Scars form when skin is injured and the collagen in your body works to seal the wound by creating new tissue, so germs that lead to infections are kept out of your system. Although first-degree burns generally do not leave scars, second- and third-degree burns do. When you sustained losses from this situation, you need to consult with a skilled burn injury lawyer.
Many factors determine whether your burn scars will fade with time, but you should begin with immediate medical care. The treatment you receive changes over time, but in many instances, you may face a lifetime of care. Much depends on the extent and depth of your burns and where they occur on your body, as well as your age and overall health. If your injuries are the result of someone else’s negligence, a Houston burn injury scar lawyer can seek compensation for your physical, emotional, and financial losses.
What Are Second- and Third Degree Burns?
According to the Mayo Clinic, second degree burns damage the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin that you can see, and the layer beneath, the dermis. These burns turn the skin angry red, blister, and are very painful and prone to infection.
Third degree burns go deeper and char the skin black or cause it to turn white. Because nerves and tissues are damaged, the area will be numb prior to healing. Third degree burns can cause extensive scarring and a tightening of the skin, known as tissue contracture, requiring multiple skin grafts and plastic surgeries over time, as well as physical therapy and home care. Our catastrophic injury attorneys fight hard to get clients the compensation they need to return to a healthy life. If someone harmed you and it left disabling scars due to burns, a Houston attorney offers passionate advocacy and a better future.
What are the Treatment Options for Scarring After Burn Injuries?
Your doctor will advise you about the best course of action to minimize your particular burn scars. For the most serious scars, multiple skin grafts may be necessary, but you should be open to all options to speed your recovery and minimize how the scars look. Some options that help with recovery include:
- Be proactive and avoid the sun while scars heal, use a moisturizer and silicone gel to prevent raised scars
- Laser treatment is used to reduce permanent hypertrophic and keloid scars
- Compression garment therapy helps reduce the appearance of serious burn scars
- Physical therapy assists in reinstating mobility after a contracture, which occurs when burn scars age, thicken, and the skin becomes tighter
The road to recovery after a burn injury can be fraught with scars, infections, surgery, psychological trauma, depression, and the wages you lose during a long recovery. You do not have to wonder alone what your next move should be. Our personal injury lawyers can make that move for you as you concentrate on healing.
Proving Negligence
Your attorney will assess medical reports, police reports, talk to witnesses, employ expert witnesses when needed, and build a solid case for negligence and compensation. To prove negligence, your attorney must show the defendant had a duty to act responsibly, breached that duty with substandard and careless behavior, and because of this behavior, you were burned. We believe negligent defendants should pay for their bad behavior, and for the burn scars you are now experiencing, and our Houston attorneys have a track record of wins to prove it.
Consult a Burn Injury Scar Attorney to Discuss Your Case
Few injuries are as traumatic as those burns inflict. Depending on the severity, you may spend a lifetime dealing with scarring that restricts your motion, produces pain, requires surgeries, and comes with treatment for the psychological trauma that includes depression, anger, exasperation, and grief.
The party who caused this life-changing event must pay for your losses. Negligent and reckless actions are the basis of a civil suit to seek compensation through the courts. Once you are on the mend, contact a Houston burn injury scar lawyer to pursue justice.
