Suffering a burn injury, especially extensive second-degree burns or third-degree burns, will change the course of your life. It can take months to recover after suffering the burns initially, and you may require hospitalization and skin graft procedures.
Even after you go back to your daily life because you have healed, the burns that you suffered will continue to affect you. Understanding the long-term impact of burn injuries is crucial if you intend to file a personal injury lawsuit or insurance claim.
How do extensive or severe burn injuries impact someone even after they heal?
They increase your risk of future medical issues
Severe burns often lead to secondary medical conditions, which can both impact someone’s quality of life and cause their death. Those who suffer serious burns are more likely than the general population to develop:
- cancer
- diabetes
- cardiovascular disease
- infections
- anxiety
- depression
- musculoskeletal disorders
- gastrointestinal disease
- nervous system disorders
These conditions often arise after someone has achieved the maximum level of medical improvement for their burn injuries.
They can affect your career
Taking time off of work for medical care can slow your career progression. If you develop a secondary medical condition after your burns, needing more medical leave will only exacerbate the impact of your injury on your upward trajectory at work and the way people perceive you.
Speaking of perceptions, even after skin grafts and other reconstructive procedures, burn victims often have disfiguring scars. The placement and extent of those scars could impact your appearance, which might affect your career. Scars can also cause pain and make it more difficult for you to do the same job responsibilities you once performed easily.
They often result in lingering pain
Many physicians treat burn injuries like a chronic illness. They want to frequently interact with the patient to monitor them for signs of secondary conditions and to provide them with ongoing care for their pain and mental health struggles.
Chronic pain can make it hard to sleep, further reducing someone’s quality of life. Constantly dealing with pain can also increase someone’s risk of depression and make them anxious when they need to engage in activities that might worsen their pain level.
Before you decline to file a lawsuit or settle an insurance claim, you need to have a realistic understanding of how your burn injuries will affect your life. Being honest about the long-term impact of your burn injuries on your health and income will make it easier for you to get the compensation you need.
