Burn injuries can put a serious strain on families. Medical expenses, ongoing medical treatment, time away from work and the wages lost, pain and suffering and much more can add stress to an already stressful situation. Burn injuries are painful for long after the initial infliction, sometimes lasting months. Extended hospital stays and visits to burn centers are usually necessary to ensure treatment is done correctly and professionally.
What Happens
A burn injury can range from minor to serious, and can leave victims with brutal scarring and disfigurement. While minor Oregon burn injuries can be treated with relative ease, a serious burn injury can have devastating consequences. Procedures such as skin graft surgeries, even amputation may be required to attempt to repair the damaged area. Even when done correctly, the burn areas may never recover fully, leaving visible and sometimes disfigured scaring. Natural movements, ability to sweat, even the ability to lose the feeling of touch on the affected area. Additionally, a serious burn injury can cause a victim emotional trauma, which can be difficult to overcome. All of these are reasons to seek the help of experienced Portland burn injury attorneys – so that you can focus on healing while we focus on securing your financial compensation.
Causes of Burn Injuries
There are several different causes to burn injuries. Some of the common causes include:
- Chemical burns. Usually caused by coming into contact with a strong acid or base, resulting in a burn that can destroy multiple layers of skin causing immense pain.
- Electrical burns. Caused when the flow of electrical current travels through the body.
- Inhalation burns. Smoke and high heat air can cause burns of the throat and mouth when inhaled.
- Radiation burns. Prolonged exposure to the sun is often the cause for ultraviolet radiation burns. These burns can also be caused from tanning bed use.
- Thermal/contact burns. A hot item that comes in contact with a body part can cause severe burns on the area touched. Examples include contact with hot metal, steam, hot liquids, flames.
Quick Statistics: Burn Injuries
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year in the United States, about 1.1 million people require medical attention for a burn injury.
- Of those, about 50,000 require hospitalization for their injury with about 20,000 burn injuries that involve at least 25 percent of the victim’s total body surface.
- It is estimated that about 4,500 people die because of burn injuries and up to 10,000 die due to burn-related infections annually in the U.S.
Getting the Compensation You Deserve
If the burn was caused by negligence of another person or party, then you are legally entitled to compensation for the incident. The cost of a hospital stay, ambulance expenses, pain and suffering, lost work wages from time off, and even emotional scaring are just stacked up on the growing pile of stress causing things in your life. Let the knowledgeable experts of Portland Personal Injury Attorneys lead you to a lawyer that is ready to see your issue through to the end and get you the compensation you deserve.