A fiery car crash has left you with severe and catastrophic burn injuries. The anguish and pain this situation have caused you and your family likely will linger for the rest of your life. The negligence of another driver remains the major contributing factor to what has happened to you.
Your recovery will be gradual, but slow. Medical bills will mount due to treatment, painful skin grafts, plastic surgery, recovery and rehabilitation. You and your family can expect major financial challenges and numerous personal challenges. This is not fair, but you must soldier on the best that you can after an accident that would not have occurred had the other driver followed traffic laws.
Skin grafts, surgery, shock and PTSD
Please understand that your injuries are painful and the subsequent treatment is lengthy. In order to limit scarring, skin grafts are a common treatment of second- and third-degree burns. Follow-up surgeries may take place as well.
After a fiery crash, along with the severe burns, a victim may expect other injuries and complications such as:
- Mild to extreme shock: After a burn injury, a person’s body can swiftly go into shock, potentially leading to internal organ damage.
- Smoke inhalation: Inhaling the smoke — which can contain chemicals and toxic gases — may damage the lungs, windpipe and a person’s respiratory system. A lifetime of relying on an oxygen tank is possible.
- Burns to the eyes: Burns to the cornea may happen, leading to additional treatments and consulting with other medical specialists.
- Infections: Without proper treatment, severe burns may lead to infections that complicate recovery and may even prove fatal.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A severe car accident on its own may lead to PTSD. However, coupled with a severe burn injury, this situation may lead to months or even years of mental health treatment.
Severe burns cause physical and emotional damage. Even in promising medical treatment cases involving severe burns, recovery may take a long, long time. Still, you need to concentrate on recovery and make sure to take action against the negligent driver.