A serious burn injury can upend your entire life, sometimes causing catastrophic injuries or even death. A burn injury can not only cause medical issues and require extensive treatment, but also result in life-changing consequences for the victim and their family.
Although no one should suffer as a result of another party’s mistakes, many burn injuries are the result of someone else’s negligent actions. If you or your loved one suffered a burn injury as a result of another party’s negligence in or near Dallas, you may be able to recover compensation for your painful injuries. Talk to a Dallas burn injury attorney as soon as possible to preserve your claim.
What Are Some Common Causes of Burn Injuries, and What Types of Personal Injuries Result?
Burn injuries in the Dallas area happen as a result of many different circumstances. Severe burn injuries can be caused by a motor vehicle accident involving another driver—whether as a pedestrian, motorcyclist, or driver—and in particular, involving a truck or other commercial vehicle. They can be caused at work, whether as a result of electrocution, a chemical burn, or an open flame.
Severe burn injuries can be caused at home, such as when your landlord or property management company fails to protect you against faulty wiring or electrical components, resulting in a fire. They can even happen during recreational activities, like boating or using a recreational vehicle. Common types of serious burn injuries include:
- Electrical burns. These can be caused by faulty sockets or wiring
- Chemical burns. These often result from spills and splashes
- Thermal burns. These occur when the skin is exposed to extremely high temperatures
- Friction burns. These happen when the skin is exposed to surfaces moving at high velocity, like a rope burn
- Radiation burns. These are caused by exposure to UV rays or other types of radiation. Sunburns are a common example
Types of Burn Injuries
Typically, burns are classified by the degree of seriousness, from first-degree burns being the least serious to third- or fourth-degree burns being the most serious. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the classifications for each type of burn are:
- First-degree burns - These minor burns are also known as superficial burns and affect only the outer layer of skin, called the epidermis. The burn site is red and painful but usually dry. There is usually no long-term damage from a first-degree burn.
- Second-degree burns - Second-degree burns affect the epidermis and also the middle layer of the skin, the dermis. The burn injury will be red and blistered and may be swollen.
- Third-degree burns - These burns affect both the epidermis and the dermis, and may also damage the muscles, bones, and tendons.
- Fourth-degree burns - When the underlying bones, muscles, and tendons are affected by a serious burn injury, this may be called a fourth-degree burn.
Personal Injuries Caused by Severe Burns
Typically, burns are classified by the degree of seriousness, from first-degree burns being the least serious to third or fourth-degree burns being the most serious.
There are various types of personal injuries that can result from a burn, some of them severe or even catastrophic. For example:
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Chronic pain and suffering
- Nerve damage
- Organ damage
- Lung issues
- Emotional or psychological trauma
- Heart arrhythmia or other cardiovascular issues
- Infections
- Loss of sensation
- Smoke inhalation injuries, such as shortness of breath, headaches, or irritations in the throat or sinuses
- Wrongful death
Serious burns are a significant trauma that may result in physical pain, extensive scarring, and ongoing medical expenses for medical treatment and physical therapy.
What Should You Do After a Burn Injury?
If you've suffered a Dallas area burn injury, it is important that you do certain things in order to protect your legal rights to bring a burn injury claim. First and foremost, you need to ensure that you receive the medical care you need in order for your condition to improve — some medical conditions can take weeks or even months to manifest. Even if you think you feel okay, it is important to be checked out in a hospital or by emergency medical technicians. In the case of burn injuries, delaying or forgoing proper medical care can also increase the likelihood of permanent damage including scarring or disfigurement.
Immediately after the accident, document what happened. Whether your Dallas burn injury was due to a car accident, a workplace accident, an apartment fire, or another incident, it is important that you preserve important evidence and keep proper records in your claim.
This includes taking photographs of the accident scene, your burns, and any other pertinent information. You should get contact information for any witnesses, as well as any parties who might be liable for your injuries. If possible, record or write down your own account of what happened, and ask witnesses to do the same, so that you can preserve an account of the accident while it is still fresh in your mind.
Also, report your accident to the proper authorities and parties. For example, if your accident happened at work, make sure you report it according to your employer’s specific policies. If your accident occurred in your rental property, report it to your landlord or property management company as soon as possible.
If an insurance company is involved, be sure you file your claim by the applicable time period according to the policy. You should also be aware of any applicable statutes of limitations to file your burn injury case in court. Typically, in a Texas negligence case, this is two years from when the injury occurred.
A burn injury case can quickly become difficult and complex, particularly if issues of liability are not clear-cut. For example, it can be difficult to establish that a fire was directly caused by the actions or inactions of a particular party, whether it be a landlord who ignored a potential problem, a truck driver who injured a motorcyclist, or an employer that failed to take proper precautions in order to protect its employees.
Serious burn injury claims will involve lengthy and complicated negotiations with insurance companies, who typically have significant legal and financial resources on their side. For those reasons, you should consult with an experienced and knowledgeable Dallas burn injury lawyer.
They will offer you legal advice, negotiate with the other parties and their insurance companies, and prepare a case on your behalf if a resolution is not possible and you need to go to trial.
How Can The Francis Firm Help if You’ve Suffered a Burn Injury?
Because burn injuries can be serious and sometimes lead to significant financial losses, burn injury claims can be very complicated. They may require extensive negotiations with the other parties and insurance companies, and they often bring up tough questions about liability and damages.
An experienced Dallas burn injury lawyer can make a big difference in recovering compensation. Our experienced Dallas personal injury lawyers will inform you of your legal rights and options, and we will work with you to make sure you receive the medical care you need.
If the insurance company refuses to offer full value in settlement, our trial-tested Texas personal injury lawyers are always ready to take them to court. Please reach out to us today for a free, no-obligation initial legal consultation online or by calling 817-329-9001. With our office in Southlake, we serve communities throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Tarrant County, Dallas County, and other counties of Texas.
Dallas Office
4131 N Central Expy
Unit #965
Dallas, TX 75204
(817) 329-9001