A Trusted New Orleans Burn Injury Lawyer
There are few injuries more painful and devastating than burn injuries. The healing process from burns is excruciating and can take months. Many times burn victims are forced to undergo countless rounds of medical procedures to remove dead skin (called “debridement”), to use skin from other parts of the body to deal with burned tissue, and/or to help the burned tissue heal itself. Beyond the pain and agony of a burn and the resulting healing process, burn injuries can leave horrible scars that serve as a constant reminder of the injury.
Not only do they leave physical scars, but the toll they take on a person’s psyche can be terrible. The psychological toll can be so great that it can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder that ultimately makes whatever activity caused the burn unbearable for fear of another personal injury.
To make matters worse, burn injuries usually come with devastating medical bills and lost wages. This can very quickly turn a burn victim’s life upside down in every way possible. Thankfully, burn injury lawyers are available to help burn victims through this terrible and stressful process.
New Orleans, Louisiana, burn injury victims may be completely lost after suffering an accident. These are a handful of questions that are commonly asked about burn injuries.
What Are the Types of Burn Injuries?
Thousands of people, unfortunately, are burned in New Orleans every year. Below is a list of the four common types of burns:
Thermal Burns
These burns typically occur because of exposure to extreme heat. This can occur as a result of exposure to fire, scalding liquids, or other hot surfaces.
Chemical Burns
Skin contact with caustic substances can cause severe burns. If skin tissues get saturated with acidic or basic chemicals, they can eat through tissue-like fire exposure.
Electrical Burns
Contact with an electrical current, such as touching a live power line, can cause burns to skin tissue.
Friction Burns
Although not necessarily thought of as a “burn,” sliding across the ground or having something else rub across your skin can remove the skin just like any other type of burn.
What Are The Different Degrees of Burns That Victims Can Suffer?
Generally speaking, there are four different degrees of a burn injury. First-degree burns are superficial burns like a sunburn that do not damage anything but the outer layer of skin. Second-degree burns damage the outer layer of skin and the next layer beneath that.
Third-degree burns penetrate two layers of skin. Fourth-degree burns are unquestionably the most severe of all burns and occur when the burn can penetrate through your skin and into tendons, ligaments, and bones.
How Can Burn Injuries in Louisiana Occur?
- A burn injury can occur in countless different ways. Here are a handful of examples of the types of burn injuries that can happen:
- Burn injury on the job.
- Truck or car accidents with explosions and fire.
- Defective products with acidic or basic materials.
- Scalding water from pipes, faucets, etc.
- Burn injury due to an auto accident.
- Apartment building fires.
- Fires at restaurants, bars, or other public places
If you’ve been the victim of a burn injury claim caused by someone else’s negligence, call New Orleans burn injury lawyer Mike Mahone’s office today for a free case review.
Is A Burn Injury Considered Trauma?
A burn injury, like any physical injury, is indeed considered trauma. In fact, burn injuries are one of the most severe types of trauma that the human body can endure and can lead to long-term mental anguish that may never end. Because of how terrible these injuries can be, it is incredibly important that burn victims do everything possible to protect their rights.
Can I Sue Somebody for My Burn Injury?
Yes. Louisiana’s negligence law allows injured parties to sue those responsible for their injuries to sue them for compensation, which can include pain and suffering, lost wages, medical bills, mental anguish, and disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. The key issue is whether negligence caused your burn injury.
How Can Negligence Cause A Burn Injury?
Sadly, negligent companies and individuals cause injuries all of the time. Much like the countless ways that a burn injury can occur, there are likewise countless ways that negligence can cause or contribute to a burn injury:
Car and Truck Accidents:
Vehicles accidents, particularly ones with severe impacts, can cause chemicals and other substances, like gasoline, to spill. These substances can then combust and severely burn the accident victim. Reckless driving, speeding, and failure to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles can easily contribute to these injuries.
Industrial Operations:
Chemical plants and refineries use a whole host of chemicals and other processes as part of day-to-day operations. In addition, these operations often involve substances that are maintained under significant pressure, which can ultimately rupture, causing explosions and fires.
The failure to safely conduct industrial operations or maintain facilities and equipment can lead to explosions or spills, which can then burn unsuspecting burn injury victims.
Workplace Accidents:
Many jobs deal with hot materials and chemicals, which can lead to severe burns. For example, restaurant workers are in kitchens with hot water, pans, and other hot liquids. If kitchen operations are not conducted properly, workers can very easily suffer burn injuries.
Offshore Operations:
Offshore workers, particularly those in the offshore oil and gas industry, are constantly at risk for a burn injury. Vessel and rig maintenance is vital to protecting these workers from explosions and burns. If vessel owners, operators, and other offshore companies fail to take necessary precautions, workers can get seriously injured.
Apartment Fires:
Failure to take precautions for electricity, appliances, or gas lines can cause apartment fires. If landlords do not take the necessary precautions, such as having fire protection systems and other preventative measures, fires can occur and cause injuries to tenants and others in apartment buildings.
Contact a New Orleans Burn Injury Attorney For A Free Consultation
All burn injury victims understand that burn injuries can be incredibly painful and cause physical pain. This physical pain is compounded dramatically when you know that somebody else caused your burn injury, and, as is often the case, the injury could have been avoided if they had just acted responsibly.
If you’ve been the victim of a burn injury caused by someone else’s negligence, call New Orleans burn injury lawyer Mike Mahone’s office today for a free, no-obligation consultation. The Mahone Firm is a New Orleans personal injury law firm that provides personalized service to accident and personal injury victims.
Call (504) 564-7342 for a confidential case evaluation today. There is no charge for a free case review with a New Orleans burn injury attorney.
