According to the American Burn Association, approximately 450,000 patients receive burn treatments in emergency rooms and hospitals each year in the United States.
This statistic does not account for burn injuries treated in community health centers, private medical offices or hospital clinics. Of these, about 3,400 deaths due to burn injuries, occur every year. The CDC reports that the third leading cause of death in the home are fires and burns.
Types of Burn Injuries in New York
The common causes of burn injuries in New York include:
· Electrical burns
· Fires, including flames from candles, matches, and lighters
· Scalding as a result of exposure to hot, boiling liquids
· Chemical burns
· Excessive exposure to the sun
There are 3 primary types of burn injuries – first-, second-, and third-degree burns. Each level is based on how severely damaged the skin is.
· First-degree burns: non-blistered, red skin
· Second-degree burns: some thickening of the skin and blisters
· Third-degree burns: widespread thickening of the skin with a leathery, white appearance
Fourth-degree burns exist as well, which include all the symptoms that accompany a third-degree burn and extend beyond the skin into bones and tendons.
Treatment for Burn Injuries
Certain medical treatments, known as burn therapy, are used to soothe pain and minimize the damage caused by burn injuries in New York. This includes the need to ensure that the wounds are cleaned and redressed whenever it is required.
Medical professionals also use skin grafts and dermabrasion to replace skin tissues and conceal or minimize any scars that might be caused by the injury. These procedures come with a few risks, including bleeding, infection, permanent change of skin color, scarring, loss of sensitivity in the burnt area and uneven surface of the skin.
Improper Treatment
If a burn victim is not properly treated, leading to any of the problems mentioned above, they may have the right to sue the medical professional who treated them for medical malpractice. Any medical care unit or hospital where the procedure was performed can also be held liable and sued.
If a medical professional does not perform a skin graft properly on a victim of burn injuries in New York, like unnecessarily transplanting healthy skin from one part of the patient’s body to another, both the doctor and the hospital where the procedure was performed can be held liable for medical negligence.
In such cases, it is important to consult an experienced medical malpractice attorney and determine the best course of action against the doctor and/or hospital. Filing a medical malpractice suit is a complex process and requires skill, knowledge and expert witnesses. This is why you need to have a skilled burn injury lawyer to help you file your suit.
If you or a loved one has suffered injury or complications due to the negligence of a doctor while treating your burn injury, you should immediately seek the help of a medical malpractice attorney to file a suit against the negligent party. Wait no more, contact the illustrious and hardworking medical malpractice attorneys at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff, & Wolff of RMFW Law at 212-344-1000. Our attorneys will make sure that your rights are protected and that you recover maximum compensation for damages.
We know this arena. We have been around the legal block before. What is your side of the story? You need RMFW Law since we know what a viable case looks like and we know that your claim needs a medical expert or you do not have a claim. We know where to find this medical expert and we will do our best to do so. Do not assume anything, you need a medical expert to support your case or we are dead in the water.
Let’s give this a shot. If someone was derelict in the medical community, they need to pay. Let’s start down this road now. You are suffering, let’s see what we can do!
