In the last 12 months approximately 2.5 million burn victims were reported in the United States. Burn injuries can be extremely painful and result in both physical and emotional damage. The severity of a burn depends on the person’s age, size, depth of burn and the location of the burn.

Burns are classified as first, second, or third degree depending on the extent of damage to the skin. First degree burns affect only the top layer of skin and are considered the mildest of the three types. Second degree burns are more severe and affect the skin layers underneath and can result in blisters and severe pain. Third degree burns are the most severe and involve all the layers of the skin as well as the underlying tissue and can result in nerve damage.

Persons sustain burn injuries from home and work fires, work injuries, automobile collisions and other unexpected tragedies. Smoke inhalation is an injury associated with fires and burns and can be extremely serious; there are hundreds of known toxic substances that can be present in fire smoke. When inhalation injuries are combined with external burns, the chance of death can increase significantly.

Many burn injury victims suffer because of defective products that either burn them directly, or cause a fire. A large percentage of burn victims are firefighters because of their regular interaction with fires in their line of duty. According to the National Fire Protection Association, approximately 5,000 American fire fighters suffer burn injuries each year. Many of those same firefighters suffer inhalation injuries, too.

For over 30 years Chicago’s Kreisman Law Offices has represented clients in very serious and catastrophic burn injury cases. If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury, you may have a personal injury claim or a defective product claim. Please call Chicago Injury Lawyer Robert Kreisman 24 hours a day at (312) 346-0045 or toll free at (800) 583-8002 for a free and immediate consultation, or fill out our contact form online.