Palm Desert Burn Lawyers of Coachella Valley
Over 4,000 people in the United States die every year and thousands become disabled because of burn injuries. About half of all burn victims are under the age of 18. Burns are the third leading cause of accidental death in the United States.
According to Wikipedia, a burn “is a type of injury to the skin caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation or friction. Most burns only affect the skin.” The severity depends on how hot the skin gets and how long the burn lasts. In addition, the location is important because skin varies in thickness, fat, blood vessels, water and oil content.
Treatment
The diagnosis of a burn injury is based on how deep the injury is. A burn injury can be difficult to treat, very painful and result in disfiguring or scarring. In extreme cases, a burn injury can be fatal.
Short-term treatment includes antibiotics, bandages and pressure garments. Long-term treatment depends on the severity of the burn injury, if the patient inhaled smoke or chemicals and if there are pre-existing conditions involved. There are more than 100 specialized burn treatment centers in the United States.
Types of Burns
A burn injury to the top layer of skin (epidermis) is called a superficial burn or first degree burn. A superficial burn normally heals within 5 to 7 days. A common superficial burn is sunburn.
An injury to the second layer (dermis) is called a partial thickness or dermal injury or second degree burn. The dermis is between 15 and 40 times thicker than the epidermis. This type of burn is usually treated by skin grafting and could leave scars.
An injury that extends to the third layer (subcutaneous tissue) is called a full thickness injury or third-degree burn destroys all three layers of skin, hair follicles, and sweat glands. It can result in intensive, invasive and painful skin graft procedures, which replace the burned tissue by transplanting skin from one area of the body to another.
These procedures can cause intense physical pain and emotional stress; they are also very costly. However, some treatments can be done on an outpatient basis.
If you or someone you know has suffered a serious burn injury, contact an experienced Palm Springs burn Attorney like the ones in the Law Offices of Dale S. Gribow immediately. The sooner you protect your rights, the sooner you will walk down the path to a complete recovery. You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, loss of income and pain and suffering.