ARE BURN INJURIES CATASTROPHIC?

Burn injuries range in severity and degree, with higher degrees causing more injury and being more dangerous. What sort of burn injuries are catastrophic, though? Does a burn need to be categorized as third-degree to also be catastrophic?

A catastrophic injury is typically one considered to be life-threatening or capable of permanently affecting the victim. Many burn injuries can technically be catastrophic since they can cause scarring that never fades fully. Depending on where someone is burned, the scar could be in a visible location – like their face or hands – that causes them to feel self-conscious when in public, resulting in emotional trauma.

DIFFERENT BURNS & LASTING DAMAGE

First-degree burns usually heal quickly and require no outside medical attention, so they should not leave a scar. Second-degree burns can cause scarring, though, even with medical care. Everyone’s skin responds to damage differently, so one person might fully heal from a second-degree burn without a scar, but another might not.

Third-degree burns are a different story, though. People who suffer third-degree burns are put in immediate danger and need emergency medical care. The burn will go through the skin and down to the muscle layer or even the bone, practically guaranteeing a lifelong scar. Third-degree burn survivors are also often debilitated in some way by the burn since it does go so deeply. For example, a severe burn on the hand can make it painful to manipulate that hand for the rest of the victim’s life.

Even without scarring, a permanent debilitation does constitute a catastrophic injury. With this in mind, every third-degree burn is likely to be considered catastrophic.

CATASTROPHIC BURN INJURY CLAIMS

It is important to understand if your burn injury is catastrophic or not because that definition will influence how your claim develops. Insurance companies often double-down their efforts to defeat a claimant who has been catastrophically injured because they know that they could be deserving of sizeable damages, perhaps up to six or seven figures.

Your burn injury attorney will also need to know if your medical provider considers your burn injury as “catastrophic” or if they have given a prognosis that expects permanent scarring. When this is known, your lawyer can begin to explore additional avenues when making your claim, such as consulting with physical therapists or other specialists to predict how you will be debilitated by your burn and for how long. The underlying goal is to calculate your damages accurately, including what you will experience far into the future because of your burn.

Categories

Relative Posts

  • Civil Suits After a Car Accident: Seeking Compensation and Justice

    Car accidents are a terrifying situation to find oneself in. The immediate situation needs to be processed and handled, but many car accident victims suffer anxiety and stress following the incident. Many victims require time to heal from their injuries, have medical bills to pay, and need to get their vehicle fixed as well as...

    View Article
  • Exploring Different Methods of Resolving Personal Injury Disputes

    Litigation is a confusing process. A standard case involves several phases and can seemingly stop and start as parties argue about what seems like minor issues. It can confuse clients and outside observers more when a case enters alternative dispute resolution – extending an already long and challenging process. However, clients may be equally surprised...

    View Article
  • Navigating the Legal Process: From Filing a Claim to Settlement

    Serious injuries often represent a hectic and confusing time in the injured person’s life. You may be in pain, have bills piling up, and want to move forward. Naturally, you may ask, “How long does an insurance claim take?”  The answer can vary depending on the facts of your claim, your injuries and required treatment,...

    View Article