Orange County Burn Injury Lawyer
Burn injury survivors experience some of the most tormenting, heartbreaking and disfiguring injuries imaginable. However, their pain and suffering is not typically limited to physical symptoms. Those injured in a burn accident many times also suffer profound psychological and emotional scars that often accompanies disability and disfigurement.
When burned, the victim is often subjected to a very prolonged convalescence period. The damaged tissue, melted skin and severe nerve damage that results from a burn injury can damage a person for the rest of their life. Tragic burn injuries leave survivors with escalating medical expenses that often linger for many years and may not be fully covered by their insurance.
Degrees of Burn Injuries
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Burns can cause swelling, redness, blistering, shock, and even death.
- FIRST-DEGREE BURNS damage only the outer layer of skin:
- SECOND-DEGREE BURNS damage the outer layer and the layer underneath:
- THIRD DEGREE BURNS damage or destroy the deepest layer of skin and tissues underneath:
They are categorized into 3 types by severity:
A first-degree burn is the least serious type, involving only the outer layer of skin. It may cause redness, swelling and pain. You can usually treat a first-degree burn as a minor burn.
Second degree burns extend beneath the epidermis and into the dermis. Blisters form and the roof of the blister is dead skin (epidermis).
Third degree burns extend all the way through the dermis into the subcutaneous fat. These burns appear white, brown, cherry red or black and may or may not have blisters. We excise and graft such burns within days of the injury, before the wounds can become infected, usually resulting in a shortened hospital stay and improved outcomes.
Common Types of a Burn Injury
- Thermal burns — caused by flames and other hot objects
- Scalds — caused by boiling water or other hot liquids
- Chemical burns — caused by chemicals and volatile combinations of chemicals
- Burns from explosions — caused by car accidents, industrial/construction site accidents or accidents in the home
Your Rights as a Burn Victim
After a traumatic burn injury, you will be left with many questions. A personal injury lawyer can help answer your questions and help you through this confusing and overwhelming time, but you need to retain an attorney as soon as possible. At the law offices of Brent Duque, our Orange County burn injury attorneys have years of experience protecting the rights of burn victims against insurance companies that may seek to settle quickly.
If your burns were caused by the negligence of another person, you may be able to recover damages, including medical expenses and pain and suffering. Serious burns can be truly life-altering. We know that each case is unique and each burn victim will face a different set of burdens. We work with a variety of experts, including medical specialists to help us determine the extent of your injuries and rehabilitation needs. Our financial experts will help assess the extent of you economic losses and our team of fire accident reconstruction engineers examine the cause of the burn, including combustibility, temperature, burn rates, explosive coefficients, hazardous chemical reactions and other variables. We have the right resources to effectively represent your case.
In a fatal burn injury, the victim’s spouse, relatives and dependents have a right to seek damages as well. Even if the person who caused the accident is charged with a criminal penalty, you have a right to sue in civil court and get compensated for your loss.
