California Personal Injury Law Case Notes : California Personal Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Kristine Meredith : The Danko Law Firm : Car Accidents & Product Liability

When a friend or family member suffers a catastrophic medical event, he is often at a loss for the best way to show concern and to offer support. An article in The Pheonix Society focuses on the needs and issues of burn victims. Here are some specifics dos and don’ts for hospital visits and the post-hospital recovery period:

• Don’t send or bring flowers. Although a well-intentioned first instinct ,if someone is hospitalized or recuperating at home, flowers present a potential risk. The bacteria carried by real flowers may threatened the patients weakened immune system.
• Do send a humorous book or a blank journal.
• Don’t stare or avoid eye contact. Burn patients usually have a greatly heightened awareness of their appearance.
• Do try to look at them squarely and naturally. Be aware of your body language and the messages your non-verbal cues may be sending.
•  Don’t lie. The patient knows they have physical changes and a serious condition. It is unlikely you “know how they feel”. So don’t say it.
• Do listen and acknowledge their feelings. An appropriate response: “I can see that this is a really difficult time. I’ll be here for you.
• Don’t make vague offers to help.Do help. Be proactive with suggestions such as “I will set up child care for the week or walk your dog every morning”. Assume the offer will be accepted and ask for specific instructions.
• Don’t pressure the victim to make a decision about filing a lawsuit.
• Do research names of attorneys who specialize in the issues that gave rise to the victim’s injuries. Experienced attorneys can consult with the family and help preserve important evidence or gather witness statements.

A strong support system of family and friends is invaluable to a burn patient. Most burn patients say the things people DO are more important than the things people SAY.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Victims with full thickness burns, as discussed here, on their arms and legs experience tremendous swelling from the fluids necessary to heal. The swelling puts pressure on the nerves and tissues of the healthy sections of the burned limbs.  The pressure may cause a complete loss of blood flow and tissue damage to the distal limb.  To relieve the pressure and promote blood flow, the burn surgeon may perform the following procedures:

• Escharotomy -- slitting of the burned skin (eschar);
• Fasciotomy -- slitting of the burned  skin and splitting of the fascia (the thick white covering of the muscle) to inspect how the muscle is doing.

Although gruesome, the surgeons often take photos before and after the procedure to document the health of the tissue and progression toward recovery.  Such photos may be helpful to educate the jury about the victim's pain and suffering.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Full thickness (third and fourth degree) burn victims suffer pain: 

• Nerves may partially function.  
• Burns on arms and legs cause swelling and pressure on the nerves and tissues of the healthy sections of the burned limbs.
• Repeated painful interventions to prevent infection and promote healing.

Burn pain worsens over time:

Unlike other types of trauma, in which pain over time plateaus or diminishes, the interventions necessary to prevent infection and promote healing actually worsen the pain of burn injury. 

Pain continues after scars heal:

• Joint and skin stiffness 
• Relentless itching
• Emotional pain of scars and physical deformity

Because of the long, complicated, painful path to recovery, we advise family members of burn victims to photograph the various medical interventions necessary to promote recovery. Photographs of the stages of recovery may help the victims see their improvement and communicate the painful recovery process to a jury.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Overview of burn depths

 Partial thickness burns:

 First degree burns (superficial):

•  May blister and peel in a few days (ie. sunburn). 
• Heals in 3-6 days
• Generally no scarring
• Topical creams provide relief
• Antibiotics not needed
• Drink water

Second degree burns (deeper partial thickness):

• Blisters are typical.
• Heals in 14-21 days.
• Blisters provide biologic dressing and comfort. (Don’t be in a hurry to break the blisters.)
• Once blisters break, red raw surface will be very painful.
• Usually do not require surgery.

Full thickness burns:

Third degree burns (full thickness): 

• Waxy, white, tan or charred and possibly blistered.  
• Swelling and hair loss are always present. 
• May have areas of no sensation because the nerve endings are damaged. 
• The area surrounding the full thickness burn is usually painful.
• Natural healing of small burns is possible but with risk of infection and scarring. 
• Surgery is usually required. 

Fourth degree (deep full thickness):

• Charred and hard to the touch.  
• The burn extends past the dermis into the tissue, muscle and bone. 
• Even after the skin is no longer in contact with the heat source, damage may continue in the remaining cells. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link