Seeking Medical Attention Following a Burn Injury in Nashville
Seeking medical attention following a burn injury in Nashville should be the injured party’s priority. The faster someone can get to an emergency room, have an ambulance come, or can immediately begin treating the burnt area, the shorter the recovery time will be. It can be critical to speak with a professional burn accident attorney about seeking medical help for your injury.
Important Steps to Take Following a Burn Accident
For a second or third-degree burn in Nashville, one of the best burn centers in the country is located at Vanderbilt. If an individual suffers a severe burn injury within a relatively large radius, that is where the emergency personnel will take the individual.
After they deal with the emergency of the burn, the doctor is either going to refer the individual to a dermatologist or for some plastic surgery, depending on what needs to be done. They will direct the person to the best follow-up care.
Seeking Medical Attention for a Minor Injury
If the burn is a truly superficial injury, then the individual does not have to seek medical attention. However, the individual should get a medical opinion on whether the injury is truly minor. A lot of times, it just looks like a bright red spot, but it can be severe. It can cause a lot of damage to one’s tissue.
If they are not sure if their burn is superficial, if it is over a large area of their body, if it seems that the pain is fairly intense, then the quicker they can get treatment, the faster the skin is going to heal. Time is important in burn cases because healthier skin makes it easier to avoid infections, which can be very dangerous.
Is Home Treatment an Option for Burns?
Seeking medical attention following a burn injury in Nashville does not always require a hospital. If the injury is truly minor, then the individual will most likely treat it at home. Drugstores will have anti-bacterial soap or antibiotic ointments that they can use on the burn at home. The person should run cool water over the wounded area to reduce pain and swelling and should wrap it loosely. A doctor can give an individual some tips as to how to treat the burns. A superficial burn will go away fairly quickly and, usually, treatment at home is fine for that situation.
How a Nashville Burn Injury Lawyer Can Help You
Every year, at least 450,000 Americans will suffer a burn injury that requires medical care. Of these, 3,500 will lose their life as a result of their burns. Sadly, a number of burn victims were injured because of the negligent actions of another person or party.
Our Nashville burn injury lawyers believe it is unfair for victims to be left with massive medical bills and severe pain when their suffering could have been avoided. Negligence can take many forms. Examples of how a person’s negligence can cause an innocent victim to be burned include:
- A company fails to adhere to safety guidelines for working with flammable liquids, caustic acids, or pressurized gases.
- A caretaker leaving a child unattended in an area where there are flames or other dangers, such as hot oil.
- A contractor building a home with faulty or cheap wiring that causes an electrical fire.
- An imparied driver causing an accident that results in the other car erupting into flames.
- A manufacturer producing and selling a defective product that is known to cause a fire (i.e. heated blankets, vehicle gas tanks, hair dryers, etc.).
All of these situations, and many others, could cause life threatening burn injuries. They also may cause victims to endure months, or years, of rehabilitation and surgery. In general, burn injuries cost more than other types of injuries. They also tend to be extremely painful with most leaving lasting scars.
Due to the severity of burn injuries, as well as the complications that these cases usually have, victims often require the assistance of a Nashville burn injury lawyer. If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury, and it was the result of negligence, please call The Higgins Firm to speak with a burn injury lawyer Nashville, Tennessee families can rely on.
Speaking With a Burn Accident Attorney
An attorney knows that seeking medical attention following a burn injury in Nashville can help document the accident. One of the easiest ways to do that is by photographs or videos. They should photograph their injuries and photograph how their injury progresses by taking daily photos.
If the person cannot physically take pictures, they can have their family members, a friend, or a nurse take a photograph or video of the treatment and the therapy that they go through.
The individual should not talk to insurance companies and should not post a lot on social media platforms. They should obey the doctor’s orders.