Potential Causes and Types of Burn Injuries

Of all types of injuries, burns are one of the most painful and life-altering. An accident that leaves you with burn injuries can impact you for the rest of your life. Every year, approximately 500,000 Americans are treated for a burn injury. If you or a loved one has recently suffered from burn injuries after an accident, you should speak with a burn injury lawyer in Houston as soon as possible.

Our Houston accident lawyers at Carabin Shaw know the potential causes and types of burn injuries people may suffer from, and we vow to do everything we can to fight for you and get you justice.

Burns can happen to anyone, anywhere. You can become a Houston burn victim at home, at work, or when you’re out and about. Although safety measures are in place to prevent fires and other types of accidents that could cause burns, they’re not fool-proof.

Below are some of the causes of burn injuries in Houston:

• Hotel or apartment fires

  When you’re staying at a hotel or living in an apartment, your safety is not only in your hands, but also those around you. A fire that starts in one room can quickly spread across the complex. According to The National Fire Protection Agency, firefighters respond to an average of 3,700 hotel or apartment fires every year.




• Malfunctioning products

  If products malfunction, they can cause a spark or produce a dangerous amount of heat that leads to a fire. Products that are powered by combustible fuel sources or batteries are especially dangerous. If your burns were caused by a defective product, consult a lawyer.




• Car accidents

  One of the most common causes of burn injuries are car accidents. After a crash, gasoline can ignite and cause the involved vehicles to catch fire. If victims are trapped inside, they can be badly burned. Of all types of fires first responders are called to, fires from car accidents account for 16%.




• Scaldings

  Every year, more than 100,000 people visit the emergency room to be treated for scalding, which mostly applies to children and the elderly. Hot tap water accounts for more than a quarter of all scalding accidents in children. Usually, this is due to negligence on the property owner’s part. Talk to an attorney if you or someone you love has been burned due to scalding.

When you’re a Houston burn victim, you can suffer different degrees of burns based on the circumstances of your accident. The following are the different types of burns and what defines them:

1. First degree

   First degree burns are the least severe because they only affect the outer layer of skin, the epidermis. For these types of burns, hospitalization is only necessary for pain management, and they typically heal within three to five days.




2. Second degree

   Unlike first degree burns, second degree burns affect both the entire epidermis and the upper layer(s) of the dermis. Second degree burns are usually pink, painful, and may look like they’re wet. Although this kind of burn is more severe, it will usually heal within 10-21 days and leave you with minimal scarring.




3. Third degree

   Of all types of burns, third degree burns are the worst. It destroys all layers of skin, and the burn areas may be black or white and leave the victim in extreme pain. Third degree burns lead to permanent disfigurement and usually require grafting.

   If you’ve suffered third degree burns due to another’s negligence, talk to a burn injury lawyer in Houston.

When you’ve experienced severe burns in Houston due to another’s negligence, you deserve justice. The Houston accident lawyers at Carabin Shaw can help. We’ve got years of experience helping clients fight to get the compensation they deserve after they’ve suffered burns in an accident. For a free consultation, call today at 800-862-1260.