Newport Beach Burn Injury Lawyer

Regardless of the severity, burn injuries are always painful. Burn injury survivors typically suffer some of the most life-altering and disfiguring injuries imaginable. Unfortunately, the physical pain and suffering is only the beginning. Oftentimes those injured in a burn accident may also suffer intense psychological and emotional scars when faced with disability and disfigurement.

Burn injuries tend to require a very long period of convalescence. When the skin is melted, tissue and nerves are damage, the trauma can last a lifetime. Catastrophic burn injury survivors will most certainly incur mounting medical bills that often persist for many years and may not be covered fully by insurance.

Degrees of Burn Injuries

• Burns can cause swelling, redness, blistering, shock, and even death.

• They are categorized into 3 types by severity:
  • FIRST-DEGREE BURNS damage the outer layer of skin only:

The skin is becomes reddened and is painful. No blisters should be present in first degree burns but you may see a dryness to the area.

• • SECOND-DEGREE BURNS damage the outer layer and the layer underneath:

These can be classified as partial or full thickness, depending upon the extent of the burn.

In partial thickness burns, blisters almost always appear and involve the entire epidermis (outer layer of the skin) and dermis (the thick under layer of the skin containing the nerve endings and hair follicles). These burns are red and wet in appearance and will be very painful. These heal without skin grafting but some minimal scarring can result.

In full thickness burns, the epidermis is severely damaged and most of the dermis is affected. These burns require surgical removal of burned tissue and skin grafting is performed to begin the healing process.

• • THIRD DEGREE BURNS damage or destroy the deepest layer of skin and tissues underneath:

The most serious of these injuries, third degree burns always require immediate medical attention. All layers of the skin are destroyed and fat, muscle and even bone may be affected in such burns. Burned areas can be either black or white in appearance and may look dry and leathery in texture. Because of the extensive damage to subcutaneous tissue, pain may not be felt in the immediate area of the burn. In cases of third degree burns, call 911 or get to a hospital immediately.

Common Types of a Burn Injury

• Thermal burns — caused by flames and other hot objects
• Scalds — caused by boiling water or other hot liquids
• Chemical burns — caused by chemicals and volatile combinations of chemicals
• Burns from explosions — caused by car accidents, industrial/construction site accidents or accidents in the home

Your Rights as Burn Victim

Retaining the services of a personal injury lawyer is crucial to do as soon as possible. At the law offices of Brent Duque, our Newport Beach burn injury attorneys come armed with the expertise you need in order to protect your rights against insurance companies that may seek to settle quickly, limiting the compensation you deserve.

If your burns were caused by the negligence of another, you have a right to recover damages. Serious burns cause immediate trauma and damages that can be truly life-altering. We understand that every case is unique and every burn victim will face a different set of struggles. We work with a variety of experts, including medical specialists, to help us assess the extent of your injuries and rehabilitation needs. We work closely with financial experts to help determine the extent of you economic losses. Our team of fire accident reconstruction engineers examine combustibility, temperature, burn rates, explosive coefficients, hazardous chemical reactions and other variables. We will bring the right resources to effectively represent your case.

If the burn injury was fatal, the victim’s spouse, relatives and dependents have a right to seek damages as well. Even if the person who caused the accident is charged with a criminal penalty, you have a right to sue in civil court and get compensated for your loss.

Contact our Orange County Personal Injury Attorney at 1-877-241-9554 to learn more about your legal options. A free consultation is just a phone call away. You can even use our online contact form, and we’ll reply to you quickly.