How Common Is Nerve Damage from a Burn Injury?

Posted on September 1, 2020 in Burn Injury

Burn injuries are often severe and can leave victims with tremendous pain and suffering. Burn injuries are classified based on severity, and the classification generally revolves around the depth of the burn injury. When a burn is very large or goes deep into a person’s skin, it can present incredible challenges for the victim. In some cases, nerve injuries that affect every aspect of a person’s life can occur. Here, we want to discuss how a burn injury may affect the nerves and whether or not this type of injury could impact a personal injury claim.

Burn injuries and nerve damage

According to the American Burn Association, nearly half a million people receive medical treatment for burn injuries each year across the country. A burn injury can affect the nerves of the body if the burn disrupts or damages the neuropathic system. Most burn injury survivors do report some kind of nerve reactions to the burn injury. Commonly, this results in feelings of tingling, numbness, weakness, pain, burning, and sensitivity to touch. In other severe burn injury cases, victims may not be able to feel their nerves at all.

Burn injuries are typically classified from first-degree (least severe) to fourth-degree (most severe). In general, third- and fourth-degree burns can damage or completely destroy nerve endings.

Many burn injury patients experience shooting or burning pains on the burn site or around the burn injury due to nerve damage in the region. This type of pain is often described as feeling “electric” for the patient and can be uncomfortable and severely painful while a patient is undergoing recovery. Direct nerve damage and the process of nerve regeneration can lead to long-lasting neuropathic pain.

A burn injury patient may be able to make a recovery after sustaining nerve damage, but there are also times when the damage is too severe for a patient to make a full recovery.

Nerve damage after a burn and personal injury claims

If a person sustains a burn injury caused by the careless, negligent, or intentional actions of another party, then the injury victim should be able to recover compensation for their losses. This can include compensation for medical expenses, lost income, and other accident-related costs.

Nerve damage is a serious outcome of a burn injury, and can lead to short- and long-term disabilities, lost wages, as well as significant pain and suffering. Burn injury nerve damage could result in a victim being unable to properly use parts of their body, a lower quality of life, trouble living alone, and trouble returning to work. All of these losses are serious damages that could result in significant financial compensation from the at-fault party to the victim.

Due to the complexity of burn injury cases, victims and their families should work with a skilled burn injury attorney in Portland to help obtain maximum compensation. These cases often require extensive investigation and assistance from qualified medical professionals to help determine the level of pain and suffering a patient has endured.