Columbia MO Burn Injury Lawyer

If you think about injuries due to an accident, you may think broken bones, whiplash or spinal injuries. They’re all possible, but added to them could be serious burns. They can be some of the most painful injuries one could suffer. If severe enough, these injuries can be fatal or cause disfiguring scars, chronic physical disabilities and psychological and emotional scars.

Causes of burn injuries

Burn injuries can be caused by toxic chemicals on the skin, boiling water or steam, or heat caused by flames in a vehicle accident or structure fire. These types of accidents often occur due to the negligence of one party or another.

Negligence could be the cause of the collision which resulted in a vehicle fire.
A chemical or defective item could have been negligently manufactured, sparking a fire.
A negligent company or person may have improperly maintained a vehicle or building, leading to the fire.

About 486,000 people sought hospital treatment for some kind of burn in 2016, according to the American Burn Association (ABA). According to the ABA:

Every year there are an estimated 2,745 people killed in residential fires, 310 killed due to vehicle fires and 220 from other types of fires.
A civilian fire death happens about every 2 hours and 41 minutes in the U.S.
The odds of a U.S. resident dying from exposure to fire, flames or smoke is 1 in 1,442. According to the National Safety Council, that’s slightly less likely than drowning and about three times more likely than being killed while bicycling.
About 40,000 people are hospitalized because of burns, with 30,000 of them getting treatment at specialized burn centers.

Serious effects of a Burn Injury

Deep or widespread burns can cause many problems, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Infection: Burned skin is vulnerable to bacterial infections, and it increases the chances of sepsis (an infection that travels through the bloodstream, affecting the whole body, advancing rapidly and resulting in shock, organ failure and death).
Low blood volume: Burns damaging blood vessels can result in fluid loss, which can cause low blood volume. If blood and fluid loss are serious enough, it may prevent the heart from pumping enough blood through the body.
Low body temperature: Skin helps control the body’s temperature. If enough skin is seriously injured, body heat will be lost, making dangerously low body temperature (hypothermia) possible.
Breathing problems: Breathing in heated air or smoke can burn airways and cause breathing difficulties. Smoke inhalation damages the lungs and can result in respiratory failure.
Scarring: Burns can cause scars and keloids (ridges of overgrown scar tissue).
Bone and joint problems: Severe burns can cause enough scar tissue to form that it results in the shortening and tightening of skin, muscles or tendons. This could pull joints out of position.
Internal injuries: When the body suffers a severe burn, it redirects blood to protect the brain and heart. This can lower oxygen and other important substances to the intestines and lungs, causing damage.

Better treatments and outcomes for victims of burn injuries

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that, in the past, the chances of dying due to serious burns were greater than today, when we have improved treatments and understanding of how burns heal. Currently the prospects for severe burn injury victims are much better.

The number of fatalities due to burns has gone down from roughly 9,000 to about 3,800 a year.
Those with burns covering 90% of their bodies can survive, though they often suffer permanent impairments. In the past, burns over more than 20% of the body were almost always fatal.
More than half of burn patients are treated in specialized burn centers, which didn’t exist in the past.
Improvements have come in wound cleaning, skin replacement, infection control and nutrition. In the past, those surviving serious burns would often die of infections.
Bioengineering and cell culturing techniques allow the growth of replacement skin created by the patient’s own tissues. This results in more natural healing, better function and less scarring.
Survival rates have increased dramatically, along with the overall health, functioning and quality of life of survivors.

Many more burn victims are surviving accidents; but depending on its severity, a burn injury can result in ongoing medical treatments and surgeries, along with a lifetime of physical, psychological and emotional challenges. If your severe burn was caused by the negligence of another party, those responsible can be held accountable for their acts through a personal injury lawsuit.

What you should do after a burn injury

If you or a loved one has been injured by a serious burn caused by the negligence of another party, contact an experienced burn injury lawyer at Bley & Evans Attorneys at Law at (844) 443-8385 for assistance with your personal injury claim.

Recent posts

Guide to Missouri Wrongful Death Actions / In Missouri, a civil suit for wrongful death is a statutory action authorized by R.S.Mo. § 537.080, 537.085, and 537.090. The statutes created a new cause of action where none existed at common law. In other words, a wr...

Early Winter Weather / Early winter weather struck mid-Missouri late last month. While temperatures remained near 20 degrees with wind chills in the single digits, snow moved into the region. The City of Columbia preemptively deployed a 16 man...

Beware of Deer on Missouri Roads / The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is warning Missouri motorists of deer on roads during the peak months of October and November. MoDOT reported car and deer collisions result in almost 200 deaths and $1.1...

Back to School Road Safety / According to the United States Department of Transportation, 50 millions students will be attending America’s public elementary and secondary schools this fall. Included in that figure is 35 million kids who will be at...

Tips to Prepare for Summer Travel / The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released its list of Cool Tips for a Safe Summer Trip. Following these tips could help avoid a breakdown or even a highway collision. First, before you embark o...

Work Zone Safety: Buckle up Phone Down / The Missouri Department of Transportation wants to remind motorists to buckle up and put phones down. As warmer weather arrives in the region, work zones will become more common on the state’s highway system. While wor...

Missouri Motorist Insurance / According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, the Show Me State requires that all motorists keep liability insurance coverage. Liability insurance is designed to indemnify the policyholder when his or her actions caus...

Aviation Consumer Protection / The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released a new website of the Aviation Consumer Protection Division (ACPD). The ACPD receives and reviews consumer complaints directed at airlines. The website contains a wealt...

4 Reasons a Personal Injury Attorney Helps Your Case / One of the most well-known sentiments in the legal field is that someone who represents themselves in court has a fool for a client. One of the central ideas behind this axiom is that even attorneys typically have the go...

Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week / The Federal Highway Administration’s second annual Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week runs from November 13 – November 19. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported a 7.2% increase in ...

Seatbelt Usage on the Rise as MoDOT Reminds Motorists to Drive Safely Around Big Trucks / The Missouri Safety Center and the University of Central Missouri recently released the results of the 2017 Missouri Seat Belt Usage Survey. The results showed that more Missourians are making the smart choice to buckle ...

Annual Fatal Traffic Crash Data / Last week the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its annual report of fatal traffic crashes for calendar year 2016. The NHTSA collected information from ...

Pavement Blow-ups / Columbia has had its first pavement blow-up of the year, according to Barry Dalton, a public information officer for the Columbia Public Works Department. Eastbound Bernadette Drive was closed down for over 24 hours earl...

Takata Airbag Recall / The deaths of eleven people have spurred the expansion of the Takata airbag recall. The recall now includes some 28 million airbag inflators in the United States alone. However, only 8 million bags have been replaced, ac...

Bill in Missouri Legislature May Limit Consumer Protections for Plaintiffs / A bill currently in the Missouri Legislature threatens to limit consumer protections in Missouri. The proposal, Senate Bill 5, specifically changes current laws relating to unlawful merchandising practices, class actio...

Laptop Battery Pack Recall Expanded / Toshiba has recently expanded a recall of Panasonic lithium-ion battery packs that were installed on over 40 models of Toshiba Satellite laptops. The original recall was announced in March 2016, but was expanded in Janu...

Five Injured after Multiple Vehicles Collide on I-70 / Snow and ice once again contributed a number of accidents in early January in the Mid-Missouri area. The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that five people were injured in a four-vehicle crash on I-70 near Columbia on Janu...

Snow and Ice Create Dangerous Road Conditions in Mid-Missouri / Snow and ice over the last week has caused dangerous road conditions in Columbia and surrounding areas. Since Friday morning, nearly 400 accidents have been reportedly caused by icy conditions. Additionally, first respon...

MoDOT to Missouri Motorists: Move Over for First Responders / On average, emergency crews working for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) respond to 5,500 traffic accidents per month. Every year, hundreds of these emergency responders, including fire fighters, law enf...

Semi-Truck Accidents Increasingly Common in Missouri / How new and proposed rules may decrease accidents. According to a study conducted by the Missouri Department of Transportation in 2011, accidents involving commercial motor vehicles made up 9.2% off all traffic crashe...

Missouri Strikes Down Red-Light Camera Ordinances / Earlier this week, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down local ordinances regarding the use of red-light cameras in St. Louis, Kansas City, and St. Peters. While the Court did not ultimately decide the legality of using...

10-Year Statute of Repose for Medical Malpractice / Missouri Supreme Court Upholds 10-Year Statute of Repose for Medical Malpractice Claims Earlier this year, The Supreme Court of Missouri affirmed a trial court’s dismissal of a medical malpractice claim after a heal...

Flooding Roadways / Flooded Roadways Extremely Dangerous to Motorists Due to the high amount of rain in the past few weeks, many lakes, rivers, and streams across Missouri have seen an increase in water levels and flooding. Because flooded...

Takata Airbag Recall / What you should know and what owners of recalled vehicles should do As of June 12, faulty deployment mechanisms in airbags produced by the Japanese supplier Takata have caused seven fatalities, as well as over one hundr...

Best Practices to Prevent Workplace Accidents / Merriam-Webster's definition of accident is, "an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance." The first example of the word used in a sentence is, "He was injured in an accident at work." Why d...

Viking Gas Range Recall / Hazard: The ranges’ ovens can turn on by themselves, posing a burn hazard to consumers. If you or someone you know has been injured by a Viking Gas Range, contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensati...

What to Do After a Car Accident / Get your injuries treated If you have injuries at the accident scene, do not drive yourself away. Have yourself fully evaluated and treated by a medical professional. Document your injuries It will be much eas...

Work Safety Guide / The backbone of a safe working environment is a proper injury and accident prevention program that incorporates the aforementioned practices and encourages employees to take safety measures seriously. As an employer, it'...