Burns are some of the most severe injuries because they impact you physically and emotionally. There are varying degrees of severity when it comes to burn injuries, each more difficult to endure than the previous. However, not everyone knows about them and how these burn injuries can impact their life.
Degrees of burns include first-degree, second-degree, and third-degree. In rare situations, you can sustain fourth-degree burn injuries that extend deep into your body.
First-Degree Burns
First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of the skin. Symptoms include redness, pain, minor inflammation, dryness. A mild sunburn is the best example of a first-degree burn. These burns are often called superficial burns.
Second-Degree Burns
More serious than first-degree burns, a second-degree burn extends deeper into your skin, causing damage to first layer of the skin (known as the epidermis) and injury to the second layer (known as the dermis). Blisters and swelling are often symptoms of a second-degree burn. These types of burns can take a few weeks to heal, sometimes requiring skin grafting and other procedures to fix the damage done. If you suffer a second-degree burn, be sure to seek immediate treatment.
Third-Degree Burns
Third-degree burns involve actual destruction to the first and second layers of the skin, and can penetrate into the innermost layer of skin known as the subcutaneous tissue. Nerve damage can often occur. With third-degree burns, the skin typically looks white or blackened in appearance.
Fourth-Degree Burns
Fourth-degree burns extend through all of the layers of the skin, and often include injury to muscle and bone. Symptoms typically involve a loss of feeling as the nerve endings are destroyed.
At Shevlin Smith, we work on your behalf. If someone causes you to suffer burn injuries, you may have legal rights to hold the responsible party accountable for their actions. Our Fairfax burn injury attorneys will go above and beyond to pursue the compensation you deserve.
