Erie, Pennsylvania Burn Injury Lawyers

Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers Represent Burn Injury Victims in Erie County and Throughout PA

Almost everyone has suffered from some type of burn injury at some point in their life—burns can occur in a second even when conducting everyday activities and accidentally touching a hot pan on the stove or spilling a cup of steaming hot tea. Not all victims of severe burn injuries are fortunate enough to recover quickly or even at all, however—and the most severe burn injuries can result in permanent disfigurement or death. When a third party’s negligent actions caused the accident that led to your burn injuries, you need a skilled personal injury lawyer to fight for your right to recover full and fair compensation from that negligent party.

The dedicated team of burn injury lawyers at Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. have decades’ of experience successfully advocating for burn injury victims’ rights in the Pennsylvania courts throughout Erie and Western PA. We take a collaborative approach in representing clients so that you can rest assured that we will build the most innovative and comprehensive strategy for recovering compensation in your case.

Severity of Burn Injuries Impact Level of Available Compensation

Burn injuries, in the medical context, are typically characterized by both type and severity. The primary types of burns include:

• Light burn injuries. This category includes sunburns. Light burn injuries are most commonly caused by the sun, or by ultraviolet lights.
• Thermal burns. Thermal burns are caused by contact with hot liquids, steam, fire or even electrical currents.
• Chemical burns. Exposure to various types of chemicals, including acid, can cause severe chemical burns. Chemical explosions can also lead to chemical burns.
• Radiation burns. Radiation burns are rare, and are caused by exposure to radioactive materials—i.e., nuclear radiation.

Any type of burn can be severe, and the severity of the burn injury will depend upon the length of exposure, as well as the source and intensity of the material that caused the burn. Although all levels of a burn injury can result in severe and lasting consequences, in general, a third-degree burn is the most serious type of burn, and a first-degree burn is typically a less serious injury, as such:

• First degree burns. First degree burns typically cause minor damage to the top layer of the skin and appear to be red with minor inflammation.
• Second-degree burns. A second-degree burn causes damage to the dermis, meaning the layers of skin beneath the top, surface layer of skin, and can lead to blistering, extensive redness and swelling.
• Third-degree burns. The most serious of burn injuries, third-degree burns damage all layers of the skin, and can even damage the victim’s internal organs. With this severity of burn injury, the wound is typically white or black, dry and even charred-looking. Permanent nerve damage and other permanent injuries can result from a third-degree burn.