Types of Burn Injuries

The average burn injury-related hospitalization is significantly longer and costlier than the average injury-related hospital stay. Usually, group health insurance plans don’t cover injury-related costs. Even if they do, insurance adjusters often don’t approve referrals to specialists in these cases. So, most victims get saddled with huge bills and don’t get the treatment they need when they need it.

A Carlsbad personal injury lawyer addresses immediate and long-term needs. Attorneys connect burn injury victims to doctors who focus on these matters and, in most cases, charge nothing upfront. Then, a lawyer fights for the financial compensation burn injury victims need and deserve.

Electrical

A surge of electricity, which normally happens when victims touch live wires or electrical outlets, often triggers the no-let-go reaction, which is an involuntary muscle contraction. Touching a live wire or outlet is like touching the surface of the sun. The heat is unbearable.

Alternatively, such contact, especially contact with a live wire, triggers an arc blast explosion. The force of this explosion normally propels victims several feet through the air. The resulting fall injuries could be just as bad as the burn injuries.

Oceanside personal injury lawyers typically have several legal options in these cases, including a workers’ compensation claim and a negligence action against the property owner.

Chemical

Most burns cause visible damage to the skin’s surface. Chemical fumes, on the other hand, often burn the inside of the ears, nose, or throat. Frequently, the initial burn isn’t too bad. Therefore, victims don’t immediately see doctors, and their condition deteriorates.

If a pre-injury or post-injury condition, like the failure to immediately see a doctor, maximum compensation is still technically available in these cases. However, insurance company lawyers often use a post-injury failure to see a doctor as an excuse to reduce compensation. They argue that the delayed treatment means the victim’s injuries were exaggerated.

Thermal

Large truck crashes often cause thermal burns. Gasoline and diesel fuel burn at different temperatures. Additionally, many victims are pinned underneath flaming wreckage until emergency responders use mechanical devices to free them. As a result, these victims often sustain third- or fourth-degree burns that affect the inner skin layers or the bones.

Doctors typically use painful and expensive skin grafts to treat these severe burns. This aggressive treatment usually prolonged physical therapy, making it more painful and expensive as well.

Usually, a third party, normally a shipping or transportation company, is financially responsible for truck crash injuries. This vicarious liability adds another layer to an already complex case. Usually, these companies are out-of-state holding companies.

Radiation

Misuse of X-ray machines and other medical diagnostic tests often cause radiation burns. Doctors are legally responsible for these injuries. Since doctors have a higher duty of care, it’s easier for an Oceanside personal injury lawyer to prove negligence, or a lack of care, and obtain compensation in court.

During disciplinary or criminal proceedings, doctors often throw technicians and other professionals under the bus in these situations. But in civil court, doctors are still responsible for radiation burns and other injuries.

Count on a Dedicated San Diego County Lawyer

Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Oceanside, contact the Pursley Law Firm. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.