Burns don’t just scar skin — they also change lives. Whether they happen in a kitchen accident, a worksite explosion, or a fire after a car crash, burn injuries can develop rapidly, and recovery can take months or even years.
Burns range from mild to severe, but even minor burns can seriously disrupt someone’s life in Georgia. Beyond the physical pain, victims are left to deal with emotional trauma, lost time from work, medical bills, and sometimes long-term or permanent disability. It’s important to know the basics of these common injuries and what legal claims for burns tend to involve in Columbus.
The Different Types Of Burns
Burns can happen in a number of different ways. The damage depends on the source, which also affects how the injury progresses.
Thermal burns result from fire, hot liquids, steam, or contact with heated objects. Electrical burns happen when someone touches a live wire or electrical current. Chemical burns are caused by contact with acids, detergents, or solvents. Each type can vary in depth and severity.
First-degree burns only affect the top layer of skin and usually heal on their own, though they can still hurt. Second-degree burns go deeper and can cause blisters. They generally take longer to heal and can leave scars.
Third-degree burns destroy the skin and underlying tissue, but they may not even hurt at first because the nerves are gone. However, they’re the most severe type of burn and often require skin grafts, surgery, and long-term rehabilitation to recover from.
Where Burn Accidents Happen In Columbus
In a city like Columbus, burns can come from anywhere. Many come from car and truck crashes on roads like Veterans Parkway or J.R. Allen Parkway, where high-speed collisions can spark fires. Work-related burns are also common, particularly in construction or industrial jobs. Electrical accidents, faulty machinery, and chemical exposure can all put workers at risk.
Residential fires are another issue, especially in apartment complexes or older homes without proper wiring. If a landlord doesn’t keep up with safety codes, people can get hurt. Other times it’s a product defect, like a space heater that catches fire or a phone battery that explodes.
Additionally, children can be particularly vulnerable to burns. When exposed to common burn sources like kitchen fires or car crash fires, they may suffer more severe physical and emotional consequences compared to adults.
The Cost Of A Burn Injury
Burns can hurt your wallet just like they hurt your body. Emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, and physical therapy add up in a hurry. Severe injuries often require extended stays in burn units, causing costs to skyrocket. Insurance rarely covers everything, and many people end up with crushing debt just trying to get the care they need.
Many burn victims also can’t go back to their old jobs or even go back to work at all. Even after they’ve healed, some people face permanent scarring and mobility problems, which can make simple tasks almost impossible.
Emotionally, burn survivors often deal with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Scars, especially on the face and hands, can trigger self-consciousness and isolation. No one chooses this kind of pain, and no one should have to carry it alone — and yet, many feel like they have to.
When Negligence Plays A Role In Burn Injuries
Many burn injuries could’ve been avoided if someone else had not been negligent. Maybe it was a distracted driver or an employer cutting corners on safety. Alternatively, perhaps a manufacturer let a dangerous product hit the market.
When another’s negligence causes burn trauma in Georgia, the victim has the right to seek justice and compensation for hospital bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses.
While no amount of money can make it right, compensation can help victims heal and hold those responsible accountable so that the same situation doesn’t happen to someone else in the future.
Burn Cases Can Be Complicated
These types of personal injury cases aren’t always straightforward. Proving liability takes evidence, expert testimony, and sometimes, a fight in court. In Columbus, that means knowing local laws, understanding how to investigate accident scenes, and working with medical professionals who can attest to the long-term effects of burns.
Some injuries don’t show their full impact right away, and that can complicate things. A burn might seem manageable at first, but complications like infections, tightened skin, and nerve damage can develop later. That’s why it’s important to consider both immediate and future needs when calculating compensation.
Insurance companies often don’t play fair, either. They might offer quick settlements that don’t come close to covering everything. They also tend to look for ways to reduce payout amounts or deny claims altogether. This is where seeking the assistance of an experienced burn injury attorney comes in.
Contact a Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer at Mark Casto Personal Injury Law Firm for Legal Help
If you’ve suffered a burn injury in Columbus, turn to the skilled legal team at Mark Casto Personal Injury Law Firm. We know what’s at stake for burn victims, and we have over 26 years of experience fighting tirelessly to recover every dollar our clients deserve. Contact our Columbus personal injury attorneys today at (706) 940-4030 to schedule a free consultation for your case.
