Significant costs associated with severe burn injuries Burns are common injuries. Many Texans have suffered sunburns from spending too much time outdoors on warm, clear days. Others have suffered inadvertent singes when they have touched hot kitchen items. There are many ways that individuals can suffer burn injuries, and while most heal on their own, some burns are significant and life-threatening. Burns from fire, heat, electricity, and chemicals can inflict serious pain on victims. When they cover large portions of victims’ bodies, burns can cause widespread damage to different anatomical functions and processes. Some victims tragically lose their lives when the severe burns they have suffered are too extensive to treat. When an individual suffers a severe burn injury, they will likely require extensive medical intervention for the assessment and treatment of their condition. A 2011 study on acute burn patients found that, when compared to victims of other traumatic injuries, burn victims spent more time in hospitals and incurred higher medical costs. For a victim of a burn injury, managing the repayment of life-saving medical care may result in the expenditure of tens of thousands of dollars. The treatments that a burn victim may have to endure to recover can be painful and significant. Beyond managing pain and infections, burn victims sometimes must endure skin grafts and surgeries in order to repair damaged parts of their bodies. For those who suffer internal burns from smoke and chemical inhalations, breathing and feeding assistance may be needed to preserve the victims’ lives. The more severe of a burn a victim suffers, the more extensive and costlier their treatment may become. Like victims of other serious injuries, burn victims often must go through occupational therapy to re-learn how to perform basic and everyday tasks. An individual who suffers significant losses due to a burn accident may be limited in the work they can perform after their injury and the contributions that they can make to their families. If a burn victim cannot return to their job, or must take on work that pays significantly less than what they made before suffering their injuries, they may experience the secondary financial loss of reduced income from their personal injury event. Long hospitalizations, painful treatments, lost wages, mounting bills, and ongoing suffering may all plague a burn victim as they recover from a horrific accident or event. No victim should be forced to cover the costs of their own losses when the negligence or recklessness of another person led to their extensive distress. For victims of severe burn injuries, litigation may be an option for seeking the recovery of their damages. This post does not provide its readers with any medical or legal advice. All questions regarding burn-based personal injury cases should be directed to knowledgeable Texas attorneys.