Fort Lauderdale
Burn Injury Attorney
If you suffered burns in an accident someone else caused, you could be entitled to financial compensation for the harm you suffered. A severe burn injury may need expensive medical care and cause permanent disability and scarring that affects your ability to work and care for yourself. You should not have to shoulder the consequences of an injury that was not your fault. Let a Fort Lauderdale burn injury lawyer with Phillips | Tadros, P.A., fight for the financial recovery and justice you deserve.
With nearly four decades of combined legal experience, our attorneys know what it takes to get our clients the full and fair compensation they deserve. We have a track record of success that includes millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts and a reputation for winning complex and high-risk injury suits that other law firms won’t touch. Attorneys throughout Florida and the U.S. refer specialty cases to us or partner with us for our courtroom experience.
Get started with Phillips | Tadros, P.A., today by contacting us for a free consultation with a burn injury lawyer in Fort Lauderdale.
What Are the Common Causes of Burn Injuries in Fort Lauderdale?
Some of the most common causes of burn injuries in the cases we handle include:
- Car accidents, including those that involve Uber/Lyft/rideshare vehicles, which can cause burn injuries if vehicles catch on fire after a crash or if car occupants are ejected from the vehicle and hit the pavement or ground
- Trucking accidents, which can cause burns from post-crash vehicle fires or burns from the truck’s cargo, including flammable or radioactive cargo
- Motorcycle accidents, with riders suffering burns from contact with hot engine surfaces or road rash
- Premises liability accidents, which may result in burns when dangerous or defective conditions of the property lead to a fire or cause a person to come into contact with hot surfaces, caustic chemicals, or live electrical wires
- Workplace accidents, which may cause burn injuries from fires, explosions, electrocutions, or chemical spills
Types and Degrees of Burns
Burn injuries are typically classified by their degree based on their severity. These degrees are as follows:
- First-Degree Burns – The mildest form of burn injury, in which the top layer of skin (epidermis) is damaged, causing the skin to turn red and become painful, with blistering occurring on rare occasions.
- Second-Degree Burns – A burn that affects the epidermis and the dermis (the second layer of the skin), causing redness, swelling, and blistering.
- Third-Degree Burns – The most severe form of burn injury that affects all layers of the skin as well as damaging underlying fat layers, tissues, and nerves. Third-degree burns can appear black, white, or red and can give the skin a leathery appearance.
Burn injuries that destroy deeper tissue, including muscle, tendons, ligaments, and bone, are sometimes called “fourth-degree” burns, though this is not a medical designation.
Burns types are also classified by the cause of the burn. Common burn injury types include:
- Thermal burns, or burns caused by exposure to a heat source such as a fire or a hot appliance
- Chemical burns, or burns caused by contact with acidic or caustic chemicals
- Friction burns, or burns caused by rubbing against a rough surface, such as a “road rash” injury caused by sliding along the road surface
- Radiation burns, or burns caused by exposure to highly radioactive sources
- Electrical burns, or burns caused by electric shock or electrocution
Treatment for Burn Injuries
Treatment options for a burn injury will depend on the injury’s severity and underlying cause. Most first-degree and second-degree burn injuries can be treated at home with basic first aid, including:
- Wound dressings
- Burn creams to promote healing and keep the skin moist
- Antibiotic creams to prevent secondary infections
- Over-the-counter medication for pain and discomfort
More serious second-degree burns and third-degree burns typically need specialized medical care. Treatment options may include:
- IV fluids to prevent dehydration
- Water-based treatments like ultrasound mist therapy or debridement to clean wounds and stimulate healing
- Antibiotics and antivirals to fight infections
- Specialty wound dressings to prevent infection and facilitate healing
- Surgery, including skin grafts, insertion of feeding tubes or breathing assistance, removal of destroyed or infected tissues or limbs, or scar revision or plastic surgery to improve the appearance and flexibility of scar tissue
- Physical or occupational therapy to help stretch scarred skin to maintain flexibility of joints
Severe burn injuries that lead to permanent disability or scarring/disfigurement may also require mental health treatment to help a burn injury victim cope with conditions such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD.
