There are over 1.1 million burn injuries every year across the United States. According to American Burns Association, there are around 40,000 hospitalizations for serious burns and over 3000 burns-related death each year. Most of these injuries and related deaths are often due to preventable or avoidable situations or circumstances at home, work, recreational and public places.

Burn injuries are one of the most painful injuries you can have. Most serious burns require expensive specialized treatment, including surgery, and often take a long time to heal. Besides leaving victims in physical and emotional distress, they can be a financial burden to the victim and their family as the victim might be out of work for a long period or permanently.

In most cases, the accident that causes burn injuries is not the victim’s fault but due to someone else’s negligence. As a victim, you are probably anxious about how to recover damages. If you are in Sacramento, California, and you or your loved one is a victim of a burn injury due to another’s negligence, do not worry. Our skilled and experienced Sacramento burn injury attorneys at Heidari Law Group will help you get financial compensation for your injuries and other damages.

Burn Injuries Classifications

There are four categories of burn injuries depending on a victim’s burn severity. Knowing your burn’s category is essential when pursuing compensation in a personal injury case. The burns injury categories include:

• First-degree burns. These types of burns only injure the outer layer of skin and do not cause any long-lasting damage. They are the least severe burn injuries, resulting in swelling and mild pain that quickly goes away. 
• Second-degree burns. These burns are more severe than first-degree burns as they injure both the outer and the second layer of skin, called the dermis. They can cause redness, pain, and even scarring. Things like open flames, hot objects, and chemicals can cause a second-degree burn. 
• Third-degree burns. In addition to injuring both the outer and secondary layers of skin, these burns also affect the nerves. They can cause long-lasting damage to the nerves and surrounding muscles and are usually very painful. They may require surgery to correct or heal. They may be caused by extended exposure to extremely hot liquids, chemicals, fire, electricity, and other things. 
• Fourth-degree burns. In addition to damaging both layers of skin and affecting the nerves, these burns penetrate the muscles and bones. They are often fatal, and survivors may require amputations.

Besides classifications according to burns severity, burns can also be classified according to their causes. The most common types of burn injuries classified according to causes include:

1. Thermal burns. These types of injuries are caused by the intense heat that dries out and scalds the flesh. Some heat sources that can cause thermal burns are fire, boiling water, or hot surfaces, including an electric stove hot surface. Thermal burns usually occur in house fires, auto accidents, welding, and hot liquid scalds.
2. Chemical burns: These occur when chemical reactions touch the skin and cause burn injuries. However, chemical burns may also occur after ingesting toxic chemicals or inhaling toxic fumes or smoke. Chemical burns involve substances like acids and alkaline chemicals, and are common in industrial settings.
3. Electrical burns. These occur when electricity currents pass through the body and cause severe internal injuries, including damaging some body tissues. They happen where a person comes into contact with exposed or damaged electrical cords resulting in electrocution, burns, and other injuries. Electrical accidents that cause these injuries are common in workplaces, homes, and other public and private premises or locations.
4. Radiation burns. These burns are caused by different types of radiation and can occur in various settings, including in X-rays or cancer treatment radiation therapy. Radiation burns may also be due to sunburns or microwave heat. Besides damaging the skin, radiation burns also cause tissue damage putting victims at an increased risk of cancer.

When to Seek Medical Attention after a Burn Injury

While some burn injuries are minor and can heal on their own, many others require immediate medical attention and hospitalization. Knowing how to evaluate your injuries, including the degree of burn, is critical in ensuring you seek medical treatment at the right time. Seeking medical attention is important both for your healing and for recovering damages in a personal injury lawsuit.

Most first-degree burns heal indpedently, and you do not necessarily need to seek medical treatment. However, you can consult a medical professional if you feel your injuries are not healing properly. For second and third-degree burns, it is critical that you seek medical treatment and as soon as possible.

For these more severe types of burns, medical treatment is also essential to prevent infection. Besides the burn injury, an infection can lead to severe complications that prevent the burn injury from healing and can also be fatal. If you believe that your burn injury is not healing correctly or you suspect an infection, seek medical attention right away. 

Recovering Damages in a Sacramento Burn Injury

In most cases, burn injuries are due to negligence or lack of reasonable care, with California laws allowing victims to recover damages in such cases. Besides medical expenses, other recoverable damages in a Sacramento burn injury include lost wages and lost earning capacity, rehabilitation cost, and pain and suffering. 

However, your settlement amount will depend on the severity of your injuries, details surrounding your case, and who is at fault for your injuries. For instance, some legal aspects like third-party liability and worker’s compensation affect your recoverable damages. In California, an employee is eligible for worker’s compensation benefits for injuries sustained in a workplace accident, including burn injuries. 

Accordingly, you cannot sue your employer in a personal injury lawsuit to recover damages for burn injuries due to a workplace accident. However, where a third party is partially at fault for your injuries, you can file a personal injury claim against the third party and recover damages on top of your worker’s compensation benefits.

Why You Need a Burn Injury Lawyer

Most burn injuries are medical emergencies, and you will incur medical expenses to treat them. Consequently, you need to recover damages as soon as possible hence the need to have a burn injury attorney by your side sooner rather than later. An attorney is critical in helping fast-track the personal injury case.

Besides hiring a burns injury attorney when you need medical attention, you should hire an attorney if the accident that caused the injuries was due to another party’s fault. A skilled attorney will help you determine the liable party’s degree of fault, and if there are multiple defendants, the attorney can help establish their respective degree of fault.

Besides helping you keep track of your treatment, including medical records, a skilled burn injury attorney will also help you with investigations, including keeping track of evidence. They will also negotiate with your employer for worker’s compensation benefits if you are injured in a workplace incident. An attorney also negotiates with the defendant’s insurers on your behalf and, if necessary, files a personal injury claim.

Contact a Sacramento Burn Injury Attorney

Burn injuries can be devastating. In addition to physical pain and disfigurement, burn injuries can leave you with serious psychological issues, including low self-esteem. Burn victims may have to deal with a permanent disability requiring costly and lengthy medical treatment. With most burn-related injuries due to another’s negligence, California law entitles victims to compensation for damages.

If you or a loved one is a victim of a burn injury, you are probably anxious about how to recover damages and who is at fault for your injuries. In Sacramento, CA, you can contact our skilled and experienced Sacramento burn injury attorneys at Heidari Law Group. We will guide you through the burn injury claim process while helping you obtain the compensation you and your family need and deserve. Contact us today for a free case evaluation and to learn about our services. 

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If you need a personal injury attorney with a history of success, good communication at all stages of your case, and who will help you manage and settle your case call Abogados Con Experiencia. We will handle your case so that you can heal and put your life back together.