Injuries from Burns
Burns are a leading cause of accidental death in the United States; about 8,000 people die in fires annually. Burns are tissue injuries caused by thermal, electrical, or chemical agents, or by radiation. The extent of the injury depends on the type of agent, the duration of the exposure to it, and its intensity of action. Tissues that are in direct contact with the agent (for example, the skin and the mucosa of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts) are damaged most quickly, but the systemic effects of severe burns are generally a greater threat to life than the local effects.
Thermal burns are caused by flame, steam, or hot liquids. The human body's response to external temperature change is regulated by constriction or dilation of the blood vessels, and by brain activity. When the body is exposed to extreme temperatures, these compensatory mechanisms are overwhelmed and local tissue destruction occurs. With protracted exposure, local cellular damage will occur in temperatures under 44° centigrade (112° Fahrenheit). From 44 to 51 degrees C. (112 to 124 degrees F.), with even limited exposure, the rate of cellular destruction doubles with each degree increase. At temperatures greater than 51 degrees C. (124 degrees F.), a brief exposure destroys the epidermis layer of the skin, and at those above 70 degrees (158 degrees F.) an extremely brief exposure causes total skin destruction.
Obviously, a person is likely to encounter temperatures much higher than needed to cause skin destruction in numerous common household accidents, which frequently result in painful, but localized, burns. The factor that distinguishes serious burns from insignificant accidents is area of exposure, which may in turn be affected by extraneous factors, including circumstances such as the presence of flammable clothing or other flammable material on or near the victim.
The Law Office of Harold D. Thompson has experience in a wide variety of burn cases including thermal burns, cigarette lighter burns, hot drink litigation burns, chemical burns, electrical burns, sunburns, burns from x-rays and other radiation related burns. Call our office today for a free case evaluation
Thermal burns are caused by flame, steam, or hot liquids. The human body's response to external temperature change is regulated by constriction or dilation of the blood vessels, and by brain activity. When the body is exposed to extreme temperatures, these compensatory mechanisms are overwhelmed and local tissue destruction occurs. With protracted exposure, local cellular damage will occur in temperatures under 44° centigrade (112° Fahrenheit). From 44 to 51 degrees C. (112 to 124 degrees F.), with even limited exposure, the rate of cellular destruction doubles with each degree increase. At temperatures greater than 51 degrees C. (124 degrees F.), a brief exposure destroys the epidermis layer of the skin, and at those above 70 degrees (158 degrees F.) an extremely brief exposure causes total skin destruction.
Obviously, a person is likely to encounter temperatures much higher than needed to cause skin destruction in numerous common household accidents, which frequently result in painful, but localized, burns. The factor that distinguishes serious burns from insignificant accidents is area of exposure, which may in turn be affected by extraneous factors, including circumstances such as the presence of flammable clothing or other flammable material on or near the victim.
The Law Office of Harold D. Thompson has experience in a wide variety of burn cases including thermal burns, cigarette lighter burns, hot drink litigation burns, chemical burns, electrical burns, sunburns, burns from x-rays and other radiation related burns. Call our office today for a free case evaluation