Chicago Burn Injury Lawyers

More than 1 million Americans suffer from burns every year, with many of those ending in death. Pain associated with burn injuries can be excruciating, and victims are often left with physical and emotional scars. Beyond that, the costs involved with burn treatment can be overwhelming; burns can require years of hospitalization, doctor checkups, and physical therapy. If you or a loved one believes that you may have a case involving burn injuries, contact the Chicago burn injury attorneys of Willens Law Offices, P.C. today at 312-957-4166 to find out how we can help you obtain the compensation you need and deserve.

The American Burn Association notes that about 3,500 of burn injury fatalities are due to residential fires and 500 are caused by motor vehicle accidents (such as car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents) and airplane accidents, contact with electricity, chemicals or hot liquids and other sources of burn injury.

A worker who suffers a burn injury on the job may have the right to file a workers’ compensation case. Someone who suffers a burn injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, such as in a car accident, truck accident, construction accident or as a result of medical malpractice may be entitled to compensation to cover the extensive costs normally present with burn injuries. If the burn injuries are fatal, the deceased person’s loved ones may have the right to compensation for wrongful death.

Burn Injury Facts

  • Burn Injuries result in about 500,000 hospitalizations each year.
  • About 4,000 people die every year due to fires and burns.
  • 70 percent of burn victims are male.
  • 43 percent of burn injuries occur in the home; 43 percent of residential fires occur in homes with no fire alarm.
  • Fires result in about $7 billion worth of damage each year.
  • Deaths due to fires and burns are the fifth most common cause of unintentional injury death in the U.S.

Common Burn Injuries

  • Thermal burns – caused by exposure to severe heat of at least 115° F (e.g., fire, steam, boiling water, metal).
  • Radiation burns – caused by exposure to nuclear radiation (e.g., x-ray) or ultraviolet light (i.e. sunlight, tanning bed).
  • Chemical burns – caused by contact with caustic chemicals (e.g., acids, alkalis, detergents, or solvents).
  • Electrical burns – caused when high voltage passes through the body and abruptly exits, creating a severe exit wound.
  • Inhalation injuries – caused by breathing in toxic gas or fumes from a fire or chemical leak in a poorly ventilated area. This internal chemical burn triggers an inflammatory response to the victim’s respiratory system.

If you or a loved one believes that you may have case involving burn injuries, please contact the Chicago burn attorneys of Willens Law Offices, P.C. today at 312-957-4166 to find out how we can help you.

Types of Burns

  • First degree – skin is red, sensitive to the touch, and blotchy when lightly pressed. First degree burns are characterized by negligible tissue damage and fail to penetrate the skin’s surface. These burns cause pain and swelling of the epidermis. Sunburn is an example of a first degree burn.
  • Second degree – penetrates the epidermis and dermis, resulting in redness, pain, swelling, and blisters. Hair follicles and sweat glands are usually affected as well. If a deep second degree burn isn’t correctly cared for, it can turn into a third degree burn as swelling increases and blood flow worsens.
  • Third degree – impact the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, causing skin to become charred or translucent. Coagulated blood vessels will appear under the surface. Areas of the body with third degree burns are normally numb, but there may be pain associated with it due to second degree burns. Third degree burns take a long time to heal because of the destruction of tissue, and they will cause considerable scarring.
  • Fourth degree – When a burn injury is so intense that it reaches muscle, tendon, ligament, or bone, it is sometimes categorized as a fourth degree burn. These are usually life-threatening and can lead to amputation.

Contact Our Chicago Burn Injury Lawyers

If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury, contact the Chicago burn injury lawyers at Willens Law Offices, P.C. today for your FREE consultation at 312-957-4166 or e-mail us at info@willenslaw.comas soon as possible to find out how we can help you. An attorney can meet you at your home, hospital or at our convenient Chicago office. Attorney consultations are free and you will only be asked to pay attorney fees if we are successful in recovering compensation for you.