Burn injuries can leave victims in extreme pain, with both mental and physical scarring. If an act of negligence caused your burns, the California burn injury lawyers at Bisnar Chase could help you.
- Almost a billion recovered
- 46 years in California
- 99% success rate
- Law firm of the year 2024
Our attorneys are legal experts when it comes to catastrophic accident lawsuits. A burn injury can drastically impact a person’s life, putting substantial emotional and financial strain on victims and their loved ones.
We are dedicated to fighting justice, holding wrongdoers accountable for their negligence, and ensuring victims are compensated for their pain and suffering, medical expenses, and more. Whether you are in Los Angeles, Orange County, or the Bay area, our experienced personal injury attorneys in California can help.
California Burn Injury Attorneys
Intense Burn Injuries
A severe burn is a form of injury that can cause intense pain and lasting damage to a person’s skin, eyes, or even internal organs. Extreme heat exposure can harm skin cells severely and leave victims in excruciating pain and with a long road to recovery.
Burns can be sustained at varying levels of severity, depending on their cause. This article explores the different types of burn injuries and the legal options for burn injury victims.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries can occur whenever a person is exposed to extreme heat – including contact with scalding surfaces and liquids – as well as exposure to chemicals, sunlight, and radiation.
The most common causes of burn injuries are:
Thermal contact
Thermal contact refers to burn injuries suffered by touching extremely hot objects. An object that can cause burns through even the slightest contact might include something that generates top temperatures by design, such as an oven or an iron.
Defective products that malfunction and overheat can also cause thermal burns. Heat-generating objects with metal surfaces are particularly dangerous as they are extremely conductive.
Fire/open flame contact
The most common cause of burn injuries is fire contact. This might be the result of a fire started intentionally (arson), or unintentionally (such as an electrical fire, or a blaze started by a cigarette). Fires can burn to temperatures above 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Scalding liquids
One of the top causes of skin burns is scalding liquids. This might include a hot coffee spillage or coming into contact with boiling water while cooking. These liquids might top 200 degrees Fahrenheit and can cause instant and painful burns.
Chemical burns
Chemical burns – also known as caustic burns – occur when a person comes into contact with a substance containing irritants. For example, acids and bleaches can cause burns if they touch a person’s skin or eyes.
Others
A whole host of other burn injuries can occur outside of these main categories. Some are much rarer occurrences than others. These include electrical burns (for example: from exposed wires), firework burns, lightning strikes, severe sunburns, and more.
If you have suffered one of the burn types listed above, or any other form of burn caused by the negligence of another party, you may be able to file a burn injury lawsuit.
Contact our award-winning California burn injury lawyers at Bisnar Chase now for guidance. There is no fee if we don’t win your case. Call 800-561-4887.
Levels of Burn Injuries
There are different levels of severity when it comes to burns. They are referred to as first-degree burns, second-degree burns, and third-degree burns. Learn more about the different burn degrees below.
First-Degree Burns
A first-degree burn is the least severe form of burn injury. This is a superficial burn that only affects the top layer of skin. It will usually not cause any lasting damage or scarring, but it can still be very painful.
Signs of a first-degree burn injury include:
- Pain and skin redness
- Swelling
- Dry and peeling skin
The best way to treat a first-degree burn is to immediately apply cold water for at least five minutes, and then manage the pain as the burn heals.
Second-Degree Burns
A second-degree burn has a higher level of severity, causing damage including blistering and raw areas of skin. These burns can result in open wounds and can easily lead to infection. Serious second-degree burns might require skin grafts.
Second-degree burn symptoms include:
- Scabbing
- Blistering
- Wet, weeping wounds
Treatments for a second-degree burn include cold water application for 15 minutes, ointments, wrapping wounds to prevent infection, and antibiotics if infections occur.
Third-Degree Burns
A third-degree burn – sometimes known as a full-thickness burn – is the most severe in terms of the damage it does to the victim. It can destroy several layers of skin and flesh and leave major scarring. However, it is not always the most painful type of burn injury, as the extent of the damage caused can also destroy a victim’s nerve endings.
Third-degree burn symptoms include:
- A waxy texture and brown/white discoloring
- Non-developing blisters
- Black charring
- Leathery scarring
Unlike other burns, medical advice indicates that you should not try to treat a third-degree burn yourself. Wait for proper medical help.
First, second, and third degree burns are the most common. However, in rare cases a person might suffer a fourth-degree burn. This is a deep burn which can destroy muscle, tendons, and even bone.
Burn Injury Statistics
A considerable number of people suffer burns across the United States every year, as shown in the following burn injury accident statistics. As of March 2024, the statistics below are the latest available to the public. New data has not been released yet.
- About 480,000 people suffer burn injuries in the U.S. per year
- Fire departments were called out to more than 1.3 million fires in 2018
- More than 3,650 people were killed in blazes in the same year
- 83% of fire fatalities are residential and 10% are car fires caused by accidents
- A burn injury is sustained every 30 minutes in the U.S.
- More than 40,000 people were hospitalized due to burns in 2016, with 30,000 of those victims treated at specialist burn units
- Most burn injuries are suffered at home (73%), while 8% occur at work or school and 5% occur on the roads.
The following figures show the top causes of burn injuries:
When a burn injury lawsuit is filed, your attorney will investigate the incident to help determine the facts of the case. They need to establish the cause of a burn accident and identify any negligent parties to win your case.
Why You Need a California Burn Injury Lawyer
The impact of a burn injury can be devastating to the victim. Effects can range from severe pain to permanent scarring, losses in quality of life, and extreme emotional trauma.
Burn injuries can require lengthy and expensive surgeries, which may include the removal of dead skin and tissue from the wound and skin grafts that replace any scarred and damaged areas. We cover these processes in greater detail below.
In some burn injury cases, the cosmetic surgeries required to repair burnt areas fully are not covered by health insurance. You also have to combine these costs with the significant emotional strain on the burn victim.
As a result, the aftermath of a burn injury can put a huge strain on victims and their families. If you or a loved one have been affected by a burn wound, and the accident was caused by the negligence of another person or party, you may be entitled to compensation.
If that is the case, our catastrophic injury experts can help. Contact the California burn injury lawyers of Bisnar Chase now for a free consultation with no obligations. Our legal specialists will provide the guidance you need and let you know how much you could win if you file a burn injury claim.
Burn Injury Treatments and Surgeries
As we have shown, the road to recovery after suffering a burn injury can be long and expensive.
A burn injury can be devastating, both physically and emotionally. A serious third-degree burn can leave victims incapacitated for months, in extreme pain and discomfort.
When a victim has suffered burns covering more than 10% of their body, they will probably be treated in a specialized burn unit. Burns covering more than 30% of the body can be fatal in some cases.
For the more serious burn injuries, surgery is the only answer. This may be done in different stages, depending on the condition of the patient.
- The first step is debriding surgery. This is the surgical removal of the charred flesh and dead tissue left by the burn.
- The second step is reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. The most common surgery associated with severe burn injuries is skin grafting.
Skin graft surgery involves removing skin from a healthy part of the body and attaching it to the burned area. The skin is usually taken from lesser-seen areas of the body, such as the inner thigh.
The cost and recovery time of this type of surgery will vary greatly, depending on the level of damage and size of the burn area. Costs typically range from $3,000 to $30,000, while recovery will take several weeks in extreme burn cases.
Contact our California burn injury lawyers right away if you suffered a burn injury and your health insurance did not cover your medical expenses. We can secure the compensation that you deserve.
Burn Injury Prognosis
Medical technology is innovating and advancing all the time. While severe burns can still be deadly, medical advancements now allow doctors to save those with major burns.
One victim in the United Kingdom survived a burn covering 90% of her body in a fire in 2009. She spent nine days in a coma, and suffered from extensive burns and depression, but eventually made a full recovery.
One thing is not in doubt; while burns are not necessarily fatal, they can have a huge impact on the victim, and destroy their quality of life for weeks, months, or years while they recover.
Do not go through this alone. Our California burn injury lawyers are experts in handling catastrophic injury cases. Not only will they handle your legal case, but they are also here to offer compassion and support during this tough time.
Burn Injury Compensation
As we have outlined, burn injuries can take their toll on victims in a wide range of ways.
If someone has suffered serious burns due to the negligence of another person, the victim deserves compensation. To get the compensation you deserve, you need to file a lawsuit against the negligent party.
Examples of burn injury liability might include:
- A person who started a fire which caused burn injuries (intentionally or unintentionally)
- A reckless driver who caused an auto accident, resulting in burn injuries
- A manufacturer producing an overheated, defective product
- A building owner who does not ensure premise fire safety regulations are met
A top-rated California burn injury attorney will help victims identify the at-fault parties in their case.
Once a lawsuit is filed, the attorney will fight to secure the maximum possible compensation for their client. Factors affecting the amount of compensation a victim will receive include:
- The severity of their burns
- Medical bills, including hospital stays and surgeries
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Rehabilitation costs
- Depression and anxiety
- Scarring
- Loss of quality of life
The burn injury lawyers at Bisnar Chase are highly experienced in securing life-changing settlements and trial verdicts for victims of catastrophic injuries.
Hiring the Best California Burn Injury Lawyers
At Bisnar Chase, our entire staff is dedicated to helping you at your time of need. Our mission is to provide superior representation while making the world a better place. We believe in what we do: helping injury victims and fighting for justice.
Our personal injury law firm has a top-class track record. We have been operating since 1978, and have an outstanding case success rate of 99%. Since launching, we have helped more than 12,000 clients, securing compensation of over $850 million.
We also work on contingency to make sure our services are available to everyone. This means that we advance many of the costs associated with your case. Our ‘No Win, No Fee’ promise protects you from financial burdens.
No matter how your injury occurred, our burn injury attorneys in California will be able to identify the at-fault parties and work to make sure you are fairly compensated.
