Las Vegas Burn Injury Lawyer

What Are the Types & Degrees of Burns

Burn injuries come in various types and degrees, and their classification is based on the depth of damage they cause to the skin and underlying tissues.

Knowing the types and degrees of burns can be crucial in determining proper medical care and legal actions.

First-Degree Burns

A first-degree burn affects only the outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, and is typically considered the least severe burn type.

Symptoms of a first-degree burn injury include redness, minor inflammation, and subtle pain, which all typically go away after a couple of days.

Second Degree Burns

A second-degree burn is a burn that penetrates the outermost layer of skin (epidermis) and the second skin layer (dermis).

Second-degree burns almost always require medical treatment as they can result in severe pain, redness, swelling, and blistering, which can cause infections or scarring if not promptly cared for.

Third Degree Burns

Third-degree burns are where severe burns start, as at this point the burn injury has penetrated all the layers of the skin and has damaged the underlying tissues, such as fat, muscles, and potentially bones.

A third-degree burn could result in numbness or nerve damage in the affected area and could require the victim to undergo skin grafts or surgery.

Fourth-Degree Burns

A fourth-degree burn is considered to be the most severe burn injury, as fourth-degree burns destroy the skin layer while damaging muscles, tendons, and bones.

Fourth-degree burns can be fatal and often require extensive surgeries or even amputations.

Chemical Burns

A chemical burn occurs when strong acids, alkalis, or corrosives burn the body.

Chemical burns commonly occur in environments where industrial chemicals are utilized.

Electrical Burns

Electrical burns are burns caused by the body coming into contact with an uncontrolled electrical current.

Thermal Burns

A thermal burn is caused by the body being in contact with excessive heat for a prolonged amount of time.

Most thermal burns are typically caused by contact with hot objects, liquids, or flames.

What Damages Can You Seek in a Las Vegas Burn Injury Lawsuit

Burn victims can often seek substantial economic and non-economic damages due to the lasting effects burn injuries can cause.

Commonly sought damages include:

• Medical Expenses: Past and future medical costs.
• Lost Wages: If the burn injuries caused you to miss work, you can receive compensation for the lost income.
• Loss of Earning Capacity: If your burns result in you being unable to work, compensation can be sought for the loss of future earnings.
• Pain and Suffering: The emotional distress and physical pain caused by the burn injuries.
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life: If the burn injury causes permanent disability or is considered catastrophic, resulting in your inability to live the way you could before, financial compensation can be recovered for the loss of enjoyment of life.
• Punitive Damages: If the liable party acted extremely negligently or intentionally, the court may punish them with punitive damages, increasing your settlement.

To ensure you don't miss out on compensation for any of your damages, contact a Las Vegas burn injury attorney from our law firm today by calling (702) 566-3600.