It goes without saying that people can get hurt on the job, no matter what their profession is. In fact, on any typical year in the United States, one million people will be injured by burns from a number of causes, including fires, hot liquids, electrical wires, chemicals and more. Seven thousand people die from burns as well. Over half of those deaths can blame fire as the cause. If you have acquired a burn injury at the workplace, or perhaps even if a loved one has as well, you may be entitled to certain benefits. For example, employees who have acquired some form of burn injury might be eligible to receive compensation for their medical bills, pain, suffering as well as other damages from their employer. Compensation may be available from others as well if the employer was at fault by way of negligence or carelessness. Many burns seem to happen while victims are at their workplace, making accidents at work a major leading cause of burn cases in the United States. Those who work in industrial or construction area can be exposed to acid, caustic chemicals, fire, or electricity by means of exposed wires. Because the employer is required to provide a safe environment for working, they are, as previously mentioned, responsible for compensating the injured employee when the employer is at fault due to negligence. The more severe the burn, the more compensation you may receive. Burns are typically broken down into degrees to define their severity. These degrees go as far as six levels, but the three most common ones are first, second and third. First-degree burns generally just affect the outer layer of skin, leaving no lasting damage or effects. However, these kinds of burns cause pain, redness and swelling. An example of a first degree burn is a typical sunburn. Second degree burns affect not only the outer layer of skin, but also the underlying layer. They cause all the symptoms of a first degree burn with the addition of blisters. This is because these burns can often affect hair follicles and sweat glands. They also cause decreased blood flow in the area that was burned. Among the most severe burns are third degree burns. These affect both the outer and underlying layers of skin as well as a much deeper layer. This can often cause blackening or even charring of the skin, leading to permanent and significant scarring when it eventually heals. Have you been burned on the job and feel you deserve compensation for it? Contact our law firm for a free case evaluation today and see where you stand on the matter.
