. There are many ways that someone could get burned because of another person’s negligence.
Can a Burn Victim File an Injury Claim?
Yes, they can. Burn victims have two years from the date of their injury to file a claim. Keep in mind; some victims do have trouble identifying the responsible party. For example, if a person is renting an apartment and faulty electrical work results in a fire, then the property owner could be liable. However, it is different if the property owner or management company had hired a service to make repairs. If the fire occurred because of faulty work, the contractor might be responsible.
Californian burn victims may have an injury claim based on negligence, premises liability, or a defective product. It is the victim’s responsibility to show that the other party was expected to provide a degree of safety or care. Alternatively, the victim could show that the responsible party failed to meet certain elements of a contract.
What You Should Know About Burn Injuries
In recent years, the US Fire Administration reviewed the fire loss and department profiles for California. They identified that in a typical year, residential fires were responsible for approximately 2.9 deaths out of every 1,000 fires. Additionally, there were 13.7 injuries per 1000 fires in residential structures.
Speaking of structure fires, California does have a lower injury rate compared to the national average. However, when it comes to outdoor fires and vehicle fires, California has a burn rate much higher than the national average. Vehicle fires carry a burn risk almost twice the national average: 12.9% for California, versus 6.7% nationally. Fortunately, burn injuries come with an average survival rate of about 96%.
Perhaps the most important thing to know about burn injuries is the type of medical treatment given. Treatments vary depending on the type and severity of the burn. For instance, a third-degree friction burn and a second-degree contact burn will not receive the same therapies. Options can include water-based treatments like mist therapy or IV fluids, medications for anxiety and pain, topical creams, dressings, antibiotics, and treatment for complications such as tetanus. Most burn victims will need a combination of these treatments. They may receive IV fluids and antibiotics while also receiving pain medication and creams with dressings for the wound.
Working with Los Angeles Burn Injury Lawyers
When considering legal action, many people hesitate to contact the very people who can provide support through the process. Attorneys are the legal professionals that can help victims of burn injuries identify the possible responsible parties and file civil actions against them. Attorneys should also provide a variety of resources and consult experts who can help their clients prove their case.
Los Angeles burn injury lawyers do much more for victims than the insurance companies. An insurance company might evaluate the damages and acknowledge the medical debt associated with the injuries. However, an attorney would go beyond that to fight for the best interest of the victim. They can pursue compensation for all types of loss, such as lost wages or pain and suffering. If you are considering a Los Angeles burn injury attorney, you can speak with us directly at TorkLaw.