Burn Injury

• Hospitals and surgery centers are fast-paced and high-pressure workplaces.
• Most medical staff work long hours, with few breaks.
• Instrumentation used during an operation can be defective.
• Surgeons sometimes rely on the memory of nurses and themselves instead of charts.

Although there is a high amount of medical negligence in our nation, the number of medical malpractice suits is relatively low. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have been hurt by the carelessness of a medical practitioner.

Burns are classified depending on their severity and the depth to which they penetrate the skin.

• First-degree burns. These are superficial and burn only the outer layer of the skin. The burn site is red and dry but no blisters form. These burns generally completely heal and do not leave scars.
• Second-degree burns. These burns penetrate the skin through the epidermis, the outer layer of skin, and to the dermis, the second layer of skin. The site appears red and blistered. It is often swollen and painful.
• Third-degree burns. Third-degree burns destroy the epidermis and the dermis and may even damage the muscles, tendons, and bones. The burn site appears white or charred. The burn area is numb since the nerve endings have been destroyed. Although the burn area is painless, the area around the burn will likely be painful. Third-degree burns can be life-threatening and for sure life-alternating. Even so, first-degree and second-degree burns are generally more physically painful since the nerve endings are destroyed in third-degree burns.
• Fourth-degree burns. This is when the burn is so severe that nerves, tendons, muscles, and bones are damaged or destroyed. Fourth-degree burns are often fatal.

A severe burn affects not only the one who was burned, but the entire family. The burned person often suffers from physical restraints and is unable to use one or more limbs. There may be scarring, frequent infections, and the need for repeated reconstructive surgery.

Burn victims also suffer from depression and flashbacks to the event that caused the burn. They grieve over the loss of their former life.

Depending on the severity of the burn, many burn victims require treatment at a specialized burn center. These burn centers have a team who works with the patient to help them, as much as possible, return to their pre-burn life.

The specialized care is expensive and includes team members who are:

• Burn specialist physicians and nurses.
• Physiatrists. These are doctors who are specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
• Plastic surgeons.
• Internists and infectious disease specialists to treat infections.
• Psychiatrists and psychologists.
• Physical therapists.
• Occupational therapists.
• Respiratory therapists.

And more, depending on the severity and location of the burn.

Our office is in Anderson SC, and we serve all those in South Carolina who need our help including those in:

• Anderson
• Spartanburg
• Simpsonville
• Seneca
• Piedmont
• Greenville
• Powdersville
• Pickens
• Travelers Rest
• Easley
• Mauldin
• Columbia
• Charleston
• Myrtle Beach
• Rock Hill
• Hilton Head
• Greenwood
• Abbeville
• Laurens
• Darlington
• Newberry
• Mount Pleasant
• Georgetown
• Lexington