According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 180,000 deaths every year are caused by burns.
Many of these injuries are a result of someone else's irresponsible, careless, and/or negligent behavior. Personal Injury Lawyers at McLeish Orlando LLP are experts in determining whether there was a negligent party who failed to take steps to prevent a burn injury.
WHAT IS A BURN?
A burn is an injury to the skin that occurs when the skin or other tissues are damaged by contact with heat.
TYPES OF BURN INJURIES
There are three types of burn injuries: minor, moderate, and major (also known as "severe"). A severe burn is characterized as a burn that extends beyond the skin into the soft tissue. This type of burn can involve the underlying vessels, nerves, muscle, bone, and/or joints. Severe burns can leave one in a state of catastrophic impairment.
COMMON CAUSES OF SEVERE BURN INJURIES
When we think of injuries resulting from motor vehicle collisions, broken bones and fractures often come to mind. However, it is common to sustain a burn injury from a car crash in many ways including but not limited to the following:
- Deployment of airbags;
- Explosions within the vehicle or nearby vehicles;
- Contact with dangerous leaked chemicals;
- Contact with a live current or;
- Exposure to debris
A motor vehicle collision is not the only or even the most common situations one can sustain a severe burn injury. Other causes of burn injuries include workplace injuries, defective products (product liability), electrical accidents, scalding water or pipes, fires in public establishments, and apartment building fires.
WHAT IS THE RULE OF NINES?
The rule of nines is one of the many means of estimating the total body surface area (TBSA) involved in a burn injury in adults and children. With this tool, the TBSA is divided into major anatomic regions divisible by 9. The TBSA is calculated by estimation using the chart below.
Pediatric versions of this tool for children under age 10 have been created to account for the variations in TBSA in childhood. This tool has been shown to be a quick, simple, familiar, and reasonably accurate method of assessing TBSA in burn injury. Please see below for a visual of the Rule of Nines in an Adult.
HOW TO DETERMINE THE SEVERITY OF BURN INJURY
Burn severity ranges from minor (non-complex) to moderate to major (complex). Knowing the severity of the burn helps to decide the best method to manage it. Factors that are taken into consideration when determining whether a burn is minor, moderate, or major (also known as "severe") include the full thickness of the burn, whether the burn includes inhalation injury or major trauma, and where on the body the burn occurred. Total body surface area plays a major role in determining the burn severity.
Any percentage over 25% TBSA in adults and more than 20% TBSA in children are considered major (complex) burns. Additionally, burns involving the face, eyes, ears, hands, feet, or perineum are considered major (complex) burns.
FILING A BURN INJURY CLAIM
Filing a burn injury claim can help you get the compensation you need. A burn injury can take a huge toll on one's life. You may not be able to do the things you once enjoyed. You may have had to drop out of school. You might not be able to work in the same capacity as before. Perhaps your ability to raise your children is now hindered or you just can not participate in recreational activities like you once used to. The point is, your life has been affected due to the irresponsible actions of someone else and you deserve to be compensated for it.
Filing a burn injury claim can allow you to obtain the compensation you need to allow you to live the life you enjoyed before being injured. It can help pay the expenses associated with obtaining the best medical care possible. It can cover lost wages, for both the past and the future.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
