Millions of people each year suffer some type of significant burn injury and hundreds more die as a result of their injuries. Burn injuries can have very serious, long lasting medical effects which can affect a person's appearance, their psychological well being and can cost the injured party tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills.

Burns can be caused in a number of different ways which would include:

– Gas explosions

– House fires and apartment fires resulting from someone's negligence

– Automobile, motorcycle, SUV rollover, truck or other motor vehicle accidents

– Defective appliances or smoke detectors

– Electric accidents

– Cooking accidents

– Exploding furnaces, stores, boilers or other appliances

– Chemical spills

– Workplace accidents

– Water heater malfunctions

– Industrial accidents or

– Electrocution

The most serious of all injuries is a third degree burn which penetrates all layers of the skin. Third degree burns may involve the permanent loss of skin and tissue and may cause permanent, ugly and disfiguring scarring as well as nerve damage. Burns can also be classified as a result of the cause of the burn which could include: heat or thermal burns caused by hot objects, steam or fire; chemical burns occur after a person comes in contact with a chemical in either a solid, liquid or gas state; an electrical burn caused by an electric source or lightning; radiation burns caused by radiation treatment, x-rays, tanning booths, sunlamps or the sun; and friction burns which occur through contact with roadways or other surfaces.

A person who has a serious burn injury as a result of the negligence of another may be entitled to compensation for:

– Past and future medical bills;

– Cosmetic and reconstructive surgery;

– Physical therapy;

– Occupational or vocational therapy;

– Psychological counseling;

– Pain and suffering;

– Scarring;

– Past and future cost of income; and

– Loss of consortium for a spouse.

If you or someone you know has received serious burns through the fault of another you need to seek the advice of a burn injury lawyer or personal injury attorney immediately.