NJ Burn Scar Lawyers

Proudly serving all of New Jersey

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Compensation for Burn Scarring and Disfigurement

One of the most traumatic aspects of a serious burn injury is the scarring that can result. A deep burn — usually third- or fourth-degree — causes substantial and usually irreversible damage to the skin. Even with the best of treatment, the skin can harden and take on a shiny, stiff appearance that’s very different from the appearance of healthy skin. Even when these scars don’t leave their victims with any physical disability, the radical change in appearance can leave victims so emotionally traumatized that they have trouble resuming their normal activities or even leaving their homes. They may face stares, unwanted personal questions or even discrimination from strangers too rude or too young to know any better.

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Doctors Divide Burn Scars into Three Basic Types:

• Keloid scars are tough, fibrous scars that spread past the injured area, fading from pink or red to tan. Because they will keep growing if not treated, eventually restricting the patient’s movement, doctors generally remove them and take steps to keep them from growing back.
• Hypertrophic scars are also tough, fibrous and red or pink, but they don’t overgrow the injured area in the way that keloid scars do. Unlike keloid scars, doctors expect hypertrophic scars to improve with time. However, they can help that process with steroid creams or injections.
• Contractures are a permanent tightening of the skin. They can limit the patient’s movement, and they may also affect the operation of nerves, tendons and muscles underneath the affected area. Doctors treat them with skin grafts or other surgery, in addition to or instead of exercise, massage and other physical therapies.

As you can see, treatment for burn scars varies according to the type and amount of the scarring. However, it’s rarely a short process. Serious burn scars may require multiple skin graft surgeries, in which healthy skin from another part of the victim’s body or another person is transplanted to the affected area; dermabrasion, which “sands down” scars; physical therapy; skin creams and ointments; or even special diets. These are long-term treatments that may take months or years to fully complete. Even with health insurance, the costs can reach into the millions over time.

These are in addition to any treatments the patient may need for the personal trauma of sustaining permanent, disfiguring scars. Unfortunately, our society treats people considered unattractive differently. One study, by economists at the University of Texas and Michigan State University, even found that attractive people earned 3 to 8 percent more money than those considered average-looking, who earned 5 to 10 percent more than those considered plain. This prejudice may be especially hard on children, whose peer group may not have developed the maturity necessary to treat different-looking people with kindness.

If you’re considering a burn injury scarring and disfigurement lawsuit in New Jersey, you should call Lependorf & Silverstein, P.C. as soon as possible. We have years of experience helping burn victims and other clients sue for the compensation they need to get treatments, support themselves financially and move past a catastrophic injury. Thanks to our experience, we understand the many medical and legal complexities involved in a burn injury lawsuit, and we’re fully prepared to call on experts who can help explain your case to a jury.

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Call (609) 240-0040 to Speak with a New Jersey Attorney

At Lependorf & Silverstein, P.C., our New Jersey burn accident lawyers only work for a contingency fee, a fee arrangement in which you’re never expected to pay your legal fees at the beginning of your case. Instead, we’re paid from a percentage of your winnings, which we’ll agree on with you before you hire us. Not only does this give us a personal stake in your case, but it allows us to take on any good case — not just those brought by people who can afford hourly legal fees. And because we always offer free initial consultations, there’s never any risk in speaking to an experienced burn injury lawyer from Lependorf & Silverstein, P.C. about your case.

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Additional Information

• What Burns Cause Scars and How Are Burn Scars Treated?
• Keloids – MedlinePlus
• Management of Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars