Burn Injury

Burn injury reports have increased to over 2.5 million per year.

The American Burn Association states that over 1 million Americans suffer from burns every year, with about 4,500 of those ending in death. Astonishingly, burn injuries only fall short of automobile accidents as the leading cause of accidental death in the country. Pain associated with burn injuries can be excruciating, and victims are often left with physical and psychological scars. Beyond that, the costs involved with burn treatment can be overwhelming; burns can require years of hospitalization, doctor checkups, and physical therapy. If you or a loved one believes that you may have a case involving a burn injury, fill out our free case evaluation form.

Burn injuries in Florida are frequently a result of house fires, gas fires, automobile fires, industrial accidents, contact with hazardous chemicals, and electrocution.

The burn injury attorneys at Morgan & Morgan litigate numerous lawsuits to trial involving burn injuries and other personal injury cases. We are extremely proud of the results that we have obtained and look forward to sharing them with you.

Burn Injury Facts

• Burn Injuries result in about 500,000 hospitalizations each year.
• About 4,000 people die every year due to fires and burns.
• 70 percent of burn victims are male.
• 43 percent of burn injuries occur in the home; 43 percent of residential fires occur in homes with no fire alarm.
• Fires result in about $7 billion worth of damage each year.
• Deaths due to fires and burns are the fifth most common cause of unintentional injury death in the U.S.

Common Burn Injuries

• Thermal burns - caused by exposure to severe heat of at least 115° F (e.g., fire, steam, boiling water, metal).
• Radiation burns - caused by exposure to nuclear radiation (e.g., x-ray) or ultraviolet light (i.e. sunlight, tanning bed).
• Chemical burns - caused by contact with caustic chemicals (e.g., acids, alkalis, detergents, or solvents).
• Electrical burns - caused when high voltage passes through the body and abruptly exits, creating a severe exit wound.
• Inhalation injuries - caused by breathing in toxic gas or fumes from a fire or chemical leak in a poorly ventilated area. This internal chemical burn triggers an inflammatory response to the victim's respiratory system.

If you or a loved one believes that you may have a case involving a burn injury, fill out our free case evaluation form.

Types of Burns

• First degree - skin is red, sensitive to the touch, and blotchy when lightly pressed. First degree burns are characterized by negligible tissue damage and fail to penetrate the skin's surface. These burns cause pain and swelling of the epidermis. Sunburn is an example of a first degree burn.
• Second degree - penetrate the epidermis and dermis, resulting in redness, pain, swelling, and blisters. Hair follicles and sweat glands are usually affected as well. If a deep second degree burn isn't correctly cared for, it can turn into a third degree burn as swelling increases and blood flow worsens.
• Third degree - impact the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, causing skin to become charred or translucent. Coagulated blood vessels will appear under the surface. Areas of the body with third degree burns are normally numb, but there may be pain associated with it due to second degree burns. Third degree burns take a long time to heal because of the destruction of tissue, and they will cause considerable scarring.
• Fourth degree - When a burn injury is so intense that it reaches muscle, tendon, ligament, or bone, it is sometimes categorized as a fourth degree burn. These are usually life-threatening and can lead to amputation.

If you have been a victim of a burn injury, contact a burn injury lawyer today.

The burn injury attorneys at Morgan & Morgan litigate numerous lawsuits to trial involving burn injuries and other personal injury cases. We are extremely proud of the results that we have obtained and look forward to sharing them with you.

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