Few things are more terrifying than a fiery car crash. Unfortunately, if you become the victim of one in Georgia, the results could be catastrophic burns that leave lasting scars.
The American Burn Association explains that you actually can suffer the following four kinds of burns in a fiery car crash:
- Thermal burns caused by the fire’s flames or one of your car’s exceedingly hot surfaces
- Electrical burns caused by one or more of your car’s live electrical wires or, if you hit a power pole, a hanging power line
- Scald burns caused by exceedingly hot liquids such as gasoline or even coffee
- Chemical burns caused by a caustic fluid such as antifreeze, transmission fluid, etc.
Burn degrees
In addition to four different types of burns, you can suffer four degrees of burns ranging from first-degree to fourth-degree. The degree of your burn depends on its seriousness. First- and second-degree burns affect only your skin. Most people get these kinds of burns from the sun when they stay outdoors too long in the summer months without adequate sunscreen and other protections. A second-degree burn can be quite painful and cause your skin to blister, ultimately peeling off to reveal tender new skin.
Both third- and fourth-degree burns result in life-threatening injuries. Here the fiery car crash burns not only your skin, but also your underlying tissues, muscles, tendons and nerves. In a fourth-degree burn, the most serious of all, the burn goes all the way into your bones.
Needless to say, if you receive burns in a car crash, you will face significant time in the hospital, including in the burn unit, while your burns heal. You likely will need to undergo multiple surgeries and skin grafts to minimize the disfiguring scarring that serious burns always produce.
This is general educational information and not intended to provide legal advice.
