Burns are some of the most serious injuries accident victims can suffer. Even a localized burn can result in significant scarring and disability, which can cause severe emotional distress.
Please contact Tittle & Perlmuter to discuss any burn injury. Our firm is committed to providing quality legal representation to accident victims as they seek financial compensation from those individuals and businesses which hurt them. A Cleveland burn injury lawyer is available to meet with injured victims in a free consultation.
Is a Burn Injury Serious?
The severity of a burn injury depends on the location and the size.
Doctors classify burns by degree, which is primarily based on the depth:
- First-degree: the burn affects only the outermost layer of skin. This type of burn should heal on its own without complications, and a person might need some over-the-counter painkillers to get by.
- Second-degree: this type of burn causes damage to underlying layers of skin and can result in painful blistering.
- Third-degree: a third-degree burn can damage all layers of skin and often requires skin grafts and other emergency treatment.
- Fourth-degree: this is the most serious burn because it damages underlying tissue, like nerve endings, muscle, bones, and soft tissue. A fourth-degree burn usually results in amputation of an affected limb.
Burns which cover joints, like your knees or knuckles, can restrict movement and result in disability. You might need surgery to loosen these contractures and physical therapy to regain a range of movement.
Take any burn seriously and go to the hospital. A doctor can clean the burn and dress it, while prescribing antibiotics to keep possible infection at bay.
Burn Complications
Treating a burn is only half the battle. There are many complications, including infection. When left untreated, infection can turn into sepsis and even septic shock. It’s possible to die from even a relatively small burn if an infection is untreated.
Another complication is emotional in nature. Burns can permanently change a person’s appearance.
Burns on the face or neck are difficult to hide. Many burn victims struggle with powerful emotional distress of lifelong changes to their appearance.
What Causes Most Burn Injuries in Cleveland, Ohio?
Burns happen in a variety of contexts. Many of our clients are burned in a traumatic accident which is beyond their control:
- Car wreck: a car might catch on fire, burning a passenger before they can escape. Other burns result from battery acid getting splashed on occupants.
- Chemical spills: a truck accident could lead to a chemical spill, which ends up burning people nearby.
- Motorcycle accidents: motorcyclists can burn their skin on hot metal when they fall off a bike in an accident.
- Defective products: a malfunctioning product could catch on fire, possibly because of defects with wiring or batteries.
- Electrocution: some burns are internal and difficult to see. You could be electrocuted at work or due to faulty wiring.
- Explosions: those who work dangerous jobs could end up burned when hot water boilers explode.
Call our Cleveland burn injury lawyer for a review of your legal rights. When someone is negligent, they should pay compensation for causing a burn.
How Our Burn Accident Attorney Can Assist You
Burns result in various impairments and struggles. You might be confined to the hospital for weeks, or you possibly not be able to leave the house while your injury heals. An Ohio burn injury lawyer with Tittle & Perlmuter can:
- Document your accident. If you want to sue a negligent driver, we need some idea of how the accident happened. Our burn injury lawyers can visit the accident scene, inspect defective products, talk to witnesses, and gather other evidence.
- Analyze the legal issues. Not every burn injury victim can sue. We’ll review the facts to see if you can establish liability against a negligent driver, employer, product manufacturer, or other defendant.
- Assign a dollar value to your injuries. Too many people accept small settlements. We understand—you probably don’t know how much your injuries are worth. Let us engage in a full-scale analysis of all relevant facts.
- Fill out forms and answer insurance company questions. We usually negotiate with insurers for burn injuries. We’ll make sure they don’t bother you.
- Open settlement discussions and take other steps. Our firm can usually settle a dispute without the need for litigation, but it takes time. Contact us as soon as you can.
Speak with a Cleveland Burn Injury Lawyer Today
Burn injuries are some of the hardest to overcome. Our clients are bravely undertaking rehabilitation to overcome their disabilities. The team at Tittle & Perlmuter understands the importance of financial compensation to anyone’s recovery. You and your family should not be bankrupted by medical bills and lost income when someone else has most of the blame for your burns. Contact us today to speak with an attorney at our firm.
