Everything You Need to Know About Car Accidents and Burns

• Fires, explosions, chemical exposure, and heat can cause serious burns during a car accident. 
• Burn victims may be eligible for compensation that covers their medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and more. 
• Multiple parties may be responsible for your burns, including the at-fault driver and manufacturers of defective or dangerous car parts. 
• Hiring an experienced car crash attorney is one of the best ways victims can protect themselves. 

During a car accident, victims frequently suffer life-changing burns due to contact with fire, heat, and corrosive chemicals. Unfortunately, even prompt treatment cannot always prevent serious damage and disfigurement from burns. However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have legal options. 

At Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys, we help people with serious burns get the justice they deserve. In this article, learn more about common causes of car accident-related burns and who may be responsible for your injuries. 

How Common Are Burns During Car Accidents? 

You may be surprised to learn that accident-related burns are relatively common. Between 2014 and 2016, there were an estimated 171,500 highway fires in the United States, causing roughly 1,300 injuries, 345 deaths, and $1.1 billion in property damage each year.  

Burns occur when your skin is exposed to heat, corrosive chemicals, or friction. This contact can injure or kill your skin cells. Your skin is made up of layers, and doctors describe the severity of your burn based on how deep your damage goes. 

• First-degree burns: Only the top layer of skin is damaged. 
• Second-degree burns: Your second layer of skin is damaged, causing more pain, and defined blistering. 
• Third-degree burns: The burn damages both layers of your skin, plus nearby sweat glands, hair follicles, and tissues. 
• Fourth-degree burns: The damage continues into underlying fat. 
• Fifth-degree burns: The burn kills or injures the muscles underneath your skin. 
• Sixth-degree burns: In addition to all the above tissues, the burn also damages your bones. 

You can also damage your lungs if you inhale smoke during a car crash.  

“If you suffer third-degree burns or worse, you’ll require skin grafts, hospitalization, and intense medical treatment. However, even a minor burn can lead to infection and other complications, so you should always seek immediate medical care for car accident-related burns.” 

What Causes Burns During a Car Accident? 

During a crash, many things can cause burn injuries: 

• Fires or explosions 
• Corrosive chemical spills 
• Contact with hot metal, steam, or other objects in the crash 
• Electrocution or contact with a live current (e.g., a downed power line) 
• Airbag deployment 

Depending on the nature of the crash, multiple parties may be responsible for your injuries. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, “unintentional actions,” such as careless driving behaviors, caused almost 38% of highway fires. Another 21% were due to equipment failure. 

At Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys, we carefully investigate car accident claims involving burns. In addition to claims against an at-fault driver, you may also have product liability claims against the manufacturer or distributor of a defective or dangerous car part. 

If we suspect an equipment failure caused your injuries, our lawyers need to act quickly to preserve evidence. To prove a product liability claim against a manufacturer or distributor, we’ll need to examine the part or vehicle. 

What Compensation Is Available After a Crash? 

Depending on the nature of your claim, you may be eligible for damages related to your burns and other injuries. These damages may include compensation for your lost income, medical bills, pain and suffering, and disfigurement.  

Every burn-related injury claim is different. When you meet with our team, we’ll consider a variety of factors when we calculate your claim’s value: 

• The location and severity of your burns 
• Whether you have other serious injuries from the car accident 
• Your ability to return to work 
• The cost of your medical care, including your future needs 
• The circumstances surrounding your crash 
• The amount of available insurance coverage  

If the insurance company has offered you a settlement, you can probably assume that it does not adequately compensate you for your injuries. An experienced car crash lawyer can help piece together the timeline of what happened in the crash, if a defective product was to blame, and help you understand the real value of your claim.  

RELATED: Ebook: How to Rebuild After a Catastrophic Injury 

Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys: Fighting for Burn Victims in Alabama and Mississippi 

Burns can be some of the most painful and long-lasting injuries you can suffer after a car crash. If you or someone you love experienced burns after an accident that wasn’t your fault, don’t let the insurance company or the at-fault driver pressure you into accepting less than you deserve.  

At Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys, we’ve dedicated our careers to fighting for victims just like you who need help after a serious accident. That’s why we offer every potential client a free, no-risk consultation with our team of experienced, tenacious attorneys. To schedule yours today, please call us at 251-888-8888, or send us a message using our simple online form. 

We look forward to hearing from you! 

 

References 

Burns. (2018, January). National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

Highway vehicle fires (2014-2016). (2018, July). U.S. Fire Administration. Retrieved from https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/v19i2.pdf  

 

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.