Whether they result from contact with a hot surface or substance, a caustic chemical spill, or just accidental exposure to extreme heat or radiation, work-related burns can be exceptionally painful as well as uniquely debilitating. Even relatively minor burns can interfere with your ability to work and earn a living for weeks at a time, and more severe burns can result in permanent scarring and even a permanent loss of sensation and motor function in the impacted areas of your body.
This is a perfect example of the kind of injury that workers’ compensation is supposed to help with—but as any experienced workplace injury attorney can tell you, getting much-deserved workers’ comp benefits can be anything but simple in practice. Fortunately, a Summerlin workplace burn injury lawyer at Shook & Stone can help you enforce your rights and get the best result possible from your claim.
Understanding Degrees of Burn Injuries
Doctors categorize burn injuries in Summerlin workplaces and other places around Nevada into one of three degrees based on how deeply they penetrate the skin and how much damage they cause.
First-Degree Burns
First-degree burns only affect the outermost skin layer and generally clear up after a few days without any medical treatment beyond basic first aid, which means they may not be severe enough to justify a workers’ comp claim in the first place.
Second-Degree Burns
Second-degree burns damage multiple skin layers and may cause permanent scarring without—and sometimes even with—immediate professional medical care.
Third-Degree Burns
Third-degree burns cause exponentially worse damage to underlying fat layers, muscles, tendons, and sometimes bones.
Support from a seasoned Summerlin workplace burn accident attorney can be essential to getting compensated fairly for losses stemming from these types of burns, as well as to proving that they qualify as work-related injuries.
What Benefits May Be Available for Work-Related Burns?
Through a successful workers’ comp claim for a work-related burn, you can receive reimbursement for the costs of all reasonably necessary medical treatment you need to reach maximum medical improvement—in other words, to get as close to your pre-injury condition as is reasonably possible. If your injury prevents you from working for a short period of time, you can also receive temporary disability benefits to make up for lost work income. These are usually equal to about two-thirds of your average pre-injury income and are paid out on a weekly basis.
Finally, if you suffer permanent disfigurement or disability from a work-related burn injury in Summerlin, Rhodes Ranch, Sovana, or Sun City, your lawyer can help you extend your temporary disability benefits into permanent disability benefits. The value of these benefits will depend on your disability rating as your doctors assess it. You may also be able to get benefits covering vocational rehabilitation services if you need to switch careers because of the harm you have sustained.
Contact a Summerlin Workplace Burn Injury Attorney for Assistance
High-degree burns are one of the most consequential injuries anyone can suffer on a Nevada worksite. Unfortunately, the fact that these injuries are so severe does not mean they are easy to build successful workers’ comp claims around, especially if you have little or no experience in dealing with the workers’ comp system in the Silver State.
A Summerlin workplace burn injury lawyer from Shook & Stone can provide that experience and help you proactively pursue the benefits you need. Call us today to learn more.
