Burn Injury Information from Our Columbia, South Carolina Lawyers

There are many different types of burn injury – chemical, thermal, and radiation burns among them. Our Columbia-area, South Carolina burn injury lawyer can help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

Burn Injury

A burn is an injury that is caused by heat, radiation, chemicals, or electricity. Serious burns – especially third degree or higher burns and those that involve a large surface area – can be fatal.

Burns are complicated injuries; they affect not only the skin but muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and bone. Burns also affect body temperature, body fluids, dexterity, and physical appearance. A severe burn injury may have far-reaching consequences in terms of emotional and psychological damage. This damage may last for years. A Columbia-area burn injury lawyer can help you receive long-term financial compensation for your extended care.

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Types of Burn Injury

Our burn injury lawyer is experienced with radiation burns and other types of burn injury at our Lexington/ Columbia, South Carolina law firm. See below for a link to each type of burn injury and its causes.

Radiation Burns

Radiation burns may be caused by X-rays, radiation therapy for cancer treatment, or tanning beds. Sunburn also falls under the category of radiation burns. Even a malfunctioning (halide) light bulb can cause radiation burns; the bulbs – often used in places such as school gyms, where their bright light can illuminate the large space – may crack and expose people to short-wave radiation. Radiation burns can come from unusual sources; contact our South Carolina law firm to learn more.

Thermal Burns

Thermal burn injury is common and may be caused by flame, steam, hot metals, hot oil or grease, hot liquids (“scald burns”), fireworks, space heaters, electrical malfunctions, or improperly stored flammable liquids such as gasoline. Thermal burns resulting from explosions – such as from gas tanks, car accidents, boat accidents, and airplane accidents – can be swift and severe when fuel and clothing ignite.

Inhalation Burns

A burn injury to the airways can be caused by inhaling smoke, steam, or toxic fumes. The injury may be intensified if the victim is inhaling within a poorly ventilated space.

Electrical Burns

Electrical burns can have many causes including high voltage wires, damaged electrical cords, and electrical outlets. The internal injuries that may result from an electrical burn are not always evident in that the visible burns may simply be small entry and exit points of the electrical current.

Chemical Burns

Chemical burns are often associated with industrial accidents. The chemical compounds that can cause moderate to severe burns include strong acids or bases; these compounds are found in cleaning products, battery fluid, pool chemicals, and drain cleaners. The severity of chemical burns may be deceptive. Hydrofluoric acid, for instance, can eat to the bone before the extent of the burn injury becomes evident.

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Burn Injury Severity

Radiation burns and other burns need to be evaluated for their severity. Our Lexington/ Columbia, South Carolina burn injury lawyer can assess your medical information in order to best present your burn injury claim. The severity of a burn injury is determined by the following factors:

Source of Burn Injury

Some sources of a burn injury are inherently more serious, other factors being equal. A minor burn caused by nuclear radiation will be more serious than a minor thermal burn. Chemical burns may be more serious than radiation burns or thermal burns if the chemicals have remained on the victim’s skin for a length of time.

Bodily Region

Burns to the face are more serious because they may affect the victim’s breathing or eyesight. Burns to the hands and feet are serious because they can limit the mobility of fingers and toes.

Degree of Burn Injury

Higher degree burns mean deeply exposed tissue and therefore a greater risk of infection to the burn injury.

Burn Injury Surface Area

The total body surface area (or TBSA) refers to the percentage of the body that received the burn injury. Each area of the body is assigned a different percentage (see table below). For example, if both legs received third degree burns, one would say that the victim was burned on 36 percent of his or her body.

Anatomic Structure

Head

Anterior torso (front)

Posterior torso (back)

Each leg

Each arm

Genitalia

Surface Area

9 Percent

18 Percent

18 Percent

18 Percent

9 Percent

1 Percent

Age of Victim

Children and senior citizens are at greater risk; they may experience more extreme physical reactions to burns, and they have different healing capabilities.

Physical / Mental Condition of Victim

Victims who have a respiratory illness, heart condition, kidney disease, or diabetes are at greater risk for a more severe burn injury than those who do not.

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Burn Injury Management

The first step is, of course, to stop the burning process. Most burns should be doused with a large amount of clean water. The only exception to this is dry powder (such as lime powder) burns: the powder must be brushed off before water is applied. Water not only stops the burning process but removes debris that could encourage infection from the body. Very cold or icy water should never be applied to someone with extensive burns, as it could send the person into shock. Never apply ointment, butter, or grease of any kind to a burn injury; ointment may be applied at later stages to less serious burns.

It is critical, immediately after a burn injury, to assess the victim’s airway. If the victim was burned in a fire, one should assume that there is an inhalation injury unless proven otherwise. Any suggestion of a burn injury to the lungs (such as from smoke inhalation) should be considered a medical emergency.

A burn injury is one of the most painful injuries that a person can experience. Millions of people are burned each year, and of these, thousands will die. Many victims require specialized hospitalization or long-term care for complications. Skin grafts, deformities, dexterity problems, and scarring may require extensive therapy. A burn victim may also require psychiatric care.

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If you or a loved one has received electrical burns, radiation burns, or other burns through someone else’s negligence, our Columbia-area, South Carolina burn injury lawyer can help. Contact our burn injury lawyers today to discuss your claim.