If you were in a car accident in New York that was not your fault and the collision left you with severe burns and other injuries, you might be eligible for compensation. Call our lawyers for burns suffered in car accidents today to discuss possible compensation. You shouldn’t have to suffer any more than you already have, and you should not be expected to incur the additional costs and expenses associated with your accident and injuries, especially since the crash was not your fault. Like all New York residents, you have the right to pursue compensation for your injuries and your pain and suffering, but you may not know where to begin. The New York City car accident attorneys of Hach & Rose, LLP have been fighting for the rights of New York City residents who suffered burn injuries and other catastrophic injuries in car crashes for nearly 25 years. During that time, we recovered more than a billion dollars in total settlements and verdicts for our injury clients, and just since 2018, our lawyers have won more than 5,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases. We are here when you need us, and we promise to do all we can to help you get the maximum compensation you’re owed. To receive a free evaluation of your claim from one of our top-ranked attorneys, you can contact us at 212-779-0057 or through our online contact form.

Burns Caused by Car Accidents

Burn injuries are the most painful and debilitating injuries a person can suffer. Burn injuries can leave you with a severely reduced quality of life. Burns can result from many causes, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) lists the following as among the most common:

• Heat and fire
• Electricity
• Chemicals
• Friction

Car accidents can potentially create fire, heat, and friction, but they can also expose occupants to electrical currents and chemical spills that can cause severe burn injuries.

Fire and Heat

During a collision, a vehicle can easily catch fire. All automobiles, including electric ones, contain oil, grease, and lubricants that can act as fire accelerants, and petroleum-powered vehicles obviously have gasoline or diesel fuel tanks. What’s more, some vehicles, such as RVs, have propane tanks used for cooking and heat, or a vehicle could be pulling a tanker trailer, a camper, or even a boat, each of which could contain flammable liquids and gas. Any of these items could start a fire in a car accident, leading to serious, even life-threatening, burns for those involved in the crash. Even a car’s tires can easily catch fire since they are made of flammable materials.

Electrical Burns

Every motor vehicle on the road has electrical components. Fully electric vehicles run on massive body-wide batteries, and petroleum-powered vehicles have batteries for starting the vehicles and storing current. Additionally, all vehicles have virtually miles of electrical cables and wires, fuse boxes, and other electrical devices. It does not take much voltage to create an electrical burn to the skin, and electricity can potentially cause life-threatening effects and damage to the heart and other internal organs.

Chemicals

Along with open flames, burn injuries in car accidents can also result from contact with hot engine parts, exhaust components, such as the muffler or tailpipe, and other hot surfaces. Batteries store electricity through caustic chemicals that can easily burn your skin. Brake fluid, wiper fluid, transmission fluid, and other necessary liquids throughout the vehicle can also cause horrible and disfiguring injuries on contact with human skin, especially if heated to a high degree or mixed together to produce a more toxic and caustic solution. During a car accident, the tanks and cases that store these chemicals and fluids can rupture and spew their contents throughout the wreckage. In addition, a vehicle could be transporting caustic chemicals that spill out due to the collision. For instance, you could have returned from the store with a bottle of bleach in your back seat that ruptured and spilled all over you in the crash.

Friction

The UPMC defines a friction burn as one in which the “skin repeatedly rubs against another surface or is scraped against a hard surface.” A victim’s skin will invariably rub or scrape against a hard surface in virtually every car accident. The steering wheel, door panels, dashboard, and roadway can all cause friction burns, as can the airbags and even your seatbelt. Your skin can come into contact with many types of surfaces during a collision that can cause a serious friction burn injury that requires immediate medical care.

Different Degrees of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries are divided into three separate classifications: first-degree, second-degree, and third-degree.

• First-degree burns are the least serious, affecting only the top layer of skin and typically requiring only first aid or over-the-counter remedies.
• Second-degree burns affect the top and underlying layers of skin and are more serious. They can require medical treatment beyond basic first aid, likely a trip to the emergency room.
• Third-degree burns are extremely serious and damage or destroy all layers of the skin, as well as the nerves, follicles, and glands. These burns require immediate and intensive medical treatment and will most likely require skin graft surgery to repair. They can also cause a victim to go into life-threatening shock.

Contact Us Today for Help with Your Burn Injuries Caused by a Car Accident

If you suffered burn injuries in a New York car accident caused by another person’s negligence, you can pursue compensation for your accident-related losses. At Hach & Rose, LLP, we understand exactly what you are going through and are fully prepared to help you get the money you deserve. At no upfront cost to you, we will evaluate your claim with the utmost honesty and integrity, and you can rely on us to fight tirelessly on your behalf to help you get justice. You can contact us at 212-779-0057 or through our contact page to schedule a free consultation with one of our award-winning lawyers.