Burn Injuries

With the increase in the number of accidents that occur each year, burns are not left out. It could be from a domestic accident in your kitchen, a car accident, a defective product, or fieldwork.

If you get burned during fieldwork, what can you do to recover from damages? Can you seek compensation? What kind of burns will be considered for damage claim?

Types of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries fit into the following four categories:

First degree burns

First-degree burns only damage the superficial layer of the skin (the epidermis). It can make the skin look reddish, feel dry and sometimes cause it to swell. It doesn’t involve blisters. First-degree burns in most cases, heal completely.

Second-degree burns

Next are the second-degree burns. These type of burns inflicts damage not just on the superficial layer of the skin but also on the layer directly underneath which is called the dermis. Symptoms of such burns include; swollen and reddened skin, blisters on the affected area, a wet appearance.

Unlike first-degree burns, second-degree burns may not heal completely. Unless just the upper part of the dermis layer was affected. But in most cases, it happens that the damage goes beyond the upper layer and it can result in long-lasting skin discoloration or a scar.

Third-degree burns

More to that, we have third-degree burns. These burns are usually worse than the other two. In third-degree burns, both the epidermis and dermis, are completely damaged. An area of skin that has undergone a third-degree burn usually looks black, yellow, or brown. The skin looks leathery and is dry when touched.

Such burns are very serious and shouldn’t be managed at home. The burn can go as far as impairing the nerve endings located within the affected area. These burns can be caused by very harsh chemicals or even liquid flames from a fire.

Fourth-degree burns

Lastly, we have fourth-degree burns. They are the most fatal of all four. These burns inflict more damage as it doesn’t stop at the epidermis (outer layer) and dermis (inner layer), it goes down to involve the subcutaneous tissue, some bones, underlying fascia, and some muscles. The affected area looks charred and black.

Fourth-degree burns are life-threatening because they can stimulate the release of poisonous toxins into the bloodstream. In some cases where these burns occur on the body’s extremities or the hands or legs, that part of the body might have to be amputated in a surgical procedure.

While one will not require compensation for first-degree burns, you can seek compensation for some second-degree burns. Given the seriousness of third-degree and fourth-degree burns, you should seek compensation for them especially if the burn occurred as a result of carelessness or negligence to safety on the part of the fieldwork supervisors.

To do that, you need a good lawyer like the Fielding Law burn injury lawyer in Mesquite TX. They are a good bet to ensure you get paid substantial compensation for damages.

By Ricky

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