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Each year there are tens of thousands of burn injuries that happen in car accidents. Burns can be the result of direct contact with fire or a chemical or thermal burn from the airbag explosion.

Car accident fires can produce intense heat. If a fuel line or gas tank ruptures and catches fire, the core of the fire can be as hot as 1650°F. The pressure from the heat can cause parts of the car to explode, sending flames and hot metal toward onlookers.

Burn injuries are among the most painful the body can suffer—and severe burn injuries, such as third degree burns, can be fatal. A burn victim can suffer severe psychological trauma because of chronic pain, scarring, and disfigurement. The amount of pain depends on the extent of nerve damage.

Burns are classified according to the extent of tissue damage. Depending on the degree of the burn, the damage can include the epidermis, dermis, blood vessels, tendons, muscles, and bones. First degree burns are superficial, affecting just the epidermis. The top layer of skin is red and may be painful for a few days. The skin may even peel, but there is no blistering. A second degree burn goes through all of the layers of the epidermis and may reach the top layer of dermis. There is blistering, which inceases the possibility of infection. In a third degree burn, all of the skin is destroyed and the burn gets into the fatty tissue, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and even the bone. With third degree burns, there is a very real danger of extensive, life-threatening infection and shock.

Serious burn injuries usually cause significant scarring, and sometimes permanent disfigurement. There are new methods of plastic surgery that have improved patient outcomes, but the scars can never be totally eradicated. The victims are left to face a lifetime of disfigurement and disability.

If you have suffered a burn injury in a car accident that was not your fault, you deserve fair compensation. You need to retain an expert — one that has successfully handled burn injuries. Here is an example of the effectiveness of our representation:

Joe was seriously burned in a workplace accident while he was installing a loading dock door. Joe retained a personal injury firm, but fired them when they failed to get anything done. It was at this point that Joe learned for the first time that the insurance company had made an offer to settle his case in the amount of $25,000.

Joe then hired TSR Injury Law and Partner Chuck Slane took over the case. He had to recreate the file and investigate the accident several years after it had taken place. During the course of that investigation it was discovered that the defendant had violated numerous OSHA rules which led to Joe’s injuries. The insurance company raised their offer to $100,000. That offer was rejected and the case was tried to a jury which found the Defendant 100% responsible for the accident and gave a verdict in the amount of $1.9 million.

Contact our Minnesota Car Accident Lawyers at 612-362-0000. We will fight for your rights. You may be able to obtain compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, loss of potential earning ability, pain and suffering, and disfigurement.