Symptoms and Causes of Burn Injuries
Symptoms
Burn injuries have the potential to do serious damage to one’s body and can result from an array of different causes. It can be caused by heat, sun exposure or other forms of radiation, chemicals, or electrical currents. The severity of burn injuries can range from minor to extreme and can also be life-threatening.
As for treatment for burn injuries, it all depends on where it occurred and the severity of the injury. For example, sunburns or a minor scald can be easily treated at home, whereas an intense or large burn may need immediate medical treatment. In fact, those who have endured intense or large burns should never wait to seek medical attention as a burn can easily become infected. Victims often need specialized treatment at a burn center, which can result in extensive medical care over a long period of time.
If you or a loved one has endured a burn injury caused by the negligence of another, it is imperative that you contact a burn wound lawyer in Los Angeles for help. We will advise you and guide you on the steps to take to file a burn injury case so that you can get the compensation and justice you deserve for your losses.
Burn injury symptoms vary depending on the severity and how deep the skin is damaged. It’s important to take into consideration that burn symptoms may not show up for a day or two, so it may take time for the signs to develop.
1st-Degree Burn: This type of burn only affects the outer layer of the skin, which is known as the epidermis. Although minor, these types of burns may cause redness and pain.
2nd-Degree Burn: This type of burn affects both the outer layer of the skin (epidermis) and the second layer of skin (dermis). These types of burns often result in swelling and have a red and white blotchy appearance. There is a chance that blisters can develop and overall, these types of burns can be very painful. In addition, these types of burns (depending on the deepness) can cause scarring.
3rd-Degree Burn: In addition to the epidermis and dermis, this type of burn also reaches to the fat layer beneath the skin. As a result, the appearance of this type of burn may be black, brown, or white. The skin may look and feel leathery. In addition, these types of burns can destroy nerves, which may result in numbness in some parts of the injury.
When You Should See a Doctor
You should seek medical attention immediately if you sustained a burn injury and experienced the following:
- Burns that cover your hands, feet, face, groin, buttocks, or a large area of the body
- Deep burns, which affects more than just the outer layer of the skin (often the result of a 2nd-degree burn or a 3rd-degree burn)
- Burns that cause the skin to look leathery
- Burns that appear black, brown, or white
- Chemical and electricity burns
Call your doctor if you are awaiting emergency assistance and you experience the following symptoms:
Signs of infection (oozing from the injury, increased pain, redness, and swelling)
A burn and/or blister that is large or has not healed within at least two weeks
New symptoms
Scarring
What are Common Causes?
There are several common causes of burn injuries, including the following:
- Car accidents
- Defective products
- Apartment and hotel fires
- Workplace fires
- Scalding burns
- Gas explosions
- Chemical burns
- Electricity burns
These are just some of the very many causes of burn injuries. If you sustained a burn injury from one of the previously stated causes, contact our firm to speak to a lawyer for severe burn wounds.
Get Help from a Burn Injury Attorney Los Angeles
Do not hesitate to reach out to us to speak to a knowledgeable and experienced personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles. We will give you the guidance you need to get back to where you need to be after your burn injury. It is our duty to make sure that our clients obtain full and fair compensation and justice for the injuries that they sustained. We will be there for you every step of the way.