The American Burn Association estimates 486,000 individuals receive medical treatment for burn injuries in the US annually. Burn injuries can result from fires, vehicle accidents, workplace accidents and many other sources. If you or a family member has sustained a burn injury from negligence in an auto accident, workplace accident as a victim of a destructive wildfire, you need a legal advocate on your side to help deal with law enforcement and insurance companies so you have time to recover and move forward with your life.
Burn Injury Degrees and Severity
Burn injuries receive a classification of first-degree, second-degree, third-degree and fourth-degree burns based on the severity and depth of the injury. There are various heat and chemical sources that can burn our skin like flames, boiling liquids, dangerous chemicals, direct electrical exposure and excessive sun exposure can all cause a burn but will not necessarily determine its severity. The primary burn types are based on the severity of damage to the skin:
- First-Degree Burns – First-degree burns are also known as superficial burns that affect the outer epidermis only. Victims of first-degree burns will experience redness, pain and minor inflammation or swelling. Treatment can be done at home by soaking the affected area in cool water, using Aloe Vera for soothing, applying antibiotic ointment and loose gauze to protect the wound and taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain relief. The damaged skin cells will shed causing dry, peeling skin and should completely heal within 7 – 10 days without complication or permanent scarring.
- Second-Degree Burns – Damage from second-degree burns will extend beyond the top layer of skin and cause blistering and a thickening of the skin at the affected area. It is important to keep a second-degree burn injury clean and properly bandaged to prevent infection. Home care is okay for a small surface area wound, but if the burn affects a widespread area you need to seek professional medical care for treatment. It can take between two to three weeks for this degree of burn to heal and may cause a change in the skin’s pigmentation but generally will not leave scarring.
- Third-Degree Burns – With damage extending through all skin layers, a third-degree burn is very serious and will require immediate medical attention. Depending on the burn cause, the skin will appear white and waxy or dark brown from charring with a raised, leathery texture. A third-degree burn victim may not be suffering from severe pain if the nerves have also been damaged. Surgery including skin grafting may be necessary close the wound and to prevent severe scarring, contracture (a tightening of the surrounding skin) or disfigurement. Healing time will depend on the area damaged and the amount of body surface area that was burned.
- Fourth, Fifth and Sixth-Degree Burns – Burn damage that extends beyond the dermis into deeper tissue like muscle, tendons and even bone is extremely uncommon with a nearly 100% mortality rate. These burns result in complete loss of function for the burned area. The victim of such an extreme injury will require immediate medical treatment in order to provide the best chance of survival. Topical, oral and intravenous antibiotics may all be prescribed to help prevent infection. Treatment may include painful excision (removing dead and damaged skin), amputation and skin grafting.
Medical assessment is also determined by the total body surface area (TBSA) affected by the burn. The total percentage of burn area along with the maturity of the victim help to identify the severity of the burn injury:
| Minor Burns | Moderate Burns | Major Burns |
| Child: less than 5% TBSA with less than 2% full thickness burn | Child: 5-10% TBSA with 2-5% full thickness burn | Child: 10% or more TBSA with over 5% full thickness burn |
| Adult: less than 10% TBSA with less than 2% full thickness burn | Adult: 10-20% TBSA with 2-5% full thickness burn | Adult: 10% or more TBSA with over 5% full thickness burn |
| Elderly: less than 5% TBSA with less than 2% full thickness burn | Elderly: 5-10% TBSA with 2-5% full thickness burn | Elderly: 10% or more TBSA with over 5% full thickness burn |
Contact an Experienced California Burn Injury Lawyer at Johnson Attorneys Group
When you are faced with recovery from a burn injury or dealing with the loss of a loved one as a result of someone else’s negligence, it is very important to take action and contact an experienced, qualified catastrophic injury attorney to protect your best interests. We will prepare the necessary legal action to make sure you are compensated for medical treatment like surgery, physical therapy, rehabilitation and possible life-long care along with pain and suffering and loss of income. Call Johnson Attorneys Group at 1-800-208-3538 for a free case evaluation, we have recovered more than $100 million for our clients in California – learn more about clients we’ve helped by viewing our case results.
