Should you become the victim of a fiery car crash in Michigan, you could sustain catastrophic burns. Unfortunately, car crash burns represent some of the most serious burns a person can suffer.
The American Burn Association lists the following four types of burns you likely will sustain should your car burst into flames as a result of your crash:
- Thermal burns result from the flames of the fire or one of your car’s hot surfaces coming into contact with your body.
- Scald burns result from a hot liquid (coffee, gasoline, etc.) coming into contact with your body.
- Chemical burns result from a caustic liquid (antifreeze, transmission fluid, etc.) coming into contact with your body.
- Electrical burns result from a live electrical source coming into contact with your body.
Burn seriousness
In terms of the seriousness of the burns you can suffer in a fiery car crash, they go from first-degree, the least serious, to fourth-degree, the most serious. In all likelihood, you have already suffered either a first- or second-degree burn at some time during your life. These types of burns are only skin deep and usually result from a sunburn.
Both third- and fourth-degree burns represent life-threatening emergencies calling for immediate medical intervention. Unlike first- and second-degree burns that affect only your skin, third- and fourth-degree burns are deep ones that damage the tissues and nerves underneath your skin. In fact, a fourth-degree burn goes all the way down to your bones.
In addition to being extremely painful, burns take a long time to heal. You can expect to remain in the hospital burn unit for a significant period of time where you likely will need to undergo numerous painful debridements as well as several skin grafts and/or other surgeries so as to minimize the severe scarring that major burns nearly always produce.
This is general educational information and not intended to provide legal advice.
