Nashville, TN Burn Injury Attorney

Burn injuries cause damage to your body’s tissues by destroying outer and inner layers of skin and tissues – sometimes to an irreparable extent. Burns occur in the first, second, and third degrees depending on the damaged layer of skin. There are four categories of burn injuries: thermal, chemical, electrical, and radiological. A burn’s degree and category help decide the damages an injured party can claim from an at-fault defendant.

Burn injuries can be devastating to a victim, leaving behind permanent physical and emotional scars. The Nashville burn injury attorneys at Larry R. Williams, PLLC are here to assist burn accident survivors in Nashville and throughout Tennessee, using our legal experience to fight for full and fair compensation from at-fault parties. Whether a driver, employer, product manufacturer, the city, or another party caused your burns, we can help. Contact the best personal injury lawyers in Nashville today to schedule a free case evaluation.

Burn Injury Degrees and Complications

Physicians classify burn injuries according to a scale of one to three degrees (or four, on some scales). First-degree burns are the most minor. They affect only the uppermost layer of the skin, or dermis. First-degree burns do not blister or permanently scar the skin, although they can be painful. One might need emergency attention for a first-degree burn only if it covers a large area of skin. A second-degree burn will affect both layers of skin tissues, typically causing blisters to form. Second-degree burns require medical attention and may cause scarring.

A third-degree burn affects both layers of skin and the layer of fat beneath the dermis tissues. Third-degree burns can damage or destroy the nerves in the affected area and create a charred or blackened appearance. Third-degree burns need emergency care and may require surgeries to clean the wound and graft new skin. Some scales also include fourth-degree burns, which affects the muscles, tendons, and bones beneath the skin. The most serious burns can lead to amputations of the dead limbs.

Burns can have serious complications. The most common is infection, or sepsis. Even with prolonged hospital stays and medical supervision, burn injuries can become infected and require additional surgeries or even amputation. Other life-threatening complications can include respiratory problems from smoke inhalation or burned airways, hypothermia from losing protective layers of skin, or major scar tissue development that can impair movement and even pull joints out of their sockets. Some victims do not survive their burn injuries or subsequent complications.

Causes and Types of Burn Injuries

Aside from having three (or four) degrees, burn injuries also come in different types. The most common type is a thermal burn. Thermal burns stem from contact with hot or scalding objects, such as fire, steam, or heated metal. Other kinds of burns include chemical, electrical, and radiation burns. Chemical burns come from contact with harsh acid or base chemicals, such as sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, or lime. Chemical burns can dissolve the skin tissues, bleach or darken the skin, cause burning sensations, affecting breathing, and cause tissue necrosis (death).

Electrical burns can occur due to live electrical wires, electric components, or bolts of lightning. Electrical burns may not show any outward signs, yet cause significant damage internally as the electricity passes through the body. Others will show external damage and wreak havoc on the organs as well. Radiation burns are the least common but can arise due to contact with strong ultraviolet light (such as the sun) or x-ray beams. All types of burn injuries are dangerous and can be fatal for victims. Our Nashville burn injury attorneys are knowledgeable about the different types of burns and know how to help you get compensation for your injuries.

How Do I Know if Negligence Caused My Burns?

Burns can cause blistering, permanent heavy scarring, amputation, shock, and death. Technological innovations in the medical field help doctors heal burn victims using skin grafts and other methods, but most the scarring and mental trauma of a serious burn cannot be erased completely.

Thermal burns are the most common and include flashes (explosions), flames, scalds, and contact. Chemical burns are strong acids that continue to eat through the skin until the agent is inactivated. Electrical burns refer to currents of voltage running through the body, and radiological burns are caused by alpha, beta, or gamma radiation.

No matter what the cause, burns are extremely damaging, and people who have been burned due to another’s negligence deserve aggressive legal representation to secure compensation. Many different things can cause burns, from exploding compressors to truck accidents in Nashville. You need a skilled burn injury attorney in Nashville to investigate the different facets of your particular burn injury and address all your needs accordingly. At Larry R. Williams, PLLC, we stand up for burn victims in negligence cases and demand legal recompense for their suffering.

To prove negligence caused a burn injury, our Nashville burn injury lawyers will investigate the scene of the accident, interview eyewitnesses, hire specialists to run tests on materials, and photograph the incident in detail. Burn victims in Nashville deserve a team of Nashville accident lawyers they can trust to get the job done right. Larry R. Williams, Jonathan Williams, and their staff represent burn victims will compassion and skill.

Have You Suffered a Burn Injury in Tennessee? Get Expert Help

At Larry R. Williams, PLLC, we understand the severity of burn injuries and the high medical costs that come with them. Burn victims undergo a great deal of pain and suffering, and often have to stay in a burn trauma center while in rehabilitation. With injuries as traumatic as severe burns, many victims also face mental damages that haunt them for life. All these damages entitle a victim to compensation before he or she can begin the path to recovery.

Our attorneys represent families of victims when acts of negligence lead to catastrophic accidents. Our team of representatives will constantly stay in touch with you during the trial, providing due preparation and never leaving you to wonder what will happen next. Burn accidents are devastating and frustrating enough without having to worry about how a court will handle your case.

We serve burn victims in and around middle Tennessee, including Nashville and its surrounding areas. We’ve fought and won hundreds of negligence cases in our 35-plus years of service in the community, and we will proudly stand up for your rights in front of a judge and jury. No company, person, or entity should get away with negligent behavior that directly caused injury – especially when it comes to debilitating and permanently maiming injuries like burns.

When you’re ready to file a burn injury lawsuit

If you or a loved one is filing for a burn accident lawsuit, the personal injury attorneys at Larry R. Williams, PLLC, can increase the chances of taking your case to trial and earning fair compensation. In 2015, we earned over $3.4 million in damages for our personal injury clients.

The Nashville burn injury lawyers at Larry R. Williams, PLLC have helped burn injury victims and their families seek retribution for their damages from negligent and at-fault parties in Tennessee. We’ve seen all the common causes of burns, including car accidents, chemical spills at work, exploding consumer products, road-rash burns from friction, and burns from building fires. We can help you go up against the party that caused your injuries in pursuit of fair recovery. You may be eligible to recover past and future medical costs, pain and suffering, lost wages, and more. Call (615) 256-8880 or contact us online today to learn more during a free consult.