Burn Injuries in Car Accidents: Causes and Compensation
While burn injuries in car accidents are relatively rare, they’re devastating when they happen. Victims are left with severe and disfiguring injuries including physical scars and deep emotional wounds.
On top of these struggles, the injured person also has expensive medical bills to manage. Burn trauma is among the most expensive types of injuries to treat in hospital emergency rooms and surgical centers due to the high levels of expertise and resources involved.
A risk management study found that the average cost of treating severe burn injuries is about $200,000, but can quickly skyrocket to $1 million in especially severe cases. Burn patients often need procedures like skin grafts, scar treatment, and plastic surgery, plus physical rehabilitation sessions to restore mobility.
If you were burned in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence, you’d want answers. Will they pay for your costs? How will you fully recover? Below, we’ll provide some information about surviving car accident burn injuries and taking legal action against the person who hurt you.
How Do Burns Happen in Car Accidents?
In the U.S., there are about 486,000 burns every year and of those, about 5% happen on our nation’s streets and highways. While that might not sound like a lot, it represents thousands of innocent people who were simply traveling in their vehicles and suddenly encountered the horror of being burned alive.
Survival could be called a miracle in an accident like this. After the flames are finally out, fire investigators conduct extensive investigations into the root causes of road fires. The answers aren’t always reassuring.
The U.S. Fire Administration estimates that there are about 170,000 vehicle fires each year. Many of these involve only one car and can be attributed to things like lit cigarettes and electrical fires. In a surprising 23% of all on-the-road vehicle burns, no cause is ever determined.
Among all causes, fuel tank ignition is the #1 reason for fires and explosions after car accidents. Other top causes include electrical system failures, spilled fluids, hazardous materials, exploding batteries, and vehicle design flaws.
Common Types of Car Accident Burn Injuries
Auto accident burns come in many forms. You can be burned just on the outside of your body, inside your respiratory system, throughout your skin and organs, or a dangerous combination of all of these. It’s common to have more than one of the burn types listed below.
Burn injuries from car crashes include:
- Scalds
- Flash burns
- Chemical burns
- Electrical burns
- Friction burns
- Thermal burns
- Smoke inhalation
Burns are divided into three classes in order of their severity.
- First-degree burns impact only the outer layer of skin and are often called superficial burns.
- Second-degree burns, or partial-thickness burns, penetrate beyond the outer layer of the skin.
- Third-degree burns, or full-thickness burns, penetrate deep into the skin and can involve extensive damage to muscles, organs, and more.
What to Do After Being Burned in a Car Crash
It’s essential to receive a full medical evaluation by qualified emergency doctors after a fiery car accident. Even if you think your injuries are minor, go to the ER. You could have unseen injuries like smoke inhalation or chemical exposure that can worsen over time without treatment.
Don’t worry too much about the cost of treatment because a car accident claim could cover a wide range of damages like hospital bills, surgery, rehabilitation, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity due to the accident. You can also secure much-deserved compensation for your immense pain and suffering.
The trauma of burn injuries is life-changing, but it doesn’t have to ruin your future. Talk to Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers about starting a valuable car accident claim that helps you recover from your injuries and move forward from your accident.
We Handle Your Accident Claim So You Can Focus On Your Life
After your accident, contact the attorney team at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. We handle many areas of personal injury law, including burn injuries from car accidents. We believe you should be able to focus on recovering from your accident while we handle the legal details. Call 877-380-8852 today for a free case evaluation.
