A scar is a sign that you survived something severe. Your scar may be a catastrophic result of your burn accident caused by someone’s negligence.
There are approximately 180,000 burn fatalities every year worldwide. In the United States alone, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration reveals more than 5,000 hospitalizations due to work-related burns.
So, depending on its severity, burns may have minor or life-threatening complications. If you’re a burn victim, the severity of your injuries also devastates other areas of your life.
Degrees of severity
The burned areas of your body, usually caused by fires, hot steam or flammable liquids and gases, may range in depth and coverage.
- First-degree burns: superficial, healing time lasts a week, like a sunburn
- Second-degree burns: penetrate beneath the skin’s outer layer, healing may take weeks, caused by scalding liquids or extended UV ray exposure
- Third-degree burns: reach all the deepest skin layers, always require skin grafts and are possibly lethal, caused by fire or electrical and chemical burns
- Fourth- and fifth-degree burns: most extreme, extend to fats, muscles and bones, requires immediate medical treatment and possibly amputation, can also be lethal
Proving liability for your burn accident depends on the circumstances of your case. If it results from a house fire, your Washington landlord and a homeowner’s insurance policy may be the liable parties. If the incident involves a defective product, you may sue the manufacturer and the individual who sold you the item. Additionally, if it happens while you’re on the job, you must immediately inform your employer and file a workers’ compensation claim.
Scarred, but on the way to recovery
A permanent scar is like a constant reminder of the physical and psychological pain you endured following your burn accident. You are also looking at overwhelming medical bills for long-term rehabilitative care and treatment. If you suffer from extreme burns, trying to return to work may also prove challenging. You can find solace in knowing that a dedicated legal team will be by your side to recover compensation that can finance your way toward healing.