PITTSBURGH BURN INJURY ATTORNEY

The vast majority of people have experienced mild burns at least once in their lives due to everyday activity, especially those who cook frequently. Remember that time when you accidentally touched a hot pan in the kitchen? So do we.

Although mild burns can be quite painful and cause temporary discomfort, superficial burns are unlikely to cause long-term emotional distress and physical suffering.

The same cannot be said about severe burns. Depending on the degree, cause, source, and whether another party’s negligence is involved, you may be able to seek compensation for your burn injury. That’s where you may need legal help from a Pittsburgh burn injury attorney from Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman.

Fact: Each year, more than 450,000 Americans are treated in emergency rooms due to burn injuries, of whom about 45,000 are admitted to long-term medical care at burn centers.

Burn injuries are the excruciatingly painful and can leave long-lasting physical and emotional scars. An expert burn attorney will make sure you receive compensation for all your medical costs, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Contact our Pittsburgh personal injury attorneys today if you or a loved one are the victim of a severe burn due to negligence of another person, corporation, or defective product.

TYPES OF BURN INJURIES

The four main types of burns are:

• Thermal burns– result from fire, steam, hot liquids, or other sources of extreme heat. Most of these burns are minor, and treatment is available at hospitals or outpatient centers.
• Light burns are due to sunlight or ultraviolet light. You can relieve these burns by applying cool tap water or using a cold, wet compression towel on the burn area.
• Chemical burns– usually occur from acid, alkali, or a chemical exposure. The skin comes into contact with a corrosive chemical that causes burn damage.
• Radiation burns– happen due to contact with nuclear radiation. It can also be as simple as UV-rays, X-rays, or radiation treatment for cancer.

There are three categories of burn severity.

TYPES OF BURN INJURIES (FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD-DEGREE BURNS)

Unfortunately, burn injury can cause life-long rehabilitation and lead to medical intervention. As a result of severe burns, victims face permanent disfigurement, impaired ability to enjoy one’s life, impaired earning capacity, loss of bodily function, psychological and emotional distress, pain and suffering, all of which can be life-long effects of a burn injury.

Typically, burn injuries fall into four categories to determine the extent of injury:

• First-degree burns affect the epidermis, which is the outer layer of skin (e.g. sunburns).
• Superficial second-degree burns affect the outer layer of the dermis, which is just below the epidermis. These burns are also characterized by moist and pinkish color.
• Deep second-degree burns affect deeper layers of the dermis and are dry and whitish in color. When healing, these burns may leave behind permanent thick scars.
• Third-degree burns are the most severe type of burns that destroy the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin. “Although third-degree burns are not as painful as first-degree and second-degree burns due to severe nerve damage, they can cause disfigurement and leave permanent scars,” explains our experienced burn injury attorney in Pittsburgh.

CAUSES AND SOURCES OF BURN INJURY

There can be many causes and sources of burn injury, but the most common are:

• Flame burns caused by building fire or as a result of direct contact with an open flame;
• Flash burns caused by the rapid ignition of flammable gas or liquid (typically, the face, hands, and other exposed body parts are at the biggest risk of this type of burn injury);
• Contact burns caused by direct contact of the skin with a hot object (usually, cooking appliances are to blame for this type of injury);
• Scalds caused by contact with hot liquids;
• Steam burns caused by exposure to extreme steam pressure;
• Electrical burns caused by electricity penetrating skin tissue; and
• Chemical burns caused by exposure to dangerous substances such as acid.

COMPENSATION FOR A BURN INJURY

Due to their severity, burns are one of the most expensive and traumatic injuries to treat. Even a superficial first-degree burn can result in an infection and require medical treatment. Meanwhile, third-degree burns can take years of treatment to heal correctly. These burns significantly impact the victim’s quality of life . Massive burns can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for treatment and rehabilitation.

If you are a burn injury victim because of someone else’s negligence, you need an expert personal injury attorney to protect your rights. Our Pittsburgh personal injury attorneys serve burn victims and aggressively fight to recover compensation for their burn injuries and trauma. We work collectively as a team, so you can take advantage of having several lawyers working on your claim. We are readily available to put our experience to work for you.

CALL A PITTSBURGH BURN INJURY ATTORNEY TODAY

Seeking compensation after sustaining a burn injury may not be as easy as you think, especially for those with first- or second-degree burns. However, you may be able to sue the negligent party and recover compensation by hiring a Pittsburgh burn injury lawyer from Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman. Get a free consultation by calling at 888-98-TWINS(89467).