Philadelphia Burn Injury Lawyer
Burns are one of the most painful types of injuries, and they are one of the last things a patient entering a hospital expects to receive from a healthcare provider. However, much of the equipment used in hospitals poses burn risks to patients if not properly maintained or used as designed. If a doctor, nurse, technician, or other healthcare provider’s medical treatment led to a burn injury, or you were misdiagnosed or treated outside of the standard of care for burn injuries you entered the hospital with, you have grounds for a medical malpractice claim. The Philadelphia burn injury lawyer at The Villari Firm, PLLC is here to help you get the results you need to get back on your feet.
Your Healthcare Provider Caused a Burn
Healthcare providers use a variety of devices, equipment, and other medical materials and medications that greatly improve the outcome of patients. Many of these same devices and medical equipment can also cause severe burns if used improperly, for too long, or the equipment is defective. Surgery rooms are filled with combustible oxygen, MRIs can malfunction or the operator can make serious errors, and laser surgery can go awry.
- Defective/malfunctioning medical equipment
- MRI machines
- Radiation treatments
- Laser treatment and laser surgery
- Chemical burns
- Surgical room fires
- Electric hypothermia blankets
Your Healthcare Provider Failed to Properly Diagnose or Treat Your Burn Injury
Serious burn injuries often require careful monitoring, frequent dressing changes, skin grafts, IV fluid treatments, pain management, and more. Failure to identify or treat a burn wound is another type of medical malpractice. If a healthcare provider deviates from the standard of care, such as not properly addressing a third degree burn, or not taking the necessary precautions to avoid the risk of infection in the burn, the patient can seek damages from the hospital.
Damages in a Medical Malpractice Burn Injury Claim
- Medical expenses
- Projected cost of future medical care
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of joy of life
- Emotional distress
- Lost earning ability
- Lost wages
Four Degrees of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are graded on a first through fourth degree scale. Unless the patient has a very large second degree burn surface area, usually only third and fourth degree burns require hospitalization. However, any burn injury caused by a healthcare provider can be grounds for a malpractice suit.
- First-degree burn—Only the epidermis, or outer layer of skin, is burned
- Second-degree burn—The epidermis and part of the dermis is burned
- Third-degree burn—All layers of the skin are burned
- Fourth-degree burn—The underlying muscle, tendon, and/or bone is burned (amputation is typically required)
Contact a Philadelphia Burn Injury Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one suffered a serious burn injury that was caused by a healthcare provider, or if you or a loved one did not receive proper medical treatment for a burn injury that you/they already had, you may be entitled to compensation. Do not hesitate to contact our Philadelphia burn injury lawyers at The Villari Firm today at 215-372-8889 for a free consultation.
