Electrocution & Burns

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In the United States over 2.4 million burn injuries are reported each and every year. Of those, over 650,000 of those injured are treated by medical professionals of which 75,000 are hospitalized. Of those hospitalized, 20,000 of victims endure major burns involving at least 25% of their total body surface. Each year over 10,000 burn victims die of their injuries. And of the those injured approximately one million sustain substantial and/or permanent disabilities resulting from their burn or electrocution injuries. As you may know burn injuries, serious personal injuries and deaths can result from a variety of different activities and sources. Whether at home or on the job, you can be exposed to unknown dangers. Listed below are some of the different causes of burn related injuries:

• Electrocution Burns
• Flammable Clothing
• Building Fires
• Motor Vehicle Fires
• Thermal Burns
• Flammable Liquids
• Chemical Burns
• Water Heater Fires
• Smoke/Heat Inhalation
• Scold/Burns from Hot Liquid
• Gas Explosions
• Defective Products
• Fume Ignition
• Work Related Accidents
• Printer Friendly Version
• Gasoline Spills
• Electrical Wires
• Faulty Equipment
• Defective Gas Tanks

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or wrongfully killed as the result of an accident, negligence or defective product, call our Law Firm, we can help, call us day or night at 800-862-1260.

Burn injuries usually require extensive rehabilitation and treatment. Special Burn Medical Treatment Centers around the country offer extensive treatment options for burn injury victims.

• Legal and Financial Assistance for Burn Victims
• Causes of Burn Injuries
• How Bad is My Burn Injury?
• Burn Treatment
• Treatment Centers
• Find Legal Help
• Abestos Mesothelioma Information

If your burn or electrical injury is the result of an accident or the negligence of another, you or your family may be entitled to legal compensation. To learn more contact our office as soon as possible. We can discuss your options over the phone or in person. Call 800-862-1260.

Burn and electrical injury victims have several legal options.

Most employers are protected by worker's compensation from being sued by their employees who are injured on the job. Worker's compensation provides limited financial payments for injuries to workers and may cover medical expenses.

Even if you are receiving worker's compensation, you may also be able to file a lawsuit if other negligent parties are involved. For example, if you are injured while working off-site, if you are hired as a contractor or sub contractor or if you were injured by a defective product.

Please note Worker's Compensation does NOT cover things such as pain and suffering and many costs that would be covered by a lawsuit. Contact our office today and we will review your loss and discuss your options, free of charge. Call now 800-862-1260.

Covers most medical expenses and medical treatments. Health Insurance does NOT cover lost wages, pain and suffering or mental anguish and may not cover all medical costs. Contact our office today and we will review your loss and discuss your options, free of charge. Call now 800-862-1260.

A lawsuit may offer the burn victim and their families the best means of compensation for the injuries and losses. Sometimes individuals who are injured in accidents and their family members are often reluctant to get legal help because they may think the injury may have been in some way caused by the individual. Even if this is the case, there may be other parties that may be partially at fault for the injury who may be liable for the medical expenses and damages.

If you or a family member have suffered a serious injury, contact our office today to discuss if a claim should be investigated. Call us as soon as possible after an accident to begin an investigation. Contact our office today and we will review your loss and discuss your options, free of charge. Call now 800-862-1260.

Types of compensation:

1. Medical Bills for treatment therapy and surgery.
2. Lost income based on past lost wages and future losses.
3. Compensation for pain and suffering
4. Compensation for mental anguish
5. Punitive damages as additional compensation to punish a grossly negligent party.

It is extremely important to commence an investigation of how your injury occurred as soon as possible. This investigation can be coordinated by our Law Firm, if the case is accepted. The first step is to call our office 800-862-1260.

Burn injuries are commonly caused by on-the-job accidents, car accidents, home fires, electrocution, thermal burns and chemical burns. Burn injuries can result from a variety of different activities and sources. Whether at home or on the job you can be exposed to unknowing dangers.

The number of American workers burned and/or electrocuted on the job and experiencing fatal work-related injuries continues to rise.

These burns come from exposure to high voltage electricity. The burns result from electric current flowing through the body. When the electricity leaves the body it will leave a severe exit wound.

Doctors will track the path of the electricity. Typically, the electricity will enter in through the hand and then flow through the body. One danger is that high voltage will cause the heart to stop beating.

Flammable clothing is immensely dangerous because the fire will spread through the clothing and create sever burns all over the body. In order to prevent this risk, clothing sold in the U.S. must comply with the Flammable Fabrics Act.

Thermal burns occur when the skin comes in contact with a hot surface. Thermal burns are the most common type of burns and they result from exposure to or contact with steam, flames, flash, and hot surfaces or hot liquids with a temperature above 115º F. Thermal burns are the most common type of burn. Examples of thermal burns are exposure to cooking stoves, hot water, clothes irons or burns of roofers working with asphalt.

Automobile fires are very common. They can be caused by gas explosions that shoot debris with great force. Car parts can become shrapnel in the explosion.

Chemical burns are caused by contact with acids or strong bases (alkaloids). Strong chemicals are used in laboratories, batteries and plumbing. Very strong chemicals will dissolve skin on contact and are difficult to wash away. It is essential to wash chemicals out as soon as possible after exposure.

Home fires are the most common causes of residential fire death. Residential fire deaths are most commonly caused by careless use of cigarettes (30-45%). Heating and electrical equipment malfunction are the second and third most common causes. Children playing with ignition sources (matches, cigarette lighters) cause approximately two percent of fatalities. Studies show impairment due to alcohol consumption to be the strongest independent risk factor for death after outbreak of fire.

The following is a description of first, second, third and fourth degree burns and percentage of the body burned.

Burn depth may be best understood by examining how the skin is made up. The top layer of skin is on the surface of the skin and called the epidermis. This has a strong backing, or second layer, called the dermis. The dermis has its own blood supply, and embedded in it are hair, sweat glands, and nerve endings for sensation (for example, heat, softness, sharpness, smoothness). Underneath the dermis is the third, or fat layer that has in it the blood vessels and nerves going to the skin.

The depth of the wound has three classifications: first degree, second degree, and third degree. First degree, or superficial, burns involve only the epidermis. A second degree and third degree, or partial or full thickness burn, involve both the epidermis and dermis, and the hair, nerves and sweat glands (and sometimes muscle and bone).

The severity of the burn depends on several factors: your age, previous health, where the burn is, how big the burn is, and how deep the burn is. The attorneys with the Law Firm of Carabin Shaw are not doctors. The information provides herein is to provide you with a better understanding of burn type injuries and common known medical treatments. If you or a family member is ever burned consult a medical doctor immediately.

A first degree burn is a minor burn involving only the top layer of skin. A sunburn is an example of a first degree burn. This type of burn is red and hot, but there is no swelling or blistering.

For first and second degree burns seek out medical attention to minimize the damage quickly. Most medical providers commonly recommend placing the affected area in cool running water until the burning feelings leave. This can take longer than 10 minutes. Most doctors recommend that the burn victim should not stop this cooling off step too early. Most doctors recommend that if the victim is burnt through the clothing, as in a spill of hot liquid, do not remove the clothing - immediately immerse the burnt area in the cool water. Most doctors recommend that butter, oil, lotions, or creams should not be applied to burns. They may worsen the injury. Most doctors recommend that covering the burn with adhesive dressing or bandages is also not advisable, burns need to breath. Consult your doctor on your treatment options.

A second degree burn involves the top layer of skin as well as part of the layers underneath. The skin is a light red and blistery, somewhat swollen and moist and oozing. The pain is very severe.

For such burns call for medical assistance or take yourself to a doctor. Most doctors recommend that the burn victim should not remove any clothing stuck to the burnt area, cover with a clean cloth. Follow up with your medical doctor.

For first and second degree burns your doctor may attempt to minimize the damage quickly. Your doctor may recommend immersing the affected area in cool running water until the burning feelings leave. This can take longer than 10 minutes. The doctor will recommend that you do not stop this cooling off step too early. If the victim is burnt through the clothing, as in a spill of hot liquid, do not remove the clothing - most doctors recommend that you immediately immerse the burnt area in the cool water. Most doctors recommend that butter, oil, lotions, or creams should not be applied to burns. They will worsen it. Covering the burn with adhesive dressing or bandages is also not advisable, burns need to breath. Follow up with your medical doctor.

A third degree burn involves all the layers of the skin. The burn will destroy the nerves and the blood vessels in the skin. There may be less pain at first. The burn area is white, yellow, black or cherry red. The skin will be dry and leathery. As the burns heal there will be dense scarring and possible skin grafting. Follow up with your medical doctors.

For third and fourth degree burns most doctors recommend that you call for emergency medical assistance or take the victim immediately to the emergency room. Most doctors recommend that you do not remove any clothing stuck to the burnt area, cover with a clean cloth. Follow up with your medical doctors at once. Call 911

A fourth degree burn goes through all the layers of the skin and down into the muscle and the bone. It looks like a third degree burn and does great harm to the body structure. Since the nerves are burnt there may be less pain in this burn. Follow up with your medical doctors at once. Call 911.

For third and fourth degree burns call for emergency medical assistance or take them immediately to the emergency room. Do not remove any clothing stuck to the burnt area, cover with a clean cloth. Get to the trauma or burn hospital as soon as possible.

The following factors are considered when assessing the severity of a burn injury:

• The depth of the burn and size
• The part of the body burned
• The age of the individual
• Past medical history
• The percentage of the body burned is determined by using a burn chart

In infants and small children, the surface area of the head and neck is greater and the lower extremity is smaller than an adult.

Burn injuries require extensive therapy and treatment including pressure garments, debridement removal, skin grafts and surgery.

Burn victims may suffer massive fluid loss at the time of the burn and immediately afterward. Normally, part of the blood can seep out through little holes in the walls of the blood vessels and get into the skin. That is how skin is nourished. When the blood vessel is damaged, these little holes enlarge creating large leakage. Large volumes of fluid have to be pumped back into your body during the first 24 hours to replace the fluid loss. A great deal of swelling may occur due to the fluid accumulating in the skin and surrounding tissue. Sometimes, large cuts are made through the dead, burned tissue to release the pressure caused by the swelling. This procedure is called escharotomy. The swelling will usually go down within a week or two. Call 911.

Dead skin (called eschar) has to be removed has to be removed to make a clean, raw place for the skin grafting or new skin to grow. This is called debridement. Debridement also must be done to help prevent infection since dead tissue is a breeding ground for bacteria.

Depending on the individual, it may be several days before it can be determined by a doctor how severe the burn is and whether or not a skin graft will be needed. This will depend on the way in which you got burned, your age, previous health, where the burn is, how big the burn is, and how deep the burn is.

It is important that you do all the exercises that the physiotherapist gives you, even if you don't feel like doing them or they are painful to do. Movement will help reduce the swelling. Unless you move well at this stage, you will have great difficulty in regaining full joint movement when the skin is healed. Exercise will help in keeping the rest of your body healthy and help your burn to heal as well.

When burned skin heals it can grow in an irregular scarring manner. Pressure garments help skin to heal by pressing the healing skin down so that it grows in a flat manner. Pressure garments also help to protect the burn from further injury. Burn patients should wear pressure garments while the scar is active and immature. These garments require careful cleaning and maintenance. Be sure to ask your medical professional about proper use.

Skin smoothing surgery is used to clear irregularities caused by skin scarring during the healing process.

Treatment centers around the United States.

Send our Law Firm your information via this website or call us now 800-862-1260. Our Law Firm will discuss with you and your family your options and/or can assist you in locating medical assistance or another lawyer in your state to assist if needed.

Asbestos is often used for prevention of fires. Users of Asbestos, however, should be aware that asbestos may cause mesothelioma. Call our office today for more information. Call 800-862-1260.

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