Boston Burn Injury Lawyers

Compassionate, tough advocacy when accidents cause burns and disfigurement

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Boston burn injury lawyer

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Burn injuries are frightening. While they happen, victims will likely experience unbearable pain. Many victims are taken to a local hospital emergency room or a specialized burn center, such as The Massachusetts General Hospital Sumner M. Redstone Burn Center. Victims may require several surgeries, including life-saving surgery, skin grafts, and plastic surgery. Burns can also cause a person to lose bodily function. For many victims, the psychological trauma of the event that caused the burn and the scars and disfigurement can be devastating.

At Santoro & Gray, we listen to your fears and concerns. Our Boston burn injury lawyers work with your surgeons, other medical specialists, psychologists, physical therapists, and other medical professionals. Our team has the skill and working relationships to hold drivers, property owners, manufacturers, and others accountable for all of the financial damages and personal trauma they cause. Call us today to assert your right to compensation and begin your journey forward.

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How Santoro & Gray can help you

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How common are burn injuries?

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According to the American Burn Association (based on ongoing national surveys, the Burn Care Quality Platform (BCQP) of the American Burn Association (ABA), the CDC, and other sources):

What are the different types of burns?

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The basic types of burn injuries, according to the National Institutes of Health, are:

  • Thermal burns: These burn injuries account for nearly 90 percent of all burns. They can be divided into scalding burns (burns caused by hot liquids) and dry heat burns – normally due to “direct contact with a flame or radiant heat [such as a fire].” These burns are “usually deep (partial or full thickness) and generally require surgical intervention.” Contact burns, which “result from direct contact with a hot object” (such as a radiator), also normally require surgery.
  • Electrical burns: These burns account for less than five percent of all burns. The most common victims are children and male manual workers. Possible sources include contact with downed power lines, power tools that don’t function correctly or aren’t used safely, and other causes.
  • Chemical burns: These burns account for nearly three percent of all burns. These burns often occur in industrial and domestic settings. Chemical burns are usually categorized as burns due to acids or alkalis.
  • Radiation burns: Radiation burns are generally caused by alpha (α), beta (β), and gamma (γ) rays. The sources may include the sun, X-ray machines, or radiation treatments.
Boston burn injury lawyer

How are burns classified?

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Stanford Health Care classifies burns as follows, based on their depth and severity:

  • First-degree (superficial) burns: These burns affect only the epidermis (the outer layer of skin). Symptoms include redness, pain, and dryness – but no blisters. A common example is a mild sunburn.
  • Second-degree (partial thickness) burns: These burns involve the epidermis and part of the dermis layer of skin. Symptoms include redness, blisters, pain, and possible swelling.
  • Third-degree (full-thickness) burns: These burns destroy the epidermis and dermis. These burns can also damage bones, muscles, and tendons. “The burn site appears white or charred. There is no sensation in the area since the nerve endings are destroyed.”

“Burns affecting 10 percent of a child's body and those affecting 15 to 20 percent of an adult's body are considered to be major injuries and require hospitalization and extensive rehabilitation.” All third-degree burns require immediate medical attention.

What types of events cause burn injuries in Boston?

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At Santoro & Gray, our lawyers work with fire officials, fire safety professionals, our own investigators, and other experts to show how your burns happened and why the burns were preventable. Our Boston burn injury lawyers question everyone with knowledge of your burns and your medical care. We also review any prior building code violations, recalls of defective products that could cause burns, and we review with you everything that led up to your burn injuries.

Some of the common causes of thermal and other burn injuries include the following:

  • Building/structural fires:The causes of these fires include owner or tenant negligence, unattended cigarettes, unwatched space heaters, barbecues, ovens, and various electric products.
  • Vehicle fires: These are often due to an accident that causes a fuel line to ignite.
  • Defective products: Fires may also be due to defective electrical products and appliances, defective smoke alarms, and defective sprinkler systems. Other defects that can cause fires are flammable children’s clothing and batteries.
  • Chemical exposures: In the home, these burns may be due to everyday household cleaners. At work, chemical burns may be due to dangerous chemicals used at construction sites, manufacturing sites, restaurants, and other locations.
  • Electrical exposures: These can be due to faulty wiring or wiring that isn’t properly installed or handled. Electrical failures can also cause shock and electrocution.

Who is responsible for burn injuries?

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At Santoro & Gray, once we understand how your burn injuries happened, we file personal injury and wrongful death claims against everyone responsible. The defendants usually include the following, depending on the cause of your burns:

  • Car, truck, motorcycle, rideshare, and other types of vehicle accidents: The responsible parties may include the driver, the driver’s employer, an owner, a seller of alcohol, or other people and companies.
  • Home fires: A homeowner or tenant is usually responsible. In some cases, a builder, contractor (such as an electrician), or architect may be liable.
  • Fires at construction or industrial sites: Independent contractors should have a burn injury claim against the owners of the site and various companies that worked at the site. Both employees and contractors may have a product liability claim against the manufacturers of defective machines, equipment, and tools.
  • Defective products: Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers may be strictly liable if their products cause burn injuries or fail to prevent burn injuries. When we file product liability claims, we generally assert some or all of the following claims against the defendants:
    • Strict liability if their products are defective because of faulty design, workmanship, warnings, or instructions.
    • Liability because they breached an express or implied warranty.
    • Negligence if they fail to comply with recall requirements or industry standards for their type of product.
Boston burn injury lawyer

What complications can burns cause?

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Possible complications from burns (according to the Cleveland Clinic), some of which may be life-threatening, include the following:

  • Infections
  • Scarring
  • Swelling
  • Dehydration and shock
  • Difficulty breathing (especially if there is soot or smoke)
  • Compartment syndrome (cutting off blood circulation)
  • Hypothermia
  • Organ damage or failure
  • Sepsis
  • Blood clots
  • Digestion and metabolism difficulties

What types of treatments do burn injuries require?

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The Cleveland Clinic identifies the following treatments, which depend on how severe the burns are.

Burn victims and emergency care providers should:

  • Remove the source of the burn, “like taking off clothing soaked in hot liquid to limit the burn’s severity.”
  • Run cool water over the burn (chemical burns may be an exception).
  • Keep the burn area clean and protect it from contamination.
  • Get medical help for all third-degree burns and for second-degree burns “that are larger than you can cover with your hand.”

Burn victims should not:

  • Use home remedies (for example, using bleach or butter on any burn).
  • Apply ointments/creams on burns that might be partial- or full-thickness.
  • Use ice to treat burns (this can make the burn worse).
  • Break burn blisters (breaking blisters increases your risk of an infection).

Medical providers will often use some or all of the following treatments for full and partial-thickness burns:

  • Medications and nerve blocks.
  • Removal of any dead or dying tissue and any debris.
  • Dressing the wound area with bandages.
  • Surgery may be necessary to help the burn heal. Skin grafts may be necessary.
  • Wound care. Burn injuries require specialized care to heal properly. Treatment may include removing damaged tissue (debridement), hyperbaric oxygen therapy, dressing management, and more.
  • Physical and occupational therapy.

Victims may also require plastic surgery to help improve the appearance of the burns.

Many burn victims need psychological (mental health) care to cope with the emotional trauma of the burn accident and with their scars and any disfigurement. Burn victims may suffer from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Massachusetts General Hospital (in Boston)has the following treatment programs for burn victims:

  • Burn Reconstruction Program
  • Burn, Acute and Critical Care Program
  • Laser & Scar Treatment Program
  • Lester and Nancy Fraser Outpatient Burn Center
  • Psychiatry Service at the Burn Center
  • The Wound Center at Mass General

How much is my burn injury claim worth in Massachusetts?

At Santoro & Gray, we understand how traumatic burn injuries are, physically and emotionally. We work with your burn care physicians to demonstrate the severity of your burns, the treatments you’re receiving, and how your burns are affecting every part of your life. We listen to you and your family to fully understand all your pain, worries, fears, and hopes. Our Boston burn injury lawyers also work with your employers and other witnesses to confirm all your other damages.

We demand compensation for all of your current and future:

  • Medical expenses
  • Income losses
  • Pain and suffering
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Loss of bodily function
  • Inability to enjoy life’s pleasures, including the inability to enjoy the comfort and intimacy of your spouse (loss of consortium)

Do you have a Boston burn injury lawyer near me?

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Yes. We meet burn injury victims and families at our Boston Office located at 131 Dartmouth Street, 3rd Floor, Suite 35. Our lawyers consult with clients by phone and through online video consultations. If your burn injuries make it too difficult to travel, we can arrange to meet with you at your home or a nearby healthcare facility.

We’re here to answer your questions and guide you calmly and clearly through the claims process.

Get help by calling our Boston burn injury lawyers now

At Santoro & Gray, we understand how devastating traumatic burn injuries are. Even with extensive treatment, it can be hard for burn injury victims to move forward. Our team works to help you regain the physical strength, emotional confidence, and financial resources to work, function, and enjoy current and new friendships and relationships. Please call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We handle burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis.