Portland Burn Injury Attorney
If you were burned, we can help
Burns are among the most painful and most debilitating injuries that can result from accidents and other incidents. Burns can lead to loss of limb, inhalation issues, infection, loss of physical abilities, disfigurement, scarring, chronic pain, emotional damage, and death. If you or someone you care about has suffered a serious burn at home, in a traffic accident, on a construction worksite, or at a factory, act now to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. Call the experienced Portland burn injury attorney at the Law Offices of Timothy Grabe today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
How do Burn Injuries Happen?
Burn injuries can happen in a variety of different accidents. At the Law Offices of Timothy Grabe, we help injured burn victims recover after incidents including:
- Construction and manufacturing injury
- Car, truck, motorcycle, and bicycle accidents
- Hazardous chemical exposure at home or in the workplace
- Defective machinery malfunction
- Defective consumer products
- Exposure to scalding liquids at home or the workplace
- Exposure to radiation at work, near a nuclear power plant, or near heavy machinery
- Electrocutions in a factory or from home appliances
- Smoke or chemical inhalation in a fire or factory
Burn Classifications
Burns can occur in a variety of manners and have a wide range of debilitating effects according to the nature of the burn and the circumstances under which the burns were caused. Typically, burns are characterized both by the type of event that caused the burn and by the severity and extent of the burn.
The main types of burns:
- Thermal burns. Thermal burns are burns caused by contact with extreme heat. Thermal burns are caused by fire, hot metal, scalding liquids, and steam coming into contact with the skin.
- Chemical burns. Chemical burns result from skin exposure to hazardous chemicals including strong acids, alkali bases, detergents, or solvents.
- Radiation burns. Radiation burns are caused when a person has prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light or the sun, as well as other sources of radiation.
- Friction burns. Friction burns occur when fast or furious friction causes excess heat. Rope burns, treadmill burns, road rash, or exposure to other fast-moving surfaces can cause friction burns.
- Electrical burns. Electrical burns occur when a person is exposed to dangerous electrical currents, for example by touching exposed wires or insufficiently-insulated electrical machinery at a worksite.
Burn severity classifications:
In addition to the cause of burns, burns are typically classified according to severity. More severe burns can have longer-lasting effects, some causing permanent, irreversible damages.
- First-Degree. First-degree or “superficial” burns involve damage to the outermost layer of skin. There may be redness and minor inflammation, but these types of burns typically heal within a week.
- Second-Degree. Second-degree or “partial thickness” burns involve damage beyond the top layer of skin. They typically present with very red, white, and/or blistered skin. Second-degree burns are very painful and can take weeks to heal fully.
- Third-Degree. Third-degree or “full thickness” burns go through all layers of skin, down to the innermost subcutaneous tissue. The wound may be white or black and the skin may be charred and leathery in appearance. The burns may be painful or, even more dangerously, the burn may be numb due to severe nerve damage. Third-degree burns are likely to cause permanent scarring and damage to internal and external body parts and require emergency treatment.
- Fourth-Degree. Fourth-degree burns are incredibly serious burns that go past the skin to the underlying bones and muscle tissue underneath. There is often no pain because of the destruction to nerve endings. Fourth-degree burns can cause the death of a limb and require amputation, as well as other serious consequences. Depending on the location and the extent of the burn, fourth-degree burns can cause hypothermia and death.
Get the Help You Need After a Burn Injury
Burn injuries are serious, debilitating, and painful. If you have sustained a burn injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, you deserve to be compensated for your medical costs, loss of function, and pain and suffering. The burn injury attorney at the Portland Law Offices of Timothy Grabe is here to help.
Our burn injury legal team has more than three decades of experience helping Oregon accident victims recover the damages they deserve after suffering serious injuries. Do not delay your medical treatment or delay obtaining your monetary recovery. The personal injury legal team at the Law Offices of Timothy Grabe will help you and your family build the strongest case for a full recovery and will help you hold responsible the parties that hurt you. We do not rest until you get the damages you deserve, whether from a settlement or a favorable jury verdict.
Call our Portland burn injury legal team today for a free case evaluation and let us see how we can help you and your family get through this difficult time.
