While car accidents rarely result in burn injuries, when crashes result in fires, victims and their families may struggle to make ends meet, may face high medical bills, and may struggle with a long recovery period that can involve weeks to months to even years where a victim may be out of work due to painful burn injuries. If you have suffered a burn injury in Boca Raton, Florida, you may have the right to seek damages for medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The Consumer Help Group are car accident attorneys in Boca Raton who may be able to help you seek damages from negligent parties or from insurance companies for your losses. Contact our firm today to learn more.
Types of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are classified by their severity. While the most serious kinds of burn injuries will generally require medical care and rehabilitation, even burn injuries classified as less serious may still require medical attention. What are the burn injury types and what treatment options are available?
- First-Degree Burns. These burns are generally the least severe and may not even result in blisters. However, if large areas of your body are affected by first-degree burns, or if you have burned your hands, face, or a part of your body around a joint, you may still require medical attention. These burns can sometimes be painful.
- Second-Degree Burns. With second-degree burns, the burn penetrates deeper layers of the skin. Blistering and swelling are common with this kind of burn. Without proper treatment, patients run the risk of experiencing scarring. In some cases, patients may require skin grafts with second-degree burns. Second-degree burns can be among the most painful burns that a person can experience because the nerves are not affected by these burns, that is, the nerves remain intact. Pain management may be required when bandages are being changed or when the wound is being cleaned. Because these burns are deeper, infection management may be required.
- Third-Degree Burns. This is one of the deeper types of burns. In addition to completely burning the skin, this type of burn can also damage nerves in the skin. Because of this, these burns may not be painful. Infection management, skin grafts, and cleaning of the wound is essential. Patients may experience scarring and disfigurement with these kinds of burns.
- Fourth-Degree Burns. These are the most serious types of burns an individual can suffer. This type of burn not only destroys the skin, but can also damage muscle, and tendons, and even result in the burning of the bone. These can be among the most disfiguring types of burn injuries a person can experience.
The kind of treatment you’ll need for your burn injury will depend on how deep the burn has impacted your skin. Burn injuries can be among the most painful kinds of injuries a person can experience. If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury in a car accident, you may have the right to seek compensation to cover your medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages. Contact the car accident attorneys at the Consumer Help Group, in Boca Raton, Florida today.
Causes of Fires During Car Accidents
Thanks to improvements that have been made in car design, car fires during accidents are fortunately quite rare. When car fires happen, it may either be because the accident was especially serious, because the owner of the vehicle failed to properly maintain the vehicle, or because of a defect in the vehicle. Here are some common causes of car fires:
- Design issues or defects in a vehicle can leave a car more prone to a fire. Every year, vehicles are recalled because of known fire hazards. If you or a loved one was injured in a car fire, consider checking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s database for motor vehicle recalls. If your car spontaneously burst into flame or if a minor accident resulted in a car fire, you may want to investigate the causes of the fire. If a vehicle defect was to blame, you and your family may have the right to sue the vehicle manufacturer for a defective product claim.
- Improper Maintenance. Motor vehicle owners have a responsibility to take in their cars for regular tune ups and to fix leaks, broken hoses, leaky seals, or bad wiring. When cars aren’t regularly maintained, they can be more prone to fires. If another driver’s failure to maintain his or her vehicle resulted in a fire that led to your burn injury, you may be entitled to seek damages for your losses.
- Serious Car Accidents. Sometimes the impact of a serious car accident is sufficient to result in a car fire. If another driver’s negligence resulted in your burn injuries due to a car accident, you may have the right to make a claim with the other driver’s insurance or make a claim against negligent parties.
- Battery Issues. Some cars have been reported to have serious battery defects. In some cases, even minor accidents can result in battery fires. In other instances, the battery may have even spontaneously erupted into flames. Battery fires can be very serious because they can be hard to put out.
- Overheating Components. Drivers need to keep a close eye on their heat gauge. When a car overheats, it can burst into flames. When the weather is very hot, sometimes cars might be more prone to overheat. In Florida, in the summer, drivers may need to take precautions.
These are just some of the causes of car fires. If you have been injured due to a car fire, reach out to the Consumer Help Group, Boca Raton, Florida car accident lawyers today. Our firm can review your crash, review the circumstances surrounding the fire, and work with you to help you make the claim you may be entitled to receive under the law.
Seek Justice Today
If you have been hurt in a car fire, you may only have a limited amount of time to make a claim under the law for your medical costs, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and pain and suffering damages. The Consumer Help Group are car accident lawyers in Boca Raton, Florida who may be able to assist you with your claim. Contact us today to learn more.
