Burn Injury Rehabilitation and Its Impact on Legal Cases
Burn injuries cause devastating physical and emotional damage. The recovery process is slow, painful, and difficult. Burn victims are likely to suffer devastating physical disability and disfigurement that could change your life forever. It’s crucial for victims to receive comprehensive burn care that addresses all of their symptoms, giving them the best opportunity to enjoy a healthy and fulfilling life.
What Causes Burn Injuries?
Burn injuries are usually caused by somebody’s careless behavior–a drunk driver who crashes into you, a careless employer who fails to eliminate hazardous working conditions, or an automobile manufacturer who refuses to recall a truck with a defective gas tank.
Frequent causes of burn injuries include:
- Automobile collisions
- Product liability
- Premises liability
- Construction site mishaps
- Building and apartment fires
- Workplace accidents
- Boiling liquids
- Tanning beds
- Exposure to scalding liquid
- Gas explosions
- Electrical accidents
- Chemical burns
The Devastating Effects of Burn Injuries
When a burn injury happens, call 911 right away. Life-saving emergency medical treatment may be necessary. Burns cause severe damage to hard and soft tissue throughout the body, resulting in the following types of medical complications:
- Infectious diseases
- Breathing problems
- Loss of fluid
- Organ failure
- Musculoskeletal disease
- Nervous system disorders
- Destroyed skin tissue
- Low body temperature
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Muscle and tendon damage
- Tightening of the skin
- Scarring
- Bone and joint damage
- Psychological issues
- Severe pain
- Difficulty sleeping
- Cardiovascular and circulatory system disease
How Burn Injuries Reduce Quality of Life
Burn injuries cause devastating consequences that can reduce your quality of life and severely limit your day-to-day activities. Many burn injury victims are forced to live with chronic pain and decreased mobility. In addition to physical harm, scarring and disfigurement can take a heavy toll on your emotional well-being.
Burn victims face tremendous difficulty performing several types of daily tasks, such as:
- Walking
- Standing
- Sitting
- Typing
- Getting out of bed
- Bathing
- Caring for family members
- Climbing stairs
- Getting dressed
Treatments for Burn Injuries
Patients struggling with severe burn injuries may have a long road to recovery. This may include extended hospital stays, several rounds of surgery, and intensive rehabilitation and physical therapy.
Fortunately, there is a wide range of treatment options available for recovering burn victims, including:
- Laser scar revision
- Therapeutic exercise
- Surgical reconstruction
- Hydrotherapy
- Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)
- Emotional counseling
- Scar tissue massage
- Occupational therapy
- Breathing assistance
- Support groups
- Skin grafts
- Plastic surgery
Treatment Goals for Burn Victims
As soon as the patient has stabilized, an interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, and other medical professionals will develop a long-term treatment plan that includes the following types of goals:
- Improving range of motion
- Walking
- Deformity prevention
- Social integration
- Mobility aid training
- Psychological and emotional well-being
- Strength conditioning
- Self-care management
- Scar reduction
- Balance, endurance, and coordination
How Your Savannah Burn Injury Attorney Can Help
Burn injuries can turn your whole world upside down. Your injuries may prevent you from returning to work for a long period of time or resuming your career entirely. You may lose the ability to enjoy hobbies and activities that bring meaning to your life, such as playing with your children.
Your Savannah burn injury lawyer will investigate the accident and file a claim or lawsuit against anyone whose negligent behavior contributed to your injuries. A burn injury claim will include these types of damages:
- Current and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Employment assistance
- Reduced quality of life
- Medications
- Pain and suffering
- Medical devices
- Reduced earning capacity
- In-home nursing care
- Wheelchair ramps for your home
- Wrongful death
Are You Suffering from Catastrophic Burn Injuries?
Butler Prather LLP has been helping injury victims in Georgia for over 35 years. Our Savannah trial lawyers have won landmark cases for clients in over 30 states. We’ve won over a billion dollars in settlements and verdicts, including nine verdicts that exceed $100 million and over 60 verdicts and settlements of over $10 million.
The independent rating agency Super Lawyers has recognized our partners for providing outstanding client service, and founding partner James Butler was featured in the Atlanta Bar Association’s Legends of the Bar Series.
Call us at (706) 322-1990 to schedule a free consultation today.