Burn Injuries

In the United States alone, there are approximately 1.1 million burn injuries requiring medical treatment. Of these burn victims, nearly ten thousand die each year from causes directly related to their injuries. The most common injury caused by burns is disfigurement to the skin, which can also resulted in associated body chemistry and organ damage

The skin is the largest organ of the body. When burn injuries are suffered, the severity of the burn will depend on which layers of the skin become damaged or destroyed. The outer most layer of the skin is called the epidermis. It is 1 mm thick, reproduces a new lawyer every 30 days and forms the protective covering. It is followed by the dermis, or inner layer, which contains a network of connective tissue and blood vessels, as well as hair follicles, nerve endings, sweat and sebaceous glands. It provides the skin with sensation, strength and elasticity. When a burn injury destroys the dermis, nerve endings which provide for the feeling of pain, temperature and tactile sensation are also destroyed. This layer of the skin does not regenerate itself. The inner most layer of skin contains a persons subcutaneous tissue or fat layer. It is referred to as the hypodermis and provides protection to the bone, muscle, tendons and other soft tissues.

The three primary types of burn injuries which affect these layers of the skin are:

1. First Degree Burns - characterized by redness, swelling and peeling skin. These burns exhibit sensitivity to touch but minimal tissue damage. The most common cause of these types of burns is sun exposure.
2. Second Degree Burns - characterized by not only redness and swelling, but blistering as well, affecting both the outer and middle layers of skin. A burn of this type can affect sweat glands, hair follicles and in certain cases, can cause shock and diminished blood flow, decreased blood
3. Third Degree Burns - affect the epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. They cause charring of skin and a coagulation of blood vessels located just below the skin surface. Skin tissue, structure and nerve endings are destroyed, and an area of numbness can result. Any sensation of pain is actually associated with second degree burns to the surrounding areas. Third degree burns result in scarring and a very slow healing process.

The destruction of nerves from any burn is extremely dangerous as the ability to feel pain is essential to survival. The twenty-one square feet of microscopically thin layers of cells making up our skin protects humans from invasion of microorganisms, as well as sensory nerves designed to detect pain and other sensations. Burn injuries impede the skin’s ability to experience pain, which is used to raise an alarm to alert the individual that help is needed. Without being able to experience the sensation of pain, people can risk further harm.

In addition, burn injuries affect the skin’s ability to prevent loss of body fluids, so burn injuries can lead to dehydration. In addition, the skin regulates body temperature by controlling the amount of evaporation of fluids from the sweat glands. Not only can burn injuries severely affect the body’s functioning, but they can also drastically alter a person’s appearance. They frequently result in permanent that can be mentally and psychologically difficult to cope with.

There are three major types of scarring caused by burn injuries are:

1. Keloidal Scars - these result from an overgrowth of scar tissue and can grow beyond the site of the injury. These scars, depending on ethnicity, are generally red or pink in color and over time become dark tan. Depending upon how extensive a burn injury is, keloidal scars can become binding and limit mobility.
2. Hypertrophic scars - these exhibit redness, thickness and are raised above the surface of the skin. They differ from keloidal scars in that they are limited to the site of the burn injury and can improve over time.
3. Contracture scars - these types of scars are caused by normal elastic connective tissue being replaced by inelastic fibrous tissue. This results in the skin being resistant to stretching and normal mobility, and a permanent tightening of the skin area. They also affect the underlying muscles and tendons.

Burn injuries can be caused by many different things – exposure to direct heat or flames, flash explosions, steam blasts and hot water, contact with hot items, chemicals or electricity.

Commonly, burn injuries can also be accompanied by inhalation complications that can cause damage to the upper breathing passages or to the lungs. As a result, burn injuries can cause the tissue to become very swollen and secrete large amounts of fluid that can interfere with breathing, creating a very serious effect that requires immediate medical attention. When trying to understand the severity of a burn injury, both the size of the burn, as well as its depth, are critical factors.

Younger patients, as opposed to more senior and infant patients, are typically more able to recover from burn injuries because their body systems provide for more effective skin regeneration and recuperative mechanisms. Like the inhalation complications, other health problems related to burn injuries could be suffered. The road to recovery from burn injuries can be extremely difficult, including burn wound management, physical therapy, nutrition and emotional support, and if the burn injuries were the result of negligence, a personal injury lawsuit could be present.

Although the incidence of burn injuries has declined over the years because of more effective warning devices, implementation of workplace standards and more advanced fire safety methods, burn injuries can still occur. A personal injury lawyer can recover the medical costs resulting from a burn injury, in addition to compensation for lost wages, physical pain and suffering, and emotional distress.