Burn Injuries in the News

According to an article from the Seattle Times, Madigan Army Medical Center has been ordered to pay $12.3 million for an operating room fire that severely disfigured a 13-month-old child in 2015.

The accident occurred when a surgeon activated an electrocautery device while an anesthesiologist administered oxygen to the child with a face mask. The fireball that resulted from the electrical device and the oxygen engulfed the child’s face, leaving the boy with severe burns. The child spent 22 days in intensive care and the burn unit at Harborview Medical Center and will require numerous future facial reconstruction surgeries.

The judge found both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist liable in that they negligently failed to communicate with one another about the risk of a fire before beginning the procedure, which had been scheduled to remove a small, benign cyst from the child’s forehead.

The Army admitted that it was negligent and responsible for the fire. USA Today reported that nearly $60 million was awarded to a former high school student who was brutally burned in a failed chemistry experiment at school. The accident occurred when a chemistry teacher at Beacon High School in Manhattan conducted an experiment involving a gallon jug of methanol. A fireball erupted, causing burns to 31 percent of the 16-year-old student’s body.

The student was hospitalized for five months after the accident, and had to endure painful skin graft surgeries to burns he suffered on his face, neck, arms, and hands. The school district stated after the verdict that it plans to explore its legal options to attempt to reduce the verdict to an amount more consistent with the damage awards received in similar cases, and also stated that it is no longer allowing that particular chemistry experiment to be conducted in its science classes.

WHYY reported that a lawyer has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against three U.S. manufacturers whose products allegedly played a central role in a fire at a high rise in London in 2017. The fire started with a faulty refrigerator in a fourth floor apartment, but quickly spread and engulfed the entire 24-story building in flames. The blaze killed 72 people and injured 100 more, in addition to destroying 151 homes in and around the tower.

The companies named as defendants in the lawsuit include a Whirlpool subsidiary that built the refrigerator that started the fire, a company who manufactures insulation that is not only highly flammable but also produces toxic gas when burned, and a company that supplies exterior cladding that features a highly flammable core. The complaint has 247 plaintiffs, including 69 families who lost a loved one in the fire and 177 people who suffered serious, life-altering injuries.

It could be more than two years before the lawsuit sees the inside of a courtroom, at which point the lawyer estimates that there will be many more plaintiffs.

Seattle Burn Injury FAQ

Are there different types and ways of getting burned?

Thermal burns, caused by heat or fire, represent the most substantial subset of burn injuries in the United States.

Steam, hot metals, open flames, and scalding liquids may all result in thermal burns. Other types of burns include:

• Radiation burns – Radiation cancer therapy, exposure to intense X-rays, and even prolonged exposure to the sun may cause painful skin damage.
• Cold burns – Exposure to extreme cold can cause burns, which are often referred to as frostbite. Liquid nitrogen, dry ice, commercial refrigerants, and incredibly cold environmental temperatures all may lead to permanent skin damage, nerve damage, and even amputations.
• Electric burns – Electrocution causes the severe burns commonly suffered in industrial accidents or lightning strikes.
• Friction burns – A combination of pressure and heat often results in this subcategory of thermal burns, commonly seen in a motorcycle accident when exposed skin rubs against the rough surface of the road while traveling at a high speed.
• Chemical burns – Many industrial and at-home burns result from exposure to chemicals or acid, including skin irritants in home-cleaning supplies.

What accidents commonly cause severe burns in Seattle?

Other than sunburns, thermal burns are the most commonly suffered by Seattle residents.

Sources of thermal burns include:

• House fires
• Work/industrial fires
• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Defective space heaters, industrial equipment, and home-heating units
• Uncontrolled fireworks and firecrackers
• Kitchen burns

The length of skin exposure and the actual temperature of the thermal element dictate a burn injury’s degree and severity. For instance, someone caught in a car fire or scalded with boiling liquid may suffer third or fourth-degree burns. Poor ventilation in industrial areas may result in chemical burns to the throat.

Breathing in smoke, steam, or scorching air might also result in painful internal burns. Open flames, such as car and house fires, typically cause higher-degree burns than minor kitchen or space heater accidents.

If you suffered a burn injury due to another person’s reckless or negligent conduct, you may be entitled to compensation.

What are the different degrees of burn injuries?

Medical professionals classify burn injuries based on the depth of skin damage. Three main layers of skin cover your muscles and bones, which correlate to the following four-degrees of burn injuries:

• First-degree burn – This refers to damage to only the first layer of skin, called the epidermis. Examples of first-degree burns include sunburns, minor chemical burns, and most household burns.
• Second-degree burn (partial thickness burns) – This refers to damage to the whole epidermis and part of the middle layer of skin, called the dermis. The dermis contains nerves, sweat glands, hair follicles, and blood vessels. Accordingly, the burn’s seriousness depends on the specific areas of the body that were damaged.
• Third-degree burn (full-thickness burns) – This is classified as damage to the entire epidermis and dermis, and may include more profound damage to the lowest layer of skin, called the hypodermis. The hypodermis contains larger blood vessels, ligaments, and nerves that help regulate body temperature. These burns often appear black and permanently disfigure the surrounding area.
• Fourth-degree burn – This burn reaches through all layers of skin, and into the bones and muscles. Fourth-degree burns often result in death or amputation of the damaged area.

First and second-degree burns usually heal with time, despite causing severe pain and possible scarring. However, third and fourth-degree burns frequently result in the permanent destruction of the affected area, leading to multiple surgeries, skin grafts, infections, amputations, and other painful conditions.

Speak with an experienced Seattle burn injury lawyer at Boohoff Law immediately after suffering from negligently inflicted burns.

What are some common burn injury symptoms and complications?

Injured claimants and physicians agree that burns are one of the most painful medical conditions a person can face. Even minor burns often cause blisters, uncomfortable scarring, nerve pain, swelling, redness, peeling, itching, bleeding, and oozing during the healing process.

Third and fourth-degree burns regularly destroy blood vessels and nerves, from which a body cannot ever recover. In these cases, doctors must remove the dead skin to avoid necrosis and potentially fatal infections, and then cover the area with new skin. Infections ordinarily occur when burns expose the flesh over large areas of the body.

Victims often require antibiotics and in-patient care to avoid sepsis and fatal diseases. Skin grafts may protect injured claimants from infections, but immune systems frequently reject certain grafts. Claimants might require powerful anti-rejection drugs in addition to antibiotics after suffering from third-degree burns in Seattle. A single severe burn wound could result in widespread damage.

If you or a loved one developed an infection due to burn trauma in Seattle, discuss your recovery options with a burn injury attorney at Boohoff Law today.

How can I recover compensation quickly after a serious Seattle burn injury?

Treating a simple burn injury may cost thousands of dollars, while in-patient care for a severe burn injury could result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills.

High-degree burn patients often suffer from lost wages and difficulties with daily activities, such as driving, cleaning, and cooking, necessitating immediate financial relief. You might file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company if you were burned in a Seattle motor vehicle accident, including motorcycle and bicycle accidents.

Claimants burned in house fires, industrial fires, or on school property may also recover medical compensation from a liability insurance policy.

Speak with an experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer to discuss applying for insurance benefits without waiving your claims.

Can I sue the seller or manufacturer of a product that burned me?

Malfunctioning space heaters, boilers, and industrial machines regularly cause thermal burns. Claimants might hold the designers, manufacturers, installers, and sellers of defective heating equipment liable for burns in product liability cases.

Product liability claims also apply to car, truck, and motorcycle fires caused by negligently designed motor vehicles or faulty fire safety equipment. Claimants burned while using items in a reasonably foreseeable way might sue for product liability.

Failure to warn of exposed heating elements or flammability, design defects, manufacturing flaws, and the lack of safety features could sustain these Seattle burn injury claims.

Who might be liable if I suffered from a widespread burn injury in Seattle?

Liability for life-altering burn injuries depends on several factors, including how and where the burn occurred, as well as the victim’s age.

A Seattle burn accident lawyer might help you hold the following persons or entities accountable if their careless acts or omissions proximately caused burns:

• Negligent drivers/owners of motor vehicles – A driver that causes or substantially contributes to a car, truck, or motorcycle accident by violating Seattle traffic laws are liable.
• Product developers/sellers – Products likely to cause burns should contain warnings or reasonable protections. Strict product liability may apply to dangerous products causing burns in the ordinary course of use.
• Landowners – Owners of buildings with dangling wires, exposed heating elements, or fire hazards might be liable for visitor burns.
• Childcare workers – Children might suffer from kitchen, campfire, open flame, and firework-related injuries due to negligent supervision. Liability for children’s burn injuries might rest with the caretaker, teacher, or another adult legally responsible for the children’s safety.
• Construction professionals – Faulty electrical work, negligent heater maintenance, or failure to use fire-safe construction material could have contributed to Seattle burn injuries.

Multiple liable parties may owe burn victims compensation in Seattle. Schedule a free burn injury case analysis with the knowledgeable Seattle plaintiff’s attorneys at Boohoff Law.

What kind of compensation can injured claimants recover after being burned in Seattle?

Personal injury claimants could recover for past and future losses reasonably related to a burn injury. Compensation may include direct economic damages, such as actual financial losses, and the value assigned to non-economic damages, such as pain and disfigurement.

An award or settlement might encompass reimbursement for the following direct expenses:

• Out-of-pocket medical expenses, including co-pays and deductibles
• Unrecovered reconstructive and cosmetic surgery costs
• Pharmaceuticals and pain medications
• Medical equipment, such as wheelchairs or prosthetics
• Lost wages and related employer benefits
• Home nursing care
• Speech therapy and rehabilitation
• Medical transportation
• Assistance with activities of daily living
• Treatment for mental health conditions

Because burns often cause pain, lasting nerve damage, and permanent disfigurement, successful claimants could obtain compensation for the following non-economic damages:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental and emotional anguish
• Loss of spousal companionship
• Social stigmas
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Difficulties socializing
• Development of mental health conditions

Typically, expert doctors and economists assist burn injury lawyers in calculating the value of these damages. Evidence may include your testimony, affidavits from friends and family, medical bills, pay stubs, and expert evaluations speculating as to future losses.

These damages form the ultimate demand for compensation in burn injury cases. Seattle legal professionals often make an overall demand early in burn injury litigation and then reform this demand as necessary.

Can I recover compensation for an infection or rejected skin graft after I made a burn injury claim?

Parties that intentionally, recklessly, or negligently contributed to a fire must generally compensate burn victims for all resulting damages. These include direct losses, such as the treatment for the initial burns and any subsequent medical developments.

However, once a burn victim settles a claim with a liable party and/or insurer, he or she waives any entitlement to compensation for future complications. Third and fourth-degree burns often require continuous treatment and monitoring throughout a claimant’s lifetime.

Experienced Seattle burn injury lawyers at Boohoff Law might work with burn experts to calculate the likelihood of skin graft rejection and infection before accepting a settlement offer. A team of qualified doctors and economists may submit a report to the insurer or court that outlines your anticipated medical needs and approximate expenses.

Because a burn victim may require continuous treatment and surgeries as he or she ages, the victim should not settle a claim before discussing future needs with a personal injury attorney. Burn victims must generally file litigation within four years of the accident, under Washington state’s statute of limitations for negligence and product liability.

How can I settle a Seattle burn injury claim if I don’t know what treatment I’ll need in the future?

Future anticipated treatment can be determined with the help of qualified medical, economic, and burn treatment experts.

You may recover for future anticipated needs as testified to by expert witnesses. Most law firms with experience handling burn injury cases front the initial expert witness costs to assist you in recovering damages.

How do courts award damages for pain and suffering after a high-degree burn injury?

Many Seattle burn victims find it impossible to describe their pain and suffering in words. Burns often cause significant physical pain and lasting emotional damage. Some claimants develop post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and/or severe anxiety. They may struggle to socialize, go outside, drive, or otherwise enjoy life as they once did.

Many severe burns even result in amputations and job loss. The burn injury lawyers at Boohoff Law know that most claimants find these intangible damages more serious than their actual economic losses.

Medical and disability insurance may compensate claimants for lost wages or medical bills, and our experienced Seattle attorneys for burn victims might help you recover for your pain and suffering. Victims may take the stand and tell their stories to a jury or testify before insurers as to how their burns impacted their lives.

Taking detailed notes about your daily pain and how your life changed after suffering traumatic burns may help a jury quantify these non-economic losses. Insurers settling burn injury claims often consider all economic and non-economic damages and make a lump sum settlement offer without distinguishing between these damages.

Judges and juries often consider claimants’ direct losses and requested compensation before awarding successful plaintiffs with pain and suffering damages.

Our Burn Injury Attorneys Fight for Your Rights

If you suffered burn injuries due to someone else’s negligence, you likely have a lot of questions about your right to compensation.

We’d like to give you some answers to those questions in a free consultation and case review.

Call our personal injury lawyers at (877) 999-9999 or contact us at Boohoff Law online.

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Boohoff Law P.A.
Seattle Location
2200 6th Avenue,
Suite 768 Seattle,
WA 98121
(877) 999-9999