Burn and Electrocution Injuries Attorneys
Tennessee Personal Injury Lawyers

In the United States, over 2.4 million burn and electrocution accidents are reported each year. Fires rank fifth among accidental injuries after motor vehicle related crashes, poisonings, falls, and drowning. Burns come from a number of causes from car fires, home fires, chemical burns and on-the-job accidents.

Legal and Financial Assistance for Burn Victims
Causes of Burn Injuries
How Bad is My Burn Injury?
Burn Treatment
Treatment Centers
Find Legal Help

Legal and Financial Assistance for Burn Victims

If your burn or electrical injury is the result of an accident or the recklessness of another, you or your family may be entitled to legal compensation. To learn more contact our office immediately. We can review your options over the phone or in person. Call 1-877-871-4097.

Burn and electrical injury victims have many legal options.

Worker's Compensation

Most employers are covered by worker's compensation from being sued by their employees who are injured on the job. Worker's compensation gives limited financial payments for injuries to employees and may cover medical expenses.

Even if you are receiving worker's compensation, you may also be able to file a lawsuit if other negligent parties are responsible. For example, if you are hurt while working off-site, if you are hired as a contractor or sub contractor or if you were harmed by a defective product.

Please note Worker's Compensation does NOT cover things such as pain and suffering and many financial responsibilities that would be covered by a lawsuit. Contact our office today and we will review your loss and talk about your options, free of charge. Call now 1-877-871-4097.

Health Insurance

Health insurance covers most medical expenses and medical treatments. Health Insurance does NOT cover lost wages, pain and suffering or mental anguish and may not cover all medical costs. Contact our office today and we will review your loss and discuss your options, free of charge. Call now 1-877-871-4097.

Lawsuit

A lawsuit may offer the injury victims and their families the best means of recovery for the injuries and losses. Sometimes people who are injured in accidents and their family members are often reluctant to get legal help because they may think the accident may have been in some way caused by the individual. Even if this is the case, there may be other parties that may be partially responsible for the injury who may be liable for the medical expenses and damages.

If you or a family member has suffered a serious injury, contact our office today to discuss if a claim should be reviewed. Call us immediately after an accident to begin an investigation. Call our office today and we will review your loss and discuss your options, free of charge. Call now 1-877-871-4097.

Types of compensation:

1.       Medical Bills for treatment therapy and surgery.

2.       Lost income based on past lost wages and future losses.

3.       Compensation for pain and suffering

4.       Compensation for mental anguish

5.       Punitive damages as additional compensation to punish a grossly negligent party.

It is very important to start an investigation of how your injury occurred immediately. This investigation can be put together by our Law Firm, if the case is accepted. The first step is to contact our office 1-877-871-4097.

Causes of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries are usually caused by on-the-job accidents, car accidents, home fires, electrocution, thermal burns and chemical burns. Burn injuries can occur from many different activities and sources. Whether at home or on the job you can be exposed to unknowing dangers.

The number of American workers burned and/or electrocuted on the job and experiencing deadly work-related injuries continues to rise.

Electrical Burns

These burns come from contact with high voltage electricity. The burns result from electric current running through the body. When the electricity leaves the body it will leave a harmful exit wound.

Doctors will trace the path of the electricity. Typically, the electricity will enter in through the hand and then run through the body. One concern is that high voltage will cause the heart to stop beating.

Flammable Clothing

Flammable clothing is very dangerous because the fire will spread through the clothing and cause sever burns all over the body. In order to prevent this tragedy, clothing sold in the U.S. must comply with the Flammable Fabrics Act.

Thermal (Heat) Burns

Thermal burns take place when the skin comes in contact with a hot surface. Thermal burns are the most common type of burns and they result from exposure to or contact with steam, flames, flash, and hot surfaces or hot liquids with a temperature above 115º F.
Thermal burns are the most common type of burn. Examples of thermal burns are exposure to cooking stoves, hot water, clothes irons or burns of roofers working with asphalt.

Automobile fires

Automobile fires are extremely common. They can be caused by gas explosions that throw debris with great force. Car parts can become shrapnel in the explosion.

Chemical Burns

Chemical burns are the result of contact with acids or strong bases (alkaloids). Strong chemicals are found in laboratories, batteries and plumbing. Very strong chemicals will dissolve skin on contact and are hard to wash away. It is important to wash chemicals out immediately after exposure.

Home Fires

Home fires are the most common causes of residential fire death. Residential fire tragedies are most commonly caused by careless use of cigarettes (30-45%). Heating and electrical equipment defaults are the second and third most common causes. Children playing with ignition sources (matches, cigarette lighters) cause approximately two percent of deaths. Studies show impairment due to alcohol consumption to be the biggest independent risk factor for death after outbreak of fire.

How Bad is My Burn Injury?

The following is a detailed list of first, second, third and fourth degree burns and percentage of the body burned.

What are the different Depths of a Burn?

Burn depth may be best understood by examining how the skin is composed. The top layer of skin is on the surface of the skin and is referred to as the epidermis. This has a tough backing, or second layer, called the dermis. The dermis has its own blood supply, and embedded in it are hair, sweat glands, and nerve endings for feeling (for example, heat, softness, sharpness, smoothness). Below the dermis is the third or fat layer that has in it the blood vessels and nerves connecting to the skin.

The depth of the injury has three classifications: first degree, second degree, and third degree. First degree, or superficial, burns involve only the epidermis. A second degree and third degree, or partial or full thickness burn, involve the epidermis and dermis, and the hair, nerves and sweat glands (and sometimes muscle and bone).

The severity of the burn depends on several factors: your age, previous health, where the burn is, how big the burn is, and how deep the burn is. The attorneys with our Law Firm are not physicians. The information contained herein is to provide you with knowledge of burn type injuries and common known medical treatments. If you or a family member is ever burned talk to a medical doctor immediately.

First Degree Burns

A first degree burn is a minor burn involving only the top layer of skin. A sunburn is an example of a first degree burn. This type of burn is red and hot, but there is no swelling or blistering.

Standard Treatment

For first and second degree burns consult a doctor to minimize the damage quickly. Most medical providers usually recommend placing the affected area in cool running water until the burning feelings leave. This can take longer than 10 minutes. Most doctors recommend that the burn victim should not stop this cooling off step prematurely. Most doctors recommend that if the victim is burnt through the clothing, as in a spill of hot liquid, do not take off the clothing - immediately put the burnt area in the cool water. Most doctors recommend that butter, oil, lotions, or creams should not be put burns. They may worsen the burn. Most doctors recommend that covering the burn with adhesive dressing or bandages is also not helpful, burns need to breath. Consult your doctor on your treatment options.

Second Degree Burns

A second degree burn involves the top layer of skin as well as part of the layers underneath. The skin is a light red and blistery, somewhat swollen and moist and oozing. The pain is very severe.

Treatment

For such burns seek medical assistance or take yourself to a doctor. Most doctors recommend that the burn victim should not remove any clothing on the burnt area, cover with a clean cloth. Check in with your medical doctor.

For first and second degree burns your doctor may attempt to contain the damage quickly. Your doctor may recommend putting the affected area in cool running water until the burning feelings leave. This can take longer than 10 minutes. The doctor will recommend that you do not stop this cooling off step prematurely. If the victim is burnt through the clothing, as in a spill of hot liquid, do not take off the clothing - most doctors recommend that you immerse the burnt area in the cool water right away. Most doctors recommend that butter, oil, lotions, or creams should not be put on burns. They will worsen it. Covering the burn with adhesive dressing or bandages is not recommended, burns need to breath. Consult your medical doctor.

Third Degree Burns

A third degree burn involves all the layers of the skin. The burn will destroy the nerves and the blood vessels in the skin. There may be less pain at first. The burn area is white, yellow, black or cherry red. The skin will be dry and leathery. As the burns heal there will be dense scarring and possible skin grafting. Consult your medical doctors.

Treatment

For third and fourth degree burns most doctors recommend that you seek emergency medical assistance. Most doctors recommend that you do not take off any clothing stuck to the burnt area, cover with a clean cloth. Consult your medical doctors at once. Call 911

Fourth Degree Burns

A fourth degree burn goes through all the layers of the skin and down into the muscle and the bone. It looks like a third degree burn and does great harm to the body structure. Since the nerves are burnt there may be less pain in this burn. Follow up with your medical doctors at once. Call 911.

Treatment

For third and fourth degree burns call for emergency medical assistance or take them immediately to the emergency room. Do not remove any clothing stuck to the burnt area, cover with a clean cloth. Get to the trauma or burn hospital as soon as possible.

Percentage of the Body Burned

The following factors are considered when assessing the severity of a burn injury:

• The depth of the burn and size
• The part of the body burned
• The age of the individual
• Past medical history
• The percentage of the body burned is determined by using a burn chart

In infants and small children, the surface area of the head and neck is greater and the lower extremity is smaller than an adult.

Burn Treatment

Burn injuries call for extensive therapy and treatment including pressure garments, debridement removal, skin grafts and surgery.

What Happens After a Burn?

Burn victims may suffer massive fluid loss at the time of the burn and right afterward. Normally, part of the blood can seep out through little holes in the walls of the blood vessels and mix with the skin. That is how skin is nourished. When the blood vessel is harmed, these little holes enlarge creating large leakage. Large volumes of fluid are put back into your body during the first 24 hours to replace the fluid loss. A great deal of swelling may occur due to the fluid gathering in the skin and surrounding tissue. Sometimes, large incisions are made through the dead, burned tissue to release the pressure caused by the swelling. This procedure is called escharotomy. The swelling will usually go down within a week or two. Call 911.

Do You Need a Skin Graft?

Dead skin (called eschar) has to be taken off to make a clean, raw place for the skin grafting or new skin to grow. This is called debridement. Debridement also must be done to help prevent infection since dead tissue is common for bacteria.

Depending on the person, it may be several days before it can be determined by a doctor how severe the burn is and whether or not a skin graft will be needed. This will be determined by the way in which you got burned, your age, previous health, where the burn is, how big the burn is, and how deep the burn is.

The Importance of Exercise

It is important that you do all the exercises that the physiotherapist gives you, even if you don’t want to or they are painful to do. Movement will help reduce the swelling.  If you don’t move well at this stage, you will have great difficulty in regaining full joint movement when the skin is healed. Exercise will be part of keeping the rest of your body healthy and help your burn to heal as well.

How pressure garments aid healing

When burned skin heals it can grow in an uncommon scarring manner. Pressure garments help skin to heal by holding the healing skin down so that it grows flat. Pressure garments also help to protect the burn from damage. Burn patients should wear pressure garments while the scar is healing. These garments require careful cleaning and attention. Be sure to ask your medical professional about care issues.

Cosmetic Surgery

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Treatment centers around the United States.

Find Legal Help

Send our Law Firm your information via this website or call us now 1-877-871-4097. Our Law Firm will review your options and/or can help you in locating medical assistance or another lawyer in your state to help if needed.