Experienced Louisiana Burn Injury Lawyers

Bad burns are fairly common personal injuries during accidents, from car crashes and truck accidents to chemical spills and explosions. Burns also carry a high risk of excruciating pain, scarring, and lifelong disfigurement. Treating burn injuries, through skin grafts or other means, can be expensive and painful in their own right.

If you’ve suffered severe burns due to someone else’s negligence, you could be entitled to legal actions against the other party. A Louisiana burn injury attorney can help you build a strong case for compensation, and answer questions you may have about your particular case.

Types of Burn Injuries

Approximately 450,000 people suffer major burn injuries every year in the United States, as estimated by the American Burn Association. Burn injuries are one of the leading causes of injury and death in America: in 2016 alone, 3,390 people died from burn injuries. Even if you survive, you could be left with thousands in medical bills.

First-Degree Burns

First-degree burns can occur when bumping into a hot surface or splashing hot oil or water. First-degree burns can generally be treated at home and heal without major expense.

Second-Degree Burns

Whereas first-degree burns affect only the top layer of skin, second-degree burns affect the next layer as well. The size of a second-degree burn determines whether you can treat it at home or need to seek emergency care: most second-degree burns under three inches in diameter don’t require professional intervention.

If you do treat the burn at home, be sure not to use ice during treatment, and don’t pop any blisters that may rise up. Doing so increases the risk of infection. You should also avoid using topical treatments such as ointments unless advised by a doctor to do so. Second-degree burn infections can exacerbate the pain and risk of major injury.

Third & Fourth-Degree Burns

The most severe types of burns are third-degree burns and fourth-degree burns. These burns can affect all the layers of skin, as well as underlying muscles, fat, connective tissue, and even bone. Severe burns such as these also damage nerves, which can cause numbness and tingling in the burned area.

Generally, third- and fourth-degree burns are caused by prolonged contact with flames, such as when trapped in a burning building or other fire. Due to this prolonged contact, you might also experience smoke inhalation injuries, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning and other health problems.

If you or a loved one experiences third-degree or higher burns, immediately contact emergency services. Third- and fourth-degree burns require immediate medical care. Do not remove clothes or coverings from the burned area, and do not use water to treat the wounds. You should try elevating the burn to decrease blood pressure to the burns, but otherwise wait for medical professionals to treat your wounds.

Common Causes of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries are some of the most common that Americans face, and fires kill more of our citizens than any other kind of natural disaster. There are a number of causes behind burn injuries, from touching a hot surface and work accidents to fires after truck accidents and motorcyle accidents. Some of the most common causes of burn injuries are outlined below.

• House fires: House fires can be caused due to neglect, but also due to defective products, poor fire safety, and other causes.
• Car fires: Because cars are full of highly-flammable gasoline, serious car crashes can cause burns due to explosions, heat exposure, or smoke inhalation.
• Oil industry fires: Louisiana has a booming oil and gas industry. When working closely with these materials, oil and gas workers’ risk for exposure to toxic chemicals, fires, and explosions is high.
• Industrial accidents: Factory floors and other industrial jobs are full of hot metal, exposed electricity, plasma arcs, and other toxic substances, all of which can lead to serious burns.
• Work accidents: Even outside of industries that many think of as dangerous, there are possibilities for burns from chemicals, hot surfaces, exposed electricity, hot oils or liquids, and tools that are improperly insulated.

No matter where you work, you can be at risk for burns due to negligence from your management or fellow workers. If you’ve suffered a burn from a work injury, you might be able to receive remuneration beyond a simple workers’ compensation claim. An experienced Louisiana burn injury lawyer will be able to work through your injuries with you and discuss your legal options.

Why Hire a Burn Injury Lawyer?

After you’ve been burned, you might be overwhelmed by scheduling doctor’s visits, dealing with the pain and suffering of your injury, worrying about the costs of health care and lost wages, and more. The team of Louisiana burn lawyers at Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys understand the lasting devastation your injury can cause. That’s why we’ll assist with your case by

• Offering you a free legal consultation
• Gathering evidence about your case, including police reports and medical records
• Seeking expert witness advice regarding the cause of the accident
• Identifying the liable parties for your injuries

Let us manage your case while you focus on recovering from your burns. We can estimate your total losses and build your case to seek the compensation you need to heal.

Your Team Matters. Call Gordon If You’ve Suffered Burn Injuries.

The Louisiana burn injury lawyers at Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys have been fighting for burn injury victims for decades. We’ve won thousands of cases and recovered over $3 Billion in restitution for our clients.

Give us a call, toll-free at 888.501.7888, to talk with a Louisiana personal injury lawyer after you’ve been burned in an accident. We provide free consultations, and we stand by the G Guarantee, meaning we don’t get paid unless we win or settle your case.

Call a team that has your best interests at heart. Call Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys today.