Santa Rosa Burn Injury Lawyer

Helping Burn Injury Victims In Santa Rosa Financially Recover

Our Santa Rosa burn injury attorneys at Abbey, Weitzenberg, Warren & Emery have represented persons who have experienced severe burn injuries in motor vehicle fires, manufactured housing fires, and residential fires. We understand the complex and long-term catastrophic injuries that can result from burns as well as the need for repeated and expensive surgical treatment over long periods of time.

If you or a close family member has suffered a severe burn injury through the fault or negligence of someone else, you need the best personal injury attorneys in Northern California. Please contact the law offices of Abbey Weitzenberg Warren & Emery for a free initial consultation. Call us at (707) 542-5050 today.

Types of Burn Injuries & Their Causes

You are probably familiar with the three main types of burn injuries—first, second, and third-degree. Each degree is based on the severity of the damage caused to the skin and the layers underneath.

From least to most severe the types of burn injuries are:

• First-degree burns: Burns that only affect the outer layer of your skin. They are often moderately painful and cause redness—a sunburn is a typical example. Long-term damage is unlikely.
• Second-degree burns: Burns that damage both the outer layer of the skin as well as the secondary layer, known as the dermis. The skin becomes red, swollen, shiny, and blistered in appearance. Second degree-burns can range from moderate to severe and may leave a permanent scar.
• Third-degree burns: Burns that destroy the top two layers of your skin. Also known as “full thickness burns,” third-degree burns turn skin black, brown, white, or yellow in appearance and may not hurt due to your nerve endings being damaged.
• Fourth-degree burns: Though rare, it is possible to sustain fourth-degree burns. Such burns are the deepest and most severe and can be life-threatening. All layers of your skin as well as the bones, muscles, and tendons underneath are destroyed.

Most people associate burn injuries with open flames, but there are actually several elements that can lead to serious burns.

What are the Most Common Causes of Burn Injuries?

The most common causes of burn injuries include:

• Chemical burns, caused by acids, solvents, or detergents that come in contact with the skin
• Cold burns, also known as “frostbite”
• Electrical burns, which are caused by coming in contact with electrical currents
• Friction burns, which are often caused by scrapes resulting from motorcycle or bicycle accidents
• Radiation burns, such as sunburn or exposure to X-rays and chemotherapy
• Thermal burns, which can be caused by touching an extremely hot object or coming into contact with flames or hot steam

What are the Long-Term Impacts of Burn Injuries?

The financial, mental, and physical costs of recovering from a burn injury are substantial. Severe burn injuries, whether diagnosed as third or fourth-degree burns, often require long-term hospitalization, skin grafting, rehabilitation, and extensive psychological counseling to help overcome the mental trauma associated with a burn injury.

Third- and fourth-degree burns are often categorized as catastrophic injuries, a term used to describe bodily harm that leads to long term or permanent damage and requires lifestyle changes in order to treat. For example, a severe burn injury victim may no longer be able to work, resulting in not only a major quality of life change, but an immense financial burden as well.

Due to this heavy physical and mental toll, burn injury victims require compensation that will cover all of their losses, no matter how great. An attorney can help you assess the damages suffered as a result of your accident so that you can receive the compensation you deserve.

Securing Compensation for Burn Injury Damages

The damages that you can recover for your burn injury will vary based on your specific case and the severity of your injury. Generally, the following should be available:

• Emotional anguish
• Pain and suffering
• Disfigurement
• Wrongful death
• Past and further medical expenses, such as surgical costs
• Lost wages if you have to quit or take time off of work
• Ongoing medical treatment and therapy