blog home Burn Injury How Common Is Nerve Damage from a Burn Injury?

How Common Is Nerve Damage from a Burn Injury?

By Butler Prather LLP on October 24, 2022

nerve damage from burn

Burns are some of the most harrowing injuries a person can suffer. Car accident, chemical spill, and fire victims can sustain life-threatening burn injuries that inflict permanent damage to different parts of the body. The skin, organs, muscles, bones, and nerves are all at risk in a severe burn injury case. Nerve damage is one of the most common effects of burn injuries – especially severe second- and third-degree burns. Learn how a burn might affect nerves (sometimes permanently), and how nerve damage could impact a personal injury claim.

nerve damage from burn

How Are Burns and Nerve Damage Related?

A burn could affect the nerves of the body if it disrupts or damages the neuropathic system. Most burn injury survivors will report some nerve reactions to a burn; the most common being tingling, numbness, burning, weakness, pain, and sensitivity to touch. Others, however, can’t feel their nerves at all. In these cases (usually third-degree burns), the burn injury may have damaged or completely destroyed nerve endings, resulting in total numbness and lack of pain. If a severe burn doesn’t hurt, odds are it has destroyed the nerves in the affected location.

Many burn patients experience shooting or burning pains on and around burn injuries, due to nerve damage in the region. These neuropathic pains can feel “electric” for the patient and be severely painful and uncomfortable for the duration of recovery. Direct nerve damage, as well as the process of nerve regeneration, can cause neuropathic pains. Nerve-related pain could point to damaged, injured, or dysfunctional nerve fibers from the burn. Some damaged nerve endings send incorrect signals to other pain centers in the body – even those that aren’t near the burn.

Treating burn-related nerve damage depends on the size and severity of the burn. Early treatment is key to a full recovery. First, physicians will offer to treat pain with pain medications and prescriptions. Then, they will take steps to prevent infection and facilitate the healing process with anti-inflammatories, oxygen therapy, and physical therapy. In most burn injury cases, nerves will recover over the course of a few weeks’ treatment. This is the best case-scenario for burn survivors. Some victims, however, suffer permanent nerve destruction and related disabilities.

Nerve Damage and Personal Injury Claims

Burn injury victims should explore their rights to file personal injury claims against the at-fault party/parties. A personal injury claim could give the burn survivor much-needed financial assistance with medical bills, lost income, and other accident-related losses. It could also hold a negligent or careless party legally responsible for his/her actions – such as an employer who failed to properly train workers in a hazardous chemical plant. Speak to a lawyer about a possible claim after a serious burn injury, especially if you suffered nerve damage.

Nerve damage is a serious potential outcome of a burn injury. It can cause short-term disabilities and wage losses or lifelong repercussions. Living with burn-related nerve damage can mean persistent chronic pain, permanent tingling or numbness, inability to properly use parts of the body, lower quality of life, and trouble returning to work or living alone. All of these are serious damages that may qualify you for financial compensation if someone else caused your burn injury.

How Can an Atlanta Burn Injury Attorney Help?

A Georgia burn injury claim could garner thousands of dollars in compensation for your temporary and/or permanent damages – including nerve complications. The civil courts want to hear from victims of negligence who are now living with long-term injuries. It is your right to take another person or entity to court in pursuit of injury recovery. The most severe burn injury claims, involving permanent nerve damage, could be eligible for six- or seven-figure recovery amounts. Talk to an Atlanta burn injury attorney today to see what your claim could be worth. Call today! (404) 321-1700

Posted in: Burn Injury


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