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Burn Injuries
Burns are personal injuries on the skin resulting from flame, heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, or radiation exposure. The bigger the burn, the more serious it can be to your health, and burns can be life-threatening.
Often, burn injuries can have devastating impacts on not only the victims but their families as well. Most burn victims need medical treatment, and if a victim has serious burn injuries, they will need immediate medical care. Unfortunately, hospital treatments and care for burn injuries can be costly, with or without health insurance.
Severe burn victims’ medical bills can cause significant financial strain (and emotional trauma) as it is, but affording to pay them off can be an even greater struggle due to their lost wages from taking time off of work for treatment, pain management, and recovery.
When burn victims sustain permanent scarring and emotional pain at the fault of someone else, they shouldn’t be the ones suffering financially—the individual at fault should be the one who has to pay! However, holding someone else liable for your burn injuries and getting the compensation you deserve requires a skillful, compassionate personal injury attorney.
What are the common causes of burn injuries?
The Different Types of Burn Injuries
Chemical Burns
We use more chemicals today than ever before, particularly in industrial settings, and any skin contact with these substances can result in severe burns.
Electrical Burns
Contact with high voltage electrical equipment can cause serious injury or death.
Arc Flash Burns
The heat generated in an arc flash can reach temperatures four times hotter than the sun’s surface.
Thermal Burns
An external heat source, such as a fire or an explosion, can cause thermal or “scalding” burns to the skin. Open fires, molten liquids, or direct contact with hot objects can cause serious injuries and death.
Burn Injury Degrees
In fire safety terms, burns are measured in degrees. There are four degrees of burns, ranging from mild in the first degree to the most severe in the fourth degree. Depending on the degree of burn, an individual can suffer severe pain and long-term damage. No matter what, all victims of burn accidents need to seek medical attention.
First-degree burns affect the skin’s outer layer, called the epidermis. These minor burns are painful, red, and dry, with no blisters formed. A mild sunburn is an example of a first-degree burn. These are also known as “superficial” burns that typically heal within a week or two.
Second-degree burns involve the skin’s lower layer, called the dermis. These are also known as “partial thickness” burns, resulting in blisters and loss of skin function. As the epidermis crumbles and falls off, raw nerves are exposed, resulting in excruciating pain.
Third-degree burns affect both the dermis and the epidermis and may even reach the subcutaneous tissue. They look blackened and are also known as “full-thickness” burns. Because they are deep and severe, third-degree burns require skin grafts and other medical attention. They directly affect the nerves and cause sensory loss in the burn area.
Fourth-degree burns extend through the layers of skin into deeper tissue, potentially affecting muscle and bone and destroying nerve endings. Immediate medical attention is essential for these serious burns.
Burn Injury Treatment
Skin grafting, debridement, hydrotherapy, and excision are common treatments for burn injuries. Burn patients may be placed on a ventilator or in a medically induced coma and undergo such procedures as an escharotomy or tarsorrhaphy to deal with the excessive swelling.
Why Choose Glenda Cochran Associates?
We’ve been defending burn injury victims for 30 years
For over 30 years, our Birmingham-based personal injury attorneys at Glenda Cochran Associates have successfully litigated cases involving severe burn injuries to uncover the truth and recover compensation for our clients
Comprehensive Legal Support for Burn Injury Victims
When we are reviewing your case, here are some of the factors we will consider before filing burn injury claims:
- Damages, economic or non-economic
- Proof of burn injury damages
- Proof of negligence
- Demands
- Negotiations
- Fair compensation offers
An Experienced Birmingham Burn Injury Lawyer
At Glenda Cochran & Associates, Attorneys at Law, you are more than just another personal injury case. We listen closely to our clients and strive to ensure they get the care, justice, compensation, and room for recovery they need and deserve.
Our founder, Glenda Cochran, has won many awards in her 30+ year career as a personal injury lawyer because of her commitment to integrity and professionalism in her practice. She lives up to her promises and works to uncover the truth her clients deserve, time and again.
Glenda Cochran shares these values and achievements with the rest of her team, so clients can confidently rely on any attorney they enlist on their behalf.
Our Approach to Burn Injury Claim Cases
Our process to burn injury lawsuits will involve the following:
- Discovery: During the discovery period, we will touch base with the representatives of the party you want us to hold liable. Under oath, we will work together to gather evidence, clarify questions, and assess the situation’s fundamental facts and details. Sometimes, we can reach a settlement in this first stage without progressing to a full burn injury lawsuit.
- Drafting claim documents
- Filing claims
- In-Court representation: If your case is brought to court for a hearing or trial, you can allow us to take care of it; most likely, you won’t have to come in person.
Throughout every step of our process, you will enjoy personalized attention and consistent emphasis on clear communication. You will be kept up to speed on our plan for your case and any new updates. We also exclusively charge on a contingent basis, meaning you don’t have to worry about paying us until we help win your case.
If you need the assistance of Alabama burn injury attorneys, Glenda Cochran & Associates is prepared to do everything possible to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Burn Injury FAQsBurn Injury FAQsBurn Injury FAQs
important to know that you may have the right to seek monetary compensation for your losses. Our burn injury lawyers act quickly before important evidence is discarded or lost. Contact us today to discuss your detailed recovery strategy and our dedicated legal representation in your burn injury case.
As with any other personal injury, the verdict or settlement for burn injury cases can be difficult to predict with certainty. Compensation depends on several factors, including the severity of the injury, the circumstances surrounding the injury, and any future disability or impairment.
If you’ve been involved in a burn accident, call Glenda Cochran Associates immediately for a free consultation with a skilled burn injury lawyer in Birmingham, Alabama. Our experienced team will answer any questions or concerns you have about your injury or case and help you through the process.
Thermal injuries from fire, steam, or boiling liquids are the most common type of burn injuries and account for over 86 percent of patient admissions to burn centers.
Redness and swelling are common symptoms of first-degree burns. The skin is dry and painful. Examples include sunburns and burns from short contact with hot pots. Unless the burn covers a large area, the help of a medical professional is usually unnecessary.
Symptoms of second-degree burns include bloody blisters, red blisters, or clear blisters. When slight pressure is applied to the skin, it blanches and becomes moist. Pain is associated with the burn. Fire, boiling water, or chemicals are examples of quick burns. If they appear to be infected or cover a large area, they will need to be treated by a medical professional.
In trauma and emergency medicine, medical professionals refer to the Rule of Nines, often called the Wallace Rule of Nines, to assess a patient’s total body surface area (TBSA).
When someone gets severely burned in a fire, their body loses a lot of fluids because the skin, which acts as a barrier, is damaged. It’s important to measure how much of the victim’s body got burned right after the accident as this helps medical professionals figure out how much fluid the victim needs to get back into their system.
This tool allows healthcare providers to assess the severity of second-, third-, and fourth-degree burns quickly and determine the need for intravenous fluids.