Burns can cause some of the worst injuries that a person can endure, potentially leading to horrible scarring and a lifetime of pain and extremely expensive treatment.

Estimates vary, but between 500,000 and 2 million people in the United States are treated for burns every year. 40,000 of these people are hospitalized for their burns, 25,000 in specialized burn units.

About 4000 people die from burn accidents annually. 3500 of these people are injured in residential fires. The rest of them are hurt in public building fires, airplane accidents, automobile accidents, and from chemical, electrical, and other burns. About a third of these victims are children, but the elderly are also particularly susceptible.

Burns are generally classified in degrees, with first degree the lightest and fourth degree the worst. Fourth degree burns affect deep tissue, muscle, and bone, and can cause a lifetime of pain and suffering.

Fire is not the only culprit in burn accidents. Many household chemicals can burn, either through direct contact with the skin, by igniting on their own, or by acting as an accelerant in a house fire. These household chemicals are often labeled incorrectly for fire hazard. One medicated shampoo, for instance, actually caught on fire. Mislabeling dangerous household chemicals can be the basis of legal action.

Other injuries that may be actionable against a product manufacturer can come from house fires caused by faulty electrical heaters, from flammable clothing, from hot water heaters making the water too hot, and from defective smoke detectors.

Work- related burn injuries may also be actionable. Burn victims at work have received damage awards after being forced to operate unsafe equipment and for burns from exploding plastic resin, escaped steam, acid burns, molten metal, and many other work hazards.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of an accident that caused a burn injury, you may be entitled to compensation for medical care, loss of income, disfigurement, pain, suffering, and more.

One positive note is that the medical treatment for burn victims has improved tremendously in recent years. There are now about 100 centers around the country that specialize in treating the ongoing effects of crippling burn accidents. This is a fantastic improvement, but, at the same time, the treatment of severe burns requires the most up-to-date facilities and a high degree of specialization among the medical staff, and can cost upwards of $200,000 a year.

At Gilbert, Ollanik & Komyatte, our clients always come first. Our team is here to help you and your family through what is certainly a difficult time. We recognize the difficulties associated in treating a child with severe burn injuries, which is why we support wholeheartedly The Children's Hospital Burn Unit. For several decades, the burn units at Children's Hospitals' throughout the country have been committed to providing the highest standard of care for pediatric burn patients and providing burn prevention education.

The attorneys of Gilbert, Ollanik & Komyatte are highly experienced in this area of law. If you or a member of your family are the victim of a severe burn injury, contact the lawyers of Gilbert, Ollanik & Komyatte, P.C. today.