Types Of Burn Injuries

By Butler Prather LLP on May 23, 2022

Burn injuries occur in a wide variety of ways, and it is not uncommon for these injuries to be caused by the careless or negligent actions of other individuals or entities. There are various types of burn injuries that a person can sustain. Here, we want to review the common causes and types of burn injuries that occur in the state of Georgia.

Types of Burn Injuries Georgia Residents Could Sustain

When we examine information available from WebMD, we can see that individuals can sustain a wide range of types of burn injuries. These injuries can occur as a result of an accident or due to the careless or negligent actions of another individual or company:

• Radiation burns. The most common type of radiation burn that individuals in Georgia are familiar with is a sunburn. The radiation from the sun can certainly burn our outer layers of skin, particularly if we go out without sunscreen. Other sources of radiation burns can include radiation therapy used for cancer treatments as well as X-rays.
• Cold burns. Extreme cold can certainly cause a burn injury. Most individuals are familiar with frostbite, which is a type of cold burn. Typically, these burns are caused by individuals becoming exposed to freezing temperatures for an extended period of time. However, these burns can also be caused by touching very cold objects, even for a short period of time.
• Friction burns. Friction burns are caused by an object coming into contact with an individual’s skin which causes part of their skin to be rubbed off, hence the term friction. Technically, this is considered an abrasion and a heat burn mixed into a single incident, and we can commonly associate these types of burns with bicycle and motorcycle accidents.
• Thermal burns. A thermal burn occurs when a person touches a hot object. Touching the hot object will raise the temperature of the affected area and cause the skin cells to die off. Most commonly, individuals sustain thermal burns by touching hot surfaces like the oven, hot metals, flames, scalding liquids, etc.
• Chemical burns. Chemical burns occur when a person touches a chemical strong enough to cause damage to their skin cells. This can include strong acids or bases, detergents, or other types of solvents.
• Electrical burns. Anytime a person comes into contact with an electrical current without adequate protection or grounding, this can lead to electrical burns on the outer skin as well as significant internal damage. This includes cardiac arrest or organ failure.

Burn injuries are rated from first-degree (least severe) to fourth-degree (most severe). Individuals who sustained first-degree burns likely need no medical intervention to recover, but a fourth-degree burn is an incredibly serious injury with a high risk of death.

Any person who sustains a burn injury caused by the actions of another individual should be able to recover compensation for their medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering damages. It is crucial for burn injury victims to work with a skilled attorney who can help them through every aspect of their case.

Contact our Atlanta burn injury attorneys today.