This year, National Burn Awareness Week is being observed between February 2–8, 2025. It is an important initiative led by the American Burn Association to promote burn prevention and safety awareness. The majority of burn injuries occur in the home, which matches this year’s theme of reducing burn risks in homes, apartments, and other living spaces.
While minor burns can heal with minimal medical care, severe burns can cause lifelong physical, emotional, and financial challenges. If you or a loved one is suffering from a serious burn injury due to negligence, a burn injury lawyer can discuss your legal rights and fight to help you recover full and fair compensation.
Burn Injury Statistics
According to NFPA.org, local fire departments responded to approximately 1.39 million fires in the United States in 2023. These fires resulted in the deaths of 3,670 people along with 13,350 reported fire injuries. The property damage caused by these fires was estimated at $23 billion.
Eighteen percent of these fires occurred in one- or two-family homes and were responsible for 68 percent of fire related fatalities and 56 percent of fire injuries. An additional six percent of fires occurred in apartments, causing 11 percent of the fire deaths and 21 percent of the injuries. Vehicle fires, meanwhile, accounted for 15 percent of reported fires, 10 percent of the deaths, and eight percent of the injuries.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries typically occur due to accidents, many of them preventable. Some of the most common causes of burn injuries include:
- Faulty wiring, defective products, or negligence in following safety regulations can lead to house fires, workplace accidents, and gas explosions that cause serious burns.
- Spills, faulty water heaters, or improper food handling can lead to scalding burns from hot liquid or steam. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to this type of burn accident.
- Exposure to strong acids and alkalis at industrial chemicals workplaces, labs, or through exposure to household cleaning products can lead to severe tissue damage.
- Contact with exposed wires, faulty appliances, or power lines can cause deep internal electrical burns that may not be immediately visible on the skin.
- Direct contact with hot surfaces like stoves, irons, or machinery can lead to painful burns and scarring.
- Overexposure to UV rays, X-rays, or radiation therapy can cause significant skin damage in the form of radiation burns.
Understanding Burn Severity
Burns are categorized by their severity from second degree to fourth degree.
- Second-degree burns affect both the outer layer (epidermis) and the underlying layer (dermis) of the skin. They cause redness, swelling, blistering, and significant pain. Second-degree burns can take weeks to heal and may require medical intervention, especially if they cover large areas of the body.
- Third-degree burns go beyond both layers of the skin. This type of burn destroys tissue and can reach fat layers, creating a white, leathery, or charred appearance in the affected areas. Because nerve endings are often destroyed, third-degree burns can be less painful initially, but often require skin grafts and intensive medical care.
- Fourth-degree burns are the most severe type of burn, going past the two layers of skin to affect the muscles, tendons, and even bones. These burns are life-threatening and can lead to amputations, organ damage, and permanent disability.
How a Burn Injury Lawyer Can Help
Severe burn injuries often require expensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care. If your burns were caused by someone else’s negligence in a car accident, unsafe property conditions, or because of a defective product, you may have the right to seek compensation.
Working with an experienced, local burn injury lawyer can alleviate your stress and ensure you get the compensation you deserve. Burn injury attorneys handle many important tasks, including gathering evidence, calculating the damages involved in your burn accident case, negotiating with the at-fault insurance company, filing a lawsuit, securing long-term support, and representing you at trial (if necessary).
Overall, a burn injury lawyer acts as your advocate, ensuring that responsible parties are held accountable and that you have the financial support needed for recovery.
Seek the Help of a Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one was injured because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing people injured in Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County, and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
