Denver Burn Injury Lawyer

Denver Burn Injury Attorney

Few experiences in life can be as painful and irreparable as a serious burn injury. Burn injuries are often permanent, severely debilitating, and leave emotional and mental scarring, as well as physical scarring. Long-term consequences can involve lifelong health problems, difficulty finding work, permanent disfigurement, and ongoing medical costs. Living with burn injuries is no easy feat. If you wish to seek compensation, reach out to a Denver burn injury lawyer.

At Cheney Galluzzi & Howard, our attorneys have vast experience with personal injury cases, including burn injuries. We’re prepared to assist you with your claim.

The Various Degrees of Burn Injuries

According to the World Health Organization, there are around 180,000 burn-related deaths in the world every year. Burns are preventable and occur primarily in the home or workplace. There are four primary degrees of burn injuries, with each increasing number representing a significant jump in burn damage and injury severity. The four degrees represent how deeply your skin has been affected by the burn in question. Here are those four degrees further explained:

• First-Degree Burns: A first-degree burn may be painful, but it rarely results in permanent damage. Your skin may redden and hurt for some time, but you won’t blister, and the damage will go away. A sunburn is a good example of a first-degree burn. Only the outer layer of the skin will be affected.
• Second-Degree Burns: A second-degree burn will hurt considerably more than a first-degree burn. In this case, the outer layer of the skin has been injured, as well as the underlying layer known as the dermis. Your skin may be considerably red and swollen, and it could have an odd, shiny look. You will also have blisters, and your skin will hurt to touch.
• Third-Degree Burns: A third-degree burn, also known as a “full thickness burn,” is a particularly bad burn. In this case, the outer layer and the dermis are all but destroyed, with the burn affecting the deeper layers of your skin. Your skin in the affected area may appear white or blackened, possibly even brown or yellow, depending on the burn. It may not even hurt due to the damage the burn has done to your nerve endings.
• Fourth-Degree Burns: A fourth-degree burn is the worst possible burn that a person can suffer. It is so deep and severe that it can cause lifelong health problems or even death. It destroys every layer of skin and burns through bones, muscles, and tendons as well. A fourth-degree burn can cause permanent scarring, damage to your motor skills, and complete destruction of your nerve endings.

Different Types of Burn Injuries

While every burn can largely be classified into one of the four degrees, the various kinds of injuries you could be afflicted with depend entirely on how you were burned. A fire burn can be different from a chemical burn, for instance. It is important to recognize the signs of certain burn injuries so you can better explain how they happened to your doctor in Denver, CO. Here are some of the different types of burn injuries:

• Friction Burns: A friction burn can occur when a hard object rubs some of the skin off. They occur often in motorcycle accidents and can become infected if untreated or unprotected, as they are open wounds. A carpet burn can be a minor version of a friction burn.
• Thermal Burns: A thermal burn occurs when you touch a very hot surface or object. Contact with extreme heat raises your skin’s temperature so much that your skin cells start to die. The higher the temperature that your skin is exposed to, the higher the potential for serious injury.
• Cold Burns: Contact with extreme cold can cause a reaction similar to contact with extreme heat. Cold burns, also known as “frostbite,” cause severe damage to the skin by freezing it instead of heating it. Cold burns can occur when you expose your skin to extremely cold temperatures or let your skin come into contact with extremely cold surfaces.
• Radiation Burns: Radiation burns occur when your skin comes into contact with severe amounts of radiation. A sunburn is a mild form of radiation burn, but it can become extreme if exposure to UV radiation is prolonged. Radiation therapy, such as X-ray treatments or various cancer treatments, can cause radiation burns as well.
• Chemical Burns: A chemical burn occurs when the skin comes into contact with volatile chemicals that cause a corrosive reaction on the skin. Strong acids, various solvents, and certain detergents can cause chemical burns on the skin. Depending on the substance affecting your skin, cleaning out the burn can prove difficult.
• Electrical Burns: Electrocution can result in a serious burn injury. If your skin comes into contact with an electrical current, you could receive a moderate to severe electrical burn. The body converts the electricity to heat, resulting in a burn.

Treatment for Burn Injuries

The immediate treatment for a burn injury will depend largely on the type of burn injury you have suffered. Treating a thermal burn can be different from treating a chemical burn, for example. Here are some tips on how to treat certain degrees of burn injuries:

• To treat a first-degree burn injury, you can largely use at-home remedies without the need for urgent medical care. You may not even need a bandage. To ease potential swelling, you can apply a cold compress to the affected area, rub some aloe or lotion on the burn, or take some over-the-counter painkillers. If you are concerned about how to treat the burn, reach out to your doctor.
• Treatment for a second-degree burn injury may change depending on your symptoms. Many of the remedies you use for a first-degree burn could still apply, but you should take extra steps to clean the area. These injuries may take some time to heal. You may want to apply antibacterial ointment, change bandages on a daily basis, and keep your affected area raised to prevent swelling. Also, don’t pop your blisters.
• To treat a third-degree burn injury, you will need to go to the hospital as soon as possible. A third-degree burn is serious and can result in irreparable damage. Your treatment for this kind of burn will be handled by a professional. They may remove your damaged skin, provide antibacterial ointment, provide you with antibiotics, give you fluids through an IV, and prescribe you painkillers.
• To treat a fourth-degree burn, you will likely be taken to a hospital, as these burns are often life-threatening. Your treatment for this kind of burn will also be handled by a professional. Treatment may include cleaning of the wound, removal of dead skin, skin grafts, antibiotics, physical therapy, and rehabilitation, among other treatment methods.

FAQs

How Much Compensation Can You Get for a Burn Injury?

The amount of compensation you can get for a burn injury is difficult to predict. Every burn injury case comes with its own set of circumstances, details, and facts that will affect a possible settlement amount. It is important to note that just because a case similar to yours resulted in a favorable settlement, it does not mean that your case will follow the same trajectory. A number of factors will determine your compensation amount, including the severity of your injuries and your lawyer’s negotiation skills.

How Long Do I Have to File a Burn Injury Claim?

In Colorado, you will have two years to file a personal injury claim for your burn injury. That means you have two years from the date of your injury to start building a case, gather evidence, consult with a Denver personal injury lawyer, and file a claim for compensatory damages. If you fail to file within that time frame, your case may be tossed out, and your opportunity to seek compensation may have passed.

How Much Do Burn Injuries Cost?

The amount that your burn injuries will cost depends entirely on the severity of your injuries and the nature of what caused them. The higher the degree of your burn, the more it will likely cost you for physical therapy, skin grafts, and rehabilitation, among other ways to treat your injuries.

What Does the Burn Recovery Process Look Like?

Your burn recovery process will depend entirely on the severity of your injuries and what your medical professional recommends for your road to recovery. For milder injuries, your recovery may only require antibacterial cream and a cold compress. For more severe injuries, your recovery could take weeks, months, or even years and could include surgery, rehabilitation, and ongoing medical costs. Severe burn injuries can be particularly devastating to your overall health.

Reach Out to a Burn Injury Lawyer Today

Dealing with debilitating burn injuries can be frustrating and mentally exhausting. If your burn injuries were the result of someone else’s negligent behavior, you may be able to pursue compensatory damages from that party with the help of an experienced burn injury lawyer.

The legal team at Cheney Galluzzi & Howard can provide you with quality legal assistance and help you focus on your recovery. We can help you develop your case, gather the right kind of evidence, and ensure that insurance companies don’t take advantage of you. Contact us to discuss your burn injury case.