Burn injuries have different degrees that determine the severity of the wound. Depending on the damage caused by a burn, they are divided into first, second, third, and fourth degrees. A severe burn injury can have long-lasting repercussions if not treated with utmost care. Often the victims of burn injuries suffer from physical, emotional, and psychological challenges after their accident due to the trauma.
Burn injuries leave victims with horrifying scars and even disfigurement, severely affecting their mental health. To ensure you are at least compensated economically to treat your injuries and control the severity of your wounds, hire a Cherry Hill, NJ personal injury attorney as soon as possible to secure your rights.
Risk factors that determine the severity of a burn injury
- Age
Believe it or not, your age plays a significant role in determining how a burn injury can affect you and how resistant your body is to protect you from the burn. Moreover, young people also have a higher endurance level than older adults, which helps them survive second and third-degree burns. However, if someone is old, they are most likely to suffer from severe medical complications in a burn injury case; they might not even survive the accident.
Most older adults have underlying health complications like diabetes, sclerosis, heart diseases, etc., that can worsen because of a burn injury and might lead to coma, permanent paralysis, or even death.
- Depth
Another factor to consider is depth. The depth here means how deeply the burn has penetrated a person’s body and affected their organs. For example, if the burn has affected the person’s skin, it will likely heal with time and make the person fit. However, it might leave a lifelong scar on the person’s skin as it severely damages the affected area’s muscles.
Another example is if the burn penetrates the skin and affects the nerves and veins of the victim. In such situations, the person can suffer several medical complications as the burn affects the internal structure beneath the skin and some tissues. These types of burns are third- or fourth-degree burns, which can risk an injured person’s life.
- How much body area was covered by the burn?
Suppose someone is affected by a deep burn. In that case, however, the affected area is considerably limited, and the severity of the burn is much less than someone whose body is covered with the burn injury more prominently.