Possible Consequences of Serious Burns

Because burn injuries can affect more than just the skin, there are a number of possible consequences that can negatively impact the health of a burn victim. There are many complications associated with burns that can often require long-term treatments and therapy to overcome. Some may even require extensive amounts of surgery, depending on the severity of the injury.

Victims of serious burns may suffer some of the following consequences:

• Infections: Because burns cause severe damage to the skin, the skin can become more vulnerable to bacteria. This means an increased risk of infection or sepsis, which travels through the body’s bloodstream and may potentially lead to shock or organ failure.
• Low body temperature: The skin helps control temperature in the body. If the burn is extensive enough and injures a large portion of the skin, it can result in the loss of body heat. This can lead to hypothermia, or dangerously low body temperature. This is a serious condition that could be fatal.
• Bone and join issues: When a burn is deep enough, it can cause damage to the bones and joints, resulting in limited movement. The deep burn can cause scar tissue to form. As a result, skin, muscles, and tendons can tighten and joints may be pulled out of position permanently, causing long-term problems.
• Decreased blood volume: When someone sustains a burn injury, they may have damage to the blood vessels. This can cause fluid loss and a low blood volume. When this happens, the heart is not able to pump enough blood throughout the body, causing serious health issues.
• Breathing issues: Aside from the burns that a person can sustain, if smoke from a fire or hot air is inhaled, it can burn airways inside the body, making it difficult for a person to breathe normally. Damage to the lungs can lead to long-term respiratory issues or respiratory failure.
• Scarring: A common consequence of a burn injury is scarring, which can also result in ridged areas due to the overgrowth of scar tissue. Many victims decide to undergo skin grafts to try and reduce the scarring.

When someone sustains a burn injury due to the negligence of someone else, it can be a traumatic experience and create lifelong issues. The victim of such an injury should be able to pursue legal action to seek compensation for the damages associated with the injury, such as medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost income, and pain and suffering. Our Denver burn injury lawyers at Jordan Law are here to help victims take the next step towards justice.

Contact our legal team today to discuss your potential lawsuit.