Rancho Mirage Burn Injury Lawyer

A severe burn is among the most traumatic injuries a person could suffer. Significant burns could require months of painful medical treatment and leave scars that disfigure and limit functioning.

When another party’s negligence led to an accident that caused a severe burn, an injured person could bring a civil action seeking reimbursement. Money cannot compensate for the devastation of a severe burn injury, but it could ease your adjustment and provide some financial security.

A Rancho Mirage burn injury lawyer could meet with you and your family to discuss your legal options after a significant incident. A catastrophic injury attorney could help you pursue the negligent parties and hold them accountable for the harm they caused.

Burns Are Devastating Injuries

The skin is the largest organ in the body and one of the most important. It comprises several layers of dermal cells that wrap around the fat that covers the skeleton and internal organs.

The skin protects the body from external hazards by providing a barrier to microbes and carrying sensory messages to the brain to warn of danger. The skin regulates temperature, absorbs harmful ultraviolet light, and produces Vitamin D, an essential nutrient. It also aids in moisture retention and prevents dehydration.

Burn Classification

The National Institutes of Health explains that medical professionals classify burns based on the depth of the damage. The percentage of the body’s surface area the burn damaged is also important. A less severe burn that impacts a large portion of the body could be as medically dangerous as a small burn that is more severe.

First and second-degree burns impact the outermost layers of skin and usually do not require hospitalization. They typically heal in a few days or weeks with prompt first aid.

Third-degree burns penetrate all skin layers and may damage underlying tissues. Doctors treat third-degree burns with skin grafts. Fourth-degree burns penetrate the fat layer, fifth-degree burns damage muscle, and sixth-degree burns reach the bones. Victims could survive a fourth-degree burn, but fifth and sixth-degree burns are fatal injuries. Many burn injury cases that a Rancho Mirage attorney handles involve people who have suffered third and fourth-degree burns or died of complex burn injuries.

The Body’s Response to Burns

A burn is a harsh insult to the body, and it reacts strongly. Unfortunately, it is this strong reaction that leads to many burn fatalities. The body’s inflammatory response to a burn could throw a victim into shock, causing a potentially deadly drop in blood pressure. Fluid can pool in the limbs, causing edema, which could complicate burn treatment if the skin of the limbs is damaged.

Most significantly, shock and edema can restrict blood flow to the internal organs, especially the brain, heart, lungs, and kidneys. Many burn-related deaths are due to organ failure.

Seeking Compensation for Burn Injuries

A negligent party that causes an accident leading to a burn injury is responsible for all the results of an injury. If more than one party had a role in the accident, state law allows an injured party to collect all their economic damages from one party, even if that party is not wholly responsible for the incident. If a burn victim has partial responsibility, California Statutes § 1714 says they can collect the portion of their damages attributable to other parties but not the portion due to their negligence.

Economic damages cover medical treatments that might benefit a burn victim, including hospitalization and surgeries, physical and occupational therapy, cosmetic procedures to reduce disfigurement, and mental health treatment. If the burns require a limb amputation or if scarring restricts movement or function, damages could pay for adaptive devices. Economic damages reimburse lost income and provide funds if the burn injury prevents a person from returning to work.

Non-economic damages cover the subjective impacts of the burn. Many burn victims suffer excruciating pain, and damages could provide an acknowledgment of that harm. Non-economic damages also cover the psychological effects of an injury, such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. A person with a burn injury could collect damages for disfigurement, disability, loss of life’s pleasures, and other impacts on their quality of life. A lawyer in Rancho Mirage could explain how to calculate and prove non-economic burn losses.

Trust Your Claim to a Rancho Mirage Burn Injury Attorney

Suffering a significant burn could be a life-altering event. You might have little time or energy to pursue the parties that caused the accident.

A Rancho Mirage burn injury lawyer could identify the negligent parties that contributed to your accident and ensure they take responsibility for what happened. Compensation from a burn injury claim could provide you with the financial support you need to recover fully and move on. Call today to speak with a compassionate legal representative.