Chattanooga Burn Injury Attorneys
Strong advocacy when negligent drivers, property owners, manufacturers, and others cause burn injuries
Burns aren’t just incredibly painful. Severe burns may cause permanent scars and disfigurement. At Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers, we provide burn victims with the compassionate legal counsel they deserve. Our lawyers understand the severity of burn injuries and the massive physical and emotional consequences that a burn injury can have on a person’s life.
Our Chattanooga burn injury lawyers have the experience and working relationships to show how burns happen, why burns are preventable, and who is responsible. That is why we diligently work to hold negligent parties responsible for these tragic harms in order to get the compensation victims need.
How can we help?
- How common are burn injuries?
- What different types of burn injuries do you handle in Tennessee?
- How are burns categorized?
- What are the symptoms of burn injuries?
- What are the possible complications of burn injuries?
- Who is responsible for burn injuries?
- How much is my burn injury claim worth in Tennessee?
- Do you have a Chattanooga burn injury lawyer near me?
How common are burn injuries?
The American Burn Association reports that nearly 400,000 people in 2021 suffered burn or fire-related injuries. About 250,000 of these burns were contact burns with hot substances or objects.
There are more than 29,000 burn admissions (to burn centers and hospitals) each year. The death rate for burn admissions is about 2.7 percent. About 4.4 percent of burn injuries require surgery and prolonged ventilation. About 32 percent of burn injuries require surgery without ventilation. Burn centers account for 81 percent of all burn admissions. The South Atlantic had the most admissions for burns.
What different types of burn injuries do you handle in Tennessee?
The Cleveland Clinic identifies five types of burns:
- Thermal burns (hot or cold). These injuries damage cells due to extreme temperatures. Thermal burns can be due to touching anything too hot or too cold, exposure to hot air (like open flames), and cold air (which can cause frostbite).
- Electrical burns. Electrical energy overloads can cause electrical burns. Electricity can also generate heat, causing thermal injuries. Electrical burns may be due to exposure to downed power lines, damaged cords/cables, automobile batteries, and lightning.
- Friction burns. These burns occur when an object runs against a person’s body hard enough to generate heat. A common example of a friction burn is road rash, which can occur when riders fall off a motorcycle.
- Chemical burns. These burns usually occur when acids or bases react and destroy your body’s cells. Examples of chemical burns include coming into contact with construction supplies or cleaning supplies.
- Radiation. Exposure to the sun, X-rays, radiation therapy, and other sources of radiation can damage or destroy your cells.
Some of the types of accidents or neglect that can cause burns include car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, premises liability causes (such as allowing fires to occur or not promptly extinguishing them), defective products, and nursing home abuse and neglect.
Fires can also cause smoke inhalation injuries, which may be deadly.
How are burns categorized?
Our experienced Chattanooga burn injury attorneys help victims of negligence who suffer any type of serious burns. Medically, burns are classified by degree of severity as follows:
- First-degree burns (superficial).These injuries solely harm the outer layer of the skin, causing redness and swelling. First-degree burns are considered minor, regardless of where they occur on the body. Treatment usually consists of an antibiotic skin ointment applied to the skin, along with pain management medication.
- Second-degree burns (partial-thickness).These injuries cause harm to the outer and underlying layers of skin. They are considered minor if measuring less than two to three inches wide. However, if second-degree burns cover a larger area of the body, or are located on the hands, feet, face, groin, or buttocks, they are considered major burns. Physicians also classify second-degree burns as major injuries if they are located over a major joint in the body. These burns routinely cause blistering along with redness and swelling. In most cases, treatment is similar to first-degree burn treatment. However, the most severe cases may require skin grafting to replace the burned skin.
- Third-degree burns (full-thickness).These are the most serious types of burns, affecting the deepest layers of skin. They cause the charred skin to turn white or blackened. Victims may also lose feeling in the area of the burn due to extensive nerve damage. Third-degree burns are classified as major injuries, regardless of where they occur on the body. Healing can take months or even years, with some victims never experiencing a full recovery. Skin grafting is commonly required for third-degree burns. Some burn injury victims may require plastic surgery.
Generally, fourth-degree burns extend through the skin into underlying muscle, tendon, or bone and are extremely severe and life-threatening.
The treatments for burns (many are explained above) include:
- Pain management treatments
- The removal of debris and dead or dying tissue
- The use of bandages to keep the wound area clean
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Psychological therapy, especially if a burn injury victim’s scars are visible to others
What are the symptoms of burn injuries?
The symptoms, as the above classifications indicate, depend on the severity or degree of the burn injury.
First and second-degree burns are painful at the site of the burn. Third-degree burns may not be painful at the burn site because the nerves that transmit pain signals have been destroyed.
- First-degree burns can cause peeling. These burns can cause red skin or red-tinged skin.
- Second-degree burns can cause blisters.
- Third-degree burns can make a victim’s skin appear leathery and stiff, and ashen, black, or gray.
Skin that burns can have different colors during the healing process.
What are the possible complications of burn injuries?
Our Chattanooga burn injury lawyer reviews with your doctors what complications burns can cause. Possible complications, according to the Cleveland Clinic, include:
- Infections
- Scarring
- Swelling
- Dehydration
- Shock
- Compartment syndrome (which can cut off blood circulation)
- Respiratory disorders
- Hypothermia
- Organ damage or failure
- Digestive disorders
- Sepsis (a life-threatening immune reaction to spreading infections)
- Muscle contracture
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Death
Who is responsible for burn injuries?
At Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers, we file personal injury and wrongful death claims against everyone responsible for the accident or negligence that caused your injuries. Depending on how your burns happen, we may file claims against the following:
- Drivers and anyone else who is responsible for a vehicle accident
- Property owners and managers for failing to regularly inspect their property for known fire, electrical, and chemical hazards.
- Manufacturers for failing to design, manufacture, or warn consumers about products that may cause fires
- Nursing homes that fail to protect their residents from fires and dangerous chemical, electrical, or radiation exposures.
We also file workers’ compensation claims if you are an employee and are injured during the scope of your employment, whether your employer was negligent or not.
How much is my burn injury claim worth in Tennessee?
Our Chattanooga personal injury lawyers understand the long-term suffering that a burn injury patient endures, including prolonged physical pain and the psychological effects of visible scarring. That is why we work to secure a compensation amount that takes every aspect of your injury into account. We want our clients to live the best life possible, and it shows in the personal attention we give to each of them.
We demand compensation for all your past, current, and future:
- Medical bills, including ER care, admissions to burn centers or hospitals, physician care, surgeries, rehabilitative care, psychological counseling, medications, assistive help, and other medical care.
- Lost income, including wages, benefits, salary, business income, and income because you can’t ever work again
- Pain and suffering, including every moment you cry, feel pain or discomfort, feel anxious, feel depressed, and all other types of physical and emotional trauma
- Any property damage
- Scarring and disfigurement
Loss of bodily function, life’s pleasures, and consortium (marital enjoyment)
We file wrongful death claims if burns or smoke injuries are fatal for the family members. Wrongful death damages include:
- The funeral and burial bills
- The loss of financial support
- The loss of love, care, companionship, and guidance the decedent would have provided
- Any damages of the decedent from the time of the accident until your loved one died
Do you have a Chattanooga burn injury lawyer near me?
Yes. We meet burn injury victims and families at our Chattanooga office, located at 701 Market Street, Suite 310. If your burns prevent you from coming to our office, we can make arrangements to see you at your home or another location. We also discuss cases by phone and through FaceTime and other online platforms.
Contact our accomplished Chattanooga burn injury lawyers today
If you or a family member experienced a burn injury, secure the services of the skilled lawyers at Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers. We’ve been fighting for personal injury victims since 1945. Call us today or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation. Trust us to fight for your best interests after a burn injury. We handle burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis.