A serious burn injury can have lasting consequences. Beyond the medical expenses tending to the burn, a serious burn can lead to loss of sensation and use of a limb as well as countless other setbacks. This is why the Walnut Creek, CA attorneys of Bowles & Verna LLP have helped numerous clients with lawsuits for different types and degrees of burn injury to the body.
Burn injuries to the hands can be especially serious. Attorneys Richard T. Bowles and Michael P. Verna would like to consider different kinds of burn injuries people may experience, and why sustaining these injuries to the hands can lead to numerous changes to a person’s life.
Types of Burn Injuries
There are different kinds of burn injuries that may affect the hands. This includes the following:
- Thermal Burns – Thermal burns are burns that are caused by exposure to a hot object or heat source. This could mean a hand is exposed to flames, touches a heated surface, is doused with boiling liquid, or is blasted by steam.
- Chemical Burns – Chemical burns are associated with caustic chemical substances. In these cases, the hands may be injured because the chemical harms the skin and underlying tissues.
- Electrical Burns – Electrical burns occur when current courses through the body. These kinds of burns are typical among electricians and others who work with wiring or high voltage equipment.
- Friction Burns – Friction burns are the result of skin rubbing against another surface. While not a traditional burn injury as the above examples, it can still lead to serious abrasions and have lasting effects.
Burn Injuries by Degree of Severity
You’ve probably heard of degrees of burn injuries before. Let’s consider what these classifications mean in terms of injured hands:
- First-Degree Burns – First-degree burns are burns that only affect the epidermis. These surface burns on the hands would only affect the outmost layer of your skin. While painful, they are not severe.
- Second-Degree Burns – Second-degree burns affect the epidermis as well as the underlying dermis. If these burns affect the hands, you may need a skin graft to repair the damage that was done.
- Third-Degree Burns – Third-degree burns damage the epidermis, dermis, and underlying structures of the hands, including muscle tissue, tendons, nerves, and ligaments. Beyond skin grafts, major reconstructive surgery may be required to restore some use of the hands.
Causes of Burn Injuries to the Hands
The causes of hand burns are varied. Our Walnut Creek personal injury attorneys typically see burns to the hands associated with workplace accidents. This is especially true of people in construction, manufacturing, and industrial occupations. Burn injuries can also occur when people are doing work around the home. Simply being inattentive while working around a wall socket or handling damaged extension cords could cause electrical burns, for example.
The Lasting Effects of a Burn Injury to the Hands
The lasting effects of a serious burn injury can be tremendous. Second-degree burns can lead to disfigurement even after a skin craft has been placed. In the case of third-degree burns, patients may lose partial or total use of their hands. Electrical burns can similar cause severe nerve damage and reduced mobility or control of the fingers and hands.
People with severe hand injuries may need to change careers and modify daily tasks in order to address the changes caused by the burn injuries. This is why it’s important to discuss your accident with an attorney if another person or party was responsible for the harm you experienced.
Speak with Our Team of Injury Attorneys
For more information about your legal options following a severe burn to the hands or arms, be sure to contact our team of personal injury lawyers. The team at Bowles & Verna LLP can be reached in Walnut Creek by phone at (925) 935-3300.