Burn Injury Lawyers, San Antonio Texas

Burn injury had reached epic proportions in the last few years throughout Texas and the United States. Burn injuries are now the second cause of accidental deaths, behind motor vehicle accidents. In the 1950's there were only about 10 centers throughout the United States specializing in treating burn victims, now there are over 200 of these centers.

Burn injury can occur in many types of activities. Those activities where burn injuries occur in work environments include oil field accidents, construction accidents, welding accidents, fire and explosion accidents, hazardous material accidents and others.

Types of Burns

Burn injury can be categorized into first, second, third and fourth degree burns. First-degree burns occur when only the outer layer of skin, epidermis, is involved. The skin becomes red, swollen and there is pain, but there is no blistering. First-degree burns typically heal within a week without permanent scarring. A sun burn would be typical first-degree burn.

Second-degree burns occur when there is damage to the outer layer of skin, epidermis, and some or all of the inner layer of skin, dermis. The burns are red in color and blistering typically occurs. A deep second-degree burn may appear white in color and often is not painful. Second-degree burns usually heal in a week to three weeks and can be associated with significant scarring.

Third-degree burns occur when the entire outer and inner layers of skin, epidermis and dermis, are damaged and the hair follicles and sweat glands are destroyed. There is typically no pain with these burns and they are white in appearance. A deep second-degree and third-degree burn can be confused because both are white in color with little pain. In the second degree burn, however, the inner layers of the skin, dermis, are not completely burned. Skin grafting is needed for third degree burn injuries to heal properly.

Fourth-degree burns occur when the injury extends all the way to the bone. Electrical burns are a common form of fourth-degree burn.

Burn injury can be caused by chemical burns, friction burns (such as scrapes), electrical and by thermal burns. To determine the seriousness of the burn, and number of factors should be considered;

• Depth of the burned area
• Size of the burn
• Cause of the burn (electrical, chemical, thermal)
• Location of the burn
• Age and health of the burn victim

Moderate and Critical Burns

Moderate burns may not require the immediate attention of a health professional.

Moderate burn injuries include second degree burns in 15 to 20% of the body of an adult or 10 to 20% of a child. The age of the victim is important because of the loss of bodily fluids and risk of infection. Infants and elderly individuals can be more seriously injured with burns than a healthy adult. Third degree burns affecting 2 to 10% of the body are also considered moderate burns. Any burn to the face, eyelids, hands, feet, groin area or over a joint are considered more serious. When burns heal, the body pulls skin from the healthy areas over the burned area. This pulling of skin can impact the mobility of fingers, toes or joints and can cause scar tissue on the face that requires cosmetic surgery.

A critical burn injury is one that requires immediate attention and treatment by a health professional, preferably a burn specialist. Critical burn injuries include second degree burns covering more than 20% of the body and/or third degree burns covering more than 10% of the body. Anytime there is a burn with other injuries, such as a fracture, this is also considered critical burn injuries. Other critical burn injuries include burns that completely encircle the chest or a limb, burns involving the face, hands or feet, chemical burns that cause deep partial thickness burns, electrical burns that damage the skin and any fourth degree burns.

Burn injuries can by highly detrimental to an individual and an individual's family. Burn injuries can cause a worker to lose his or her job, or be unable to hold a job and earn a living. If a person has suffered a burn injury due to negligence of a third party, such as an unsafe workplace, then the burn victim may be entitled to compensation.

The attorneys of the Law Offices of Pat Maloney are specialists in helping victims of accidents and injuries caused by negligence of others. Our offices are in San Antonio. We represent persons for San Antonio, around Texas and across the country. Contact our offices at 800 247 7694 or locally at 210 226 8888.

The attorneys of the law offices of Pat Maloney are personal injury lawyers in San Antonio Texas who protect victims of defective products, commercial trucking accidents, auto accidents, and medical malpractice. They can also help with crashworthiness issues related to defective automobiles including SUV rollover, roof crush, defective airbags and defective seat belts.