Virginia Car Crash Burn Injury Guide: Causes, Complications and Recovery

Car crash burn injuries range in severity, and some people are lucky enough to have burns minor enough to recover quickly. However, burn injuries can be permanently disfiguring and even fatal in the most severe instances. A person might face months or years of painful, expensive treatments before they are able to heal fully. Hiring a Virginia burn injury attorney can help you recover compensation to aid in your recovery.

Types of Burn Accidents

There are many causes of burn accidents, but they share some commonalities. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, there are four main types of burns. Thermal burns occur when an external heat source comes into contact with the skin. Common examples include hot metals, scalding liquids, and flames. Chemical burns happen when strong acids, solvents, and other substances touch the skin or eyes. Radiation burns occur after prolonged radiation exposure — whether from the sun or another source like X-ray machines. Lastly, electrical burns happen when the skin is exposed to an electrical current. Thermal burns are the most common type of burn injury and make up 86% of burn injuries that require medical attention.

Road Rash/ Morel Lavallee lesion

Road rash is a type of abrasion that occurs when the skin rubs against a rough surface. It’s sometimes associated with sports like skateboarding, cycling, and jogging, but it can also take place after an auto accident when someone is thrown from a vehicle, bicycle, or motorcycle. In most cases, road rash will heal on its own within a few weeks, but it can cause lasting damage if the injury is severe. In these instances, road rash can lead to hypertrophic scarring and may require skin grafting surgery to heal fully. 

Morel Lavallee lesions are injuries we see in more severe road rash cases, this is considered a “degloving” type of soft tissue injury where there is a separation of skin and subcutaneous tissue from the underlying fascia. In other words, a Morel Lavallee lesion can be the separation of skin from the underlying muscle. We see Morel Lavallee lesions occur more often in our cases when the client is a pedestrian who is struck by a car. 

Airbags

Airbags help keep you safe during a car crash. They inflate when a collision is detected and offer cushioning, preventing your body or head from launching forward and striking the vehicle dashboard. While airbags serve a vital purpose, they can also cause burn injuries. Airbags must work quickly to be effective, which means they deploy at a speed of up to 220 miles per hour. Airbags are filled with hot gasses, which can cause burns when they inflate and deflate. Additionally, the fabric of an airbag can cause friction burns when it comes into contact with the skin. 

Contact Burns

Contact burns happen after coming in contact with a hot surface, like a cooking appliance. These types of burns are prevalent in children, with statistics from the American Burn Association showing that 45% of contact burns happen in children younger than five years old. When contact burns happen in adults, they may not realize that a surface is hot before touching it — or they might accidentally come into contact with it. Some contact burns are mild injuries, while others will cause severe damage.

Electric Shock

Electric shock results after someone comes into contact with live electricity. When someone is killed or severely injured, it is called electrocution. Electric shock is often caused by damaged courses, faulty appliances, and downed power lines. Electricity causes burns because the body converts electrical energy into heat once it touches the skin. 

Fire

There are more than 1.3 million fires in the U.S. every year. While some of these fires cause property damage without any injuries, others lead to catastrophic health complications. Residential, commercial, and vehicular fires are some of the most common types of blazes that cause burn injuries. While the majority of fires are avoidable, they still happen daily. Burns from flames are responsible for most serious burn injuries. This is a common cause of injury in car accidents, especially when electric vehicles are involved, as their batteries burn at a much more rapid pace and are more difficult to extinguish. 

The Aftermath Of A Burn

The minutes following a burn are crucial, particularly in recognizing how serious an injury the burn has caused. Burns are commonly divided into four categories and measured by severity.

First-degree burns are the mildest and among the most common forms of burn injuries. An example is a mild sunburn. These superficial wounds only affect the outer layer of skin and do not lead to blistering. Most first-degree burns will heal in less than a week.

Second-degree burns are more severe than first-degree burns. In these instances, a burn goes through the outer layer of the skin and reaches the layer underneath. Second-degree burns can lead to blistering, scarring, and moderate pain.

Third-degree burns occur when a burn affects both top layers of skin and damages the third layer, the hypodermis. These burns can also damage tendons and muscles. They almost always require medical treatment and skin grafts.

Fourth-degree burns are the most severe type of burn and occur when a burn affects all layers of the skin and the bones underneath. These burns are life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Common causes include fire, chemical exposure, and contact with scalding liquids.

Burn Injury Complications

Burns can lead to a wide variety of health complications. Some of the most common complications include:

• Bacterial infection happens when burns make a patient more susceptible to infection — in some cases, a bacterial infection will enter the bloodstream and cause sepsis.
• Burn shock, which typically occurs in the first 24 hours after an injury and happens when the body does not have enough oxygenated blood.
• Hypothermia (low body temperature), which happens when burn victims lose skin that usually provides a protective layer.
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome, a disorder commonly affecting serious burn patients, is caused by fluid leaking into the lungs.
• Contractures occur when muscles, skin, and tissue permanently tighten and become stiff, making it difficult to move normally.

Treating Serious Burn Injuries

After a severe burn injury, a patient may need a wide range of services to recover. Reconstructive burn surgery, physical therapy, and counseling to deal with psychological distress are all commonly recommended when a patient suffers a severe burn. Someone who experiences a serious burn injury might be transferred to a specialized burn center to recover there. Reconstructive burn surgery often includes skin grafts, which involve a doctor taking a piece of healthy skin and grafting it onto skin damaged by the burn. These complex surgeries can quickly become expensive, even if a patient has health insurance.

Hiring A Burn Injury Attorney To Help

Depending on the circumstances surrounding your burn, an attorney can help you recover compensation to help you move forward. If someone else’s negligence led to your burn, you should speak with a burn injury lawyer as soon as possible to ensure that you are aware of all legal options.

There are many considerations when determining compensation for a catastrophic injury. Some burn injury victims will need care for the rest of their lives, which factors into a potential settlement agreement. An attorney can help you get payment for medical costs, along with wages lost due to time spent recovering. Additionally, you might be eligible for non-economic damages like pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. If you have suffered a Virginia burn injury, contact Curcio Law online or call or text us at 703-836-3366 for a free consultation.