If you suffered serious second- or third-degree burns in a car wreck or other mishap, the injuries can be life-altering and disfiguring. Life as you knew it effectively came to a screeching halt on the day you got burned.
Your first priority must be to seek appropriate treatment for your burn injuries. Below is additional information for those who suffered burns in accidents.
What treatment will you need?
While most first-degree burns can be treated with over-the-counter remedies, according to the American Burn Association, any burns involving the following elements must be treated at a facility with a special burn unit:
- Partial-thickness (second-degree) burns affecting more than 10% of the patient’s total body surface area (TBSA)
- All full-thickness (third-degree) burns
- Facial burns, and all burns in the genital region, groin, feet, hands and burns that encompass a full portion of the body, e.g., waist or hip areas)
- Inhalation burns
- Electrical or chemical burns
- Burns to those with chronic conditions like hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and multiple sclerosis
As one can imagine, the costs of this extensive (and sometimes life-long) treatment can be astronomical. But that treatment still doesn’t address the psychological fallout from the burn.
Burns carry a heavy psychological toll
The more disfiguring a burn injury is, the harder it can be for the burn survivor to reintegrate into society. Even with skin grafts, accepting that your appearance is forever changed as a result of another party’s negligence or malice is a bitter pill to swallow. Most burn survivors require mental health treatment to gain a better perspective on their circumstances.
If you suffered disfiguring burns in an accident or incident caused by another person or party, you have the right to seek compensation for your injuries, losses and other damages.