Every year, more than 1.1 million people in the United States are treated for burn injuries. Some wounds may be minor enough to heal on their own, but many others necessitate hospitalization and take months to recover.
Burn injury victims often require numerous surgeries and ongoing medical care for the rest of their lives. When it comes to representing workers who were seriously burned in workplace-related fires, blowouts, and explosions, the burn injury lawyers at Zehl & Associates have a consistent track record of recovering some of the largest verdicts and settlements in history. They will aggressively and thoroughly pursue maximum compensation for your burn injuries while ensuring that you receive the best medical care available.
Ryan Zehl and his team at Zehl & Associates have assisted hundreds of burn injury victims across Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and the United States who suffered catastrophic burns and recovered record-setting recoveries on their behalf.
They recently won a $90 million settlement, the #1 largest oilfield accident settlement in United States’ history, for an oilfield burn victim who sustained third-degree burns to 55% of his body during a blowout in West Texas. The prior year, they recovered a $100 million settlement for a group of refinery workers who suffered second and third-degree burns when a boiler exploded during a turnaround project.
Causes of Burn Injuries
The most common causes of workplace-related burn injuries include:
- Oilfield blowouts and explosions
- Industrial accidents and explosions
- Plant and refinery explosions
- Exposure to chemicals and hydrocarbons
Types of Burn Injuries
Burns can be classified into one of four categories:
A first-degree burn is the most common and insignificant type of burn and can usually be treated without medical attention. Scarring might develop, but it is often minimal.
A second-degree burn involves damage to the dermis and epidermis and usually results in some scarring and hyperpigmentation or discoloration.
Third-degree burns destroy the dermis and epidermis. These burns are extremely painful and require immediate medical attention.
Fourth-degree burns involve destruction to the dermis and epidermis, as well as to the surrounding muscle, tissue, and ligaments.
These burns require extensive hospitalization and, if not timely treated, can be fatal.
Complications that Result from burn injuries
Third and fourth-degree burns can cause a number of medical complications, ranging from isolated organ failure to sepsis and toxic shock.
How are Burns Treated?
Your doctor may advise you to undergo one of several possible treatments. In addition to narcotic analgesics to treat the pain, doctors may also recommend antibiotic topical creams and ointments to prevent further infections. Burn victims who suffer extensive tissue loss will also require skin grafts and reconstructive surgery.
Do I need to come up with the money for my medical care?
If you were seriously burned in a work-related accident or explosion, you would require significant and long-term medical care that can cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars. Zehl & Associates will devote whatever resources are necessary to ensure that these expenses, as well as your past and future lost wages and damages for your pain, suffering, and inability to do the things you enjoyed before the accident, are paid by the individuals and/or companies that caused the accident.
Who is responsible for my burn injury?
Explosions, fires, and blowouts shouldn’t happen.
When they do, there are usually a number of companies and contractors that caused or contributed to it. It’s critical to talk to an experienced burn injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident so that they can investigate the cause and determine which companies are responsible for your injuries.
Undefeated Burn Injury Lawyers
The burn injury lawyers at Zehl & Associates take cases on a contingency basis, meaning that you don’t pay them unless they win your case. In addition to being undefeated, their burn injury lawyers have consistently recovered billions for their clients, including the largest verdicts and settlements in history for burn injury victims across Texas and the United States.
