Columbia Burn Injury Lawyer

Burn victims often do not know what to do next, and the blisters, pain, and medical care needs can linger for a very long time. Some of the injuries that happen to burn victims can significantly affect their quality of life for years to come. If you have been injured in a car accident, truck accident, or through experiencing a burn at work or at home in the Columbia or Lexington area, you will want to seek out the services of a Columbia burn injury lawyer.

How A Columbia Burn Injury Attorney Can Help

A personal injury attorney can be the right option when you need compensation and support for injuries you sustained at the hands of others. From fall accidents to burns and other types of harm a legal team helps you feel safe and protected while they work to ensure you receive financial support for your medical care.

Disfigurement, nerve damage, and other problems with daily living all come along with some burn injuries. These types of burns include much more than just blisters and burn victims often find that they need more medical treatment and support than they may have originally expected.

Without a strong settlement to cover the medical bills, skin grafts, and other treatments that a serious injury like a burn can create, you and your loved ones could have significant debt due to the negligence of another person or company. Many additional costs come from car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and other events that can all cause burns along with other injuries.

You deserve the services of a qualified South Carolina personal injury lawyer who works with injury victims and helps them receive the highest possible settlements for serious injury issues. HawkLaw Fights to Win, and you can rely on us to work with you on your workers’ compensation, medical malpractice, or another burn case. That will help you focus on healing, and provide you with financial peace of mind.

Contact us at HawkLaw today using our contact page or by calling 888.HAWK.LAW today. We can use our years of experience to help with your case. A quality trusted burn injury attorney is the right choice to help you receive the settlement you deserve in your personal injury case. By working with a Columbia personal injury lawyer you can rely on, you have more opportunities for long-term security and support.

What Does Burn Injury Mean?

A burn injury most often comes from heat or flame. Substances such as caustic chemicals can also cause burns that need medical treatment, as can electricity and radiation. A burn can create significant medical expenses related to disfigurement, damage to the nerves in the area, and other issues. A wrongful death suit may need to be filed by loved ones for someone who has lost their life due to a burn injury.

With a trusted and reliable personal injury attorney on your side you are better able to fully seek compensation for the injuries you have sustained. You can also seek justice for a loved one who may have died in a car accident or other event that resulted in serious burn injuries. Understanding where these kinds of injuries can come from in the Columbia area helps to put the serious nature of these injuries – and how common they really are – in perspective.

Some of the most common burn injuries come from events such as:

1. Car accidents, truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents – a car accident is a very common way for someone to sustain serious injuries, including burns. Motorcycle and truck accidents are included in that.
2. Tanker explosions – When a tanker explodes there is often more than just fire to contend with for people in the area. There can be chemicals and gases released that can also cause serious burns.
3. Electrical accidents – Whether someone works with electricity or simply comes into contact with a live electrical wire, that contact frequently causes significant burns and other injuries.
4. Defective products – People want to trust the products they purchase and have in their homes, but sometimes those products do not work as intended. Use of defective products causes serious injury to some people. This can include fireworks.
5. Inadequate fire emergency plans – Being able to properly and quickly leave a burning building is vital to survival and safety. Legal issues arise when there is no plan for evacuation and injury law is not taken seriously.
6. Locked fire exits – Much like inadequate plans for a fire emergency, legal issues and medical expenses both arise when people cannot leave through fire exits. The inability to leave a serious situation that resulted in significant injury can mean a personal injury claim.
7. Apartment building/recreational fires – Fires can happen anywhere in the Columbia and Charleston areas. Apartment buildings are often at more risk than single-family homes, largely because of the number of people and the inability to exit quickly.

Nearly any type of event could result in injury, and no location is completely immune. From dog bites to workers’ compensation claims, an attorney-client relationship with the right personal injury attorney can make all the difference.

Burns are particularly serious issues, and there are more than 1.1 million burns every year that are significant enough to require medical care, according to the CDC. By working with a law firm for a burn injury or other personal injury case you receive the legal representation you need to seek medical treatment and move forward toward full healing.

Types of Burn Injuries

There are four types of burn injuries that people experience, which are first, second, third, and fourth degree burns. The number correlates to the degree of the burn, with first-degree burns being the least severe and fourth-degree burns being the most severe. If you have been in a car accident or injured in some other way that involves burns, you may need to seek legal representation for burns that are significant in degree or broad in scope.

First-Degree Burns

A first-degree burn is superficial. It affects the outer layer of skin, which is called the epidermis. These kinds of burns are often painful, but they heal quickly and do not cause any lasting harm. A mild sunburn, for example, would be an example of a first-degree burn. It does not feel good, but it heals and is forgotten about in time.

Second-Degree Burns

A second-degree burn makes its way through the epidermis and into the second layer of skin, called the dermis. The area that is burned can become very red, and blisters can form. There is also significant pain with this degree of burn. Second-degree burns generally heal without medical care, but it can take time. Some people do seek medical treatment for second-degree burns.

Third-Degree Burns

A third-degree burn is a much more serious issue than first-degree or second-degree burns. Not only do third-degree burns destroy the dermis and epidermis, but they travel further into the body and damage the subcutaneous tissue. These burns may look white, or blackened and charred. They require medical attention to heal properly and should not be left untreated.

Fourth-Degree Burns

A fourth degree burn is the most serious kind. Burns of this degree make their way past all the body’s tissues and into bone and muscle. The nerves in the surrounding area are destroyed when there is a burn this significant. That often means there is no pain, but the damage is severe and frequently cannot be repaired. Disfigurement, permanent nerve damage, and life-threatening infections and other issues can come from these burns. They require comprehensive medical care and may still result in loss of life or limb.

There are several specific kinds of serious burn issues that create personal injury cases and require a Columbia burn injury lawyer. These include:

• Thermal burns – These burns are what most people think of when they burn themselves. Sunburns fall into this category, as do small burns from hot stoves or curling irons. Generally, there is no medical attention needed. These are not the kinds of cases that would require a personal injury attorney.
• Electrical burns – Anyone who works with or around electricity has the potential to experience electrical burns. These come from contacting live electrical wires. The general public does not usually have any reason to get near these kinds of wires, but storm damage and other issues can increase the risk of downed power lines and other interactions.
• Chemical burns – a chemical burn comes from caustic chemicals such as lye or bleach. There are many chemicals that can cause burns, and many of those burns have the potential to become severe. Immediate medical attention is often needed for chemical burns, especially if the eyes or mucous membranes are affected. There are generally washing stations in labs and other areas where these kind of burns can occur, but medical attention is still needed.
• Radiation burns – radiation is extremely valuable in medical tests, and has a number of other uses. But a high dose of radiation, especially to a concentrated spot on the skin, can create burns that need medical care. Some of these radiation burns take a very long time to heal and can cause lasting damage. Medical malpractice can result in radiation burns, in some cases.

Burn Injury Treatment

The types of injuries that are sustained from a burn affect the treatment. Typically, there is specific medical treatment that is needed for every type of burn.

First-degree burns really need very little treatment. Many people put some ice on them for a little while, or they use a medicated ointment that numbs the pain. Second-degree burns are similar in the way they are treated, but some people will seek medical care for these burns just because of the pain they can cause. Infection is also a risk for a second-degree burn or higher, which means there is value in monitoring the area to ensure it heals properly.

Third-degree burns and fourth-degree burns always require medical care. People who receive these burns can lose skin, and they risk infection, disfigurement, and nerve damage, as well. The concerns related to a third-degree or fourth-degree burn actually go far beyond just the specific burn.

Secondary serious injuries and ongoing health problems create ongoing difficulties for people with severe burn injuries. Not only is the degree of the burn a significant factor in whether the burn will cause long-term problems, but the size of the burn and how much of the body it covers also matters. Large-scale, high-degree burn injuries have the potential to be particularly significant for the long term.

Some of the most serious secondary problems that come from burn injuries include:

• Limited mobility
• Infection
• Pain management
• PTSD
• Disfigurement/Death

Why Hire a Columbia Personal Injury or Burn Injury Lawyer?

There are a number of important benefits to hiring a burn injury lawyer who can help with your personal injury case. Addressing compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced, receiving fair treatment to help with medical costs, and much more is often a part of burn injury recovery. If there are ongoing problems such as disfigurement you may be seeking additional compensation for the effects that has on your life, as well. Proper legal representation can help you receive what is fair and just in your case.

While burn injuries are relatively common, living with the consequences of another person’s negligence is deserving of compensation. From medical malpractice to dog bites and truck accidents, there are many times when a good attorney-client relationship helps you move forward in life. Some of the benefits that come with choosing a personal injury attorney for your case include:

• Personal injury attorneys are highly knowledgable in settlement negotiation.
• Legal representation can help you expedite the claim process.
• You will have quality, trusted representation in court.
• Attorneys understand the personal claim process.
• Working with a legal professional takes the stress off your plate so you can heal.
• Strong personal injury attorneys are respected and trusted by others in their field.

Our Process

HawkLaw Fights to Win. We know that a personal injury case is serious and important, and we will work towards getting you fair and just compensation for the burn injuries you have sustained. Our simple process is easy to start, and can move you closer to help and support for treatments, medical care, and a return to daily life with peace of mind. There are three steps to the process, which are:

• 1: Talk to Us
• 2: Build Your Case
• 3: Begin Negotiations

Reach out to us today and request a free consultation* by giving us a call. Our phone number is 1-888-HAWKLAW. You can also complete the online contact form to speak with a trusted personal injury lawyer in the Columbia area. You deserve fair treatment and compensation for your injuries. We are here to help you receive it.