Common Types of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries can happen and affect people unlike any other kind of physical injury. Depending upon how severe the burn is or what caused it, victims can walk away needing serious medical intervention – sometimes involving skin grafts or even amputation. After a burn injury, regardless of its severity, physical therapy and counseling may be necessary to help someone make a recovery.

There are several common causes for burns that can happen to almost anyone on a daily basis. These causes can come as the results of someone else’s wrongful acts, negligence, or a defective product.

Thermal Burns

A thermal burn is the kind of injury most people associate with “burn injuries.” It involves direct contact with a heat source, which can include fire, steam, boiling liquids, or heated objects.

Chemical Burns

Chemical burns are little different because the substance that causes a burn doesn’t necessarily have to be heated. Caustic or corrosive substances – which are as common as drain cleaner and bleach – can cause chemical burns when they come into contact with human skin. Some can even burn through clothing to reach skin, and even inhaling the fumes of certain chemicals can cause burns in one’s airways and lungs.

Smoke Inhalation

Speaking of inhalation burns, heavy amounts of carbon dioxide – often from the smoke an actively burning fire – can cause burns in one’s airways and lungs. It’s even possible for hot ash or embers in the air to make it into these parts of the body, also causing burns.

Electrical Burns

Electrical burns can happen when someone comes into contact with an electrical current, often because of coming into contact with an exposed wire or water that is electrified. Electrical burns can be less serious than other types of burns overall, but the electrocution itself may be fatal.

Different Degrees of Burns

Burn injuries aren’t all the same. In fact, there’s a system to categorize a burn by how serious it is. This system divides burn injuries into four ascending degrees, beginning with the least serious type of burn injury.

The four burn degrees are as follows:

• First-Degree Burns are those that affect the outermost layer of skin. Redness, pain, and even heat from the burn are apparent. Treatment can be handled without the assistance of a medical professional, often by applying bandages and antiseptic ointments.
• Second-Degree Burns are more serious and involve a greater degree of redness, blistering of the skin, and even hardening of tendons and muscles. These can be treated similar to first-degree burns, but may take up to two months to heal. A doctor should be consulted if one notices any signs of infection or prolonged effects after a reasonable amount of time has passed.
• Third-Degree Burns are very serious and involve the destruction of all skin lawyers, reaching down into fat. Nerves can be destroyed by these burns, leading to loss of sensation or even control of the affected limb. Immediate medical attention is required to treat these burns, which can require skin grafts to heal.
• Fourth-Degree Burns are the most serious types of burns. These cause damage down to one’s muscles and bones, which often leads to permanent nerve damage, destroyed muscle tissue, and other severe consequences. Immediate medical attention is required, and amputation of the affected limb will likely occur.

Are You Suffering from a Burn Injury?

If you were hurt by a burn injured caused by someone else’s negligence, reach out to the personal injury attorneys at Law Office of Robert J. Kaiser for assistance. We can assist you with your claim and hold the responsible parties accountable for causing your injury.

Learn more about what we can do for you by scheduling a consultation. Call (661) 441-3446 or connect with us online to get in touch with someone from Law Office of Robert J. Kaiser who can help.