Catastrophic Burn Injuries in Alaska Personal Injury Accidents
There are countless ways you could be hurt in an accident that was not your fault, but burn injuries are among the most painful and devastating. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 1.1 million burn victims will require medical attention every year, and up to 50,000 of them will be hospitalized for treatment. For approximately 20,000 people, the burns will cover at least 25% of their body surface.
The most common cause of burns is accidents, so it is reassuring to know that you have remedies under Alaska personal injury laws. You may qualify to recover compensation through an insurance claim or a lawsuit against the at-fault party. To ensure you receive fair monetary damages, it is smart to work with an Anchorage serious and catastrophic injury attorney who will protect your rights. You may also find it useful to review some background information about burns and their extreme medical consequences.
How Burn Injuries Happen
In general, victims suffer burns because someone else was negligent. In the legal sense, this means the at-fault party failed to exercise reasonable care and caused an accident in doing so. Some of the most common causes of burn injuries include:
- Car collisions that involve fires or explosions;
- Motorcycle accidents that cause road rash, a unique type of abrasion burn;
- Truck crashes, particularly when the vehicle is hauling hazardous materials;
- Burns from loose electrical wiring at a store, restaurant, or business;
- Radiation burns from health care provider’s improper use of x-rays and imaging technology; and,
- Injuries from dangerous, defective products.
Degrees of Burn Injuries
You may be familiar with how healthcare providers classify burns according to their severity, and you have probably even suffered from minor injuries during your lifetime. A first-degree burn is the least serious category, which includes sunburns to the outer layer of skin – the epidermis.
However, second-degree burn injuries damage the epidermis and penetrate the dermis layer of skin. There may be blistering, swelling, and significant pain. With third-degree burns, all layers of skin are destroyed, and the injuries extend deeper into the body. Because the burns damage nerve endings, the pain is actually reduced.
Medical Complications from Burns
There are some effects from burns that make them more serious than other injuries, which is why many victims are hospitalized. For example:
- Burns often cause serious infections that require additional treatment.
- There can be considerable scarring from burn injuries, so many victims will require skin graft surgeries and a series of cosmetic procedures.
- Many burn victims suffer edema, the buildup of fluid, and swelling in affected tissues.
Get Legal Help from an Anchorage, AK, Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
Because your losses and medical consequences are so extreme after suffering burn injuries, retaining skilled legal counsel is a priority. To learn how our team at Power & Power Law supports your needs, please contact our offices in Anchorage, Alaska. You can call 907-222-9990 or visit us online to schedule a free consultation. Once we review your situation, a catastrophic injury attorney can advise you.