San Jose Fire Burn Attorneys
Fire Burns
Burns caused by fire can range from the irritating and inconvenient (so-called first degree burns) to life changing and potentially fatal. This essay examines the basic classifications of burns and briefly goes over common first aid tips. If you have been the victim of a serious burn injury, please contact a San Jose personal injury lawyer right away.
Classifications of fire burns: First degree, second degree, and third degree
First Degree Burns - These involve damage to the outer layer of the skin, known as the epidermis. Although these burns are superficial, they still can be painful and can result in inflammation, redness, swelling, and tenderness. An example of a first degree burn might include a mild sunburn or the burn you get after briefly touching a pan on a hot stove.
Second Degree Burns - These burns involve deeper damage to the tissue and can hinder the skin's ability to regulate your fluids and temperature. Damage to the elastic fibers and collagen in the second layer of your skin, known as the dermis, may occur. One common symptom that differentiates second degree burns from first degree burns is blistering. First degree burns may actually evolve into second degree burns over time.
Third Degree Burns - Third degree burns involves damage to all three layers of your skin - the epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. Essentially, this fire burn kills the skin in that area. Like second degree burns, third degree burns can result in permanent scarring as well as immediate problems with temperature and fluid regulation.
Measuring Fire Burns
Emergency Responders use something called the "rule of 9s" to evaluate how badly a person has been burnt. The abdomen constitutes 9% of the total body's skin surface area, so a complete burn of the abdomen (and nowhere else on the body) would mean a 9% burn. If you burn your abdomen and your chest (another 9% of your total surface area), you would be 18% burned.
Responders only count second degree and third degree burns when totaling up the surface area. So if you have second and third degree burns on 20% of your body and first degree burns on another 10%, you would be classified as having a 20% burn instead of a 30% burn.
Fire burns can cause deep and even permanent damage to underlying structures, including muscle tissue and bone, depending on how long and acute the burn lasted.
Treatment
The factors that will influence the success of your treatment will include the duration and intensity of the fire burn, the quality of the medical help you got and how soon you received it after your injury, your rehabilitation, your general health and strength prior to the burn, and whether you suffered additional injuries, such as broken bones, contusions, or lacerations.
Legally actionable causes of fire burns
Not all burn injuries can be "blamed" on another person or institution. But many serious injuries can be traced back to someone's negligence, carelessness or other inappropriate behavior. For instance, a stove manufacturer may have misassembled some key tubing which led your stove to explode and burn you. Or a foreman at your construction job may not have given you proper instructions on how to use a welding device.
To hold a person or a party accountable for your fire burn damages, you need strong evidence and a good legal team on your side. Look to the San Jose burn injury victim lawyers at Van Der Walde & Associates for excellent guidance. Call 877-862-6288 now for a case evaluation.
