Treatment for Burn Injuries

Severe burn injuries caused by car accidents or workplace accidents, often require hospitalization. Burn injuries are treated with a variety of types of treatment. For example, treatment may include: 

• Topical treatments with antibiotics. Patients with severe burn injuries are susceptible to viral and bacterial infections. Topical antibiotic medications may be applied to the skin to speed the healing process, to minimize scarring, and to prevent infection. 
• Bandages. Serious burns typically need to be bandaged to prevent infection, and to allow the wound to remain clear of fluids and pus. Bandages also help reduce pain and keep the skin and body part immobilized during healing.
• Pressure garments. Pressure garments are often worn on a burned area during the healing process to help prevent excessive scarring. 
• Elevating burned areas. Elevation helps minimize swelling of the affected limb. In severe burns, fluid often accumulates in the wounded area, causing swelling. Swelling can complicate a burn injury because the affected area can develop high levels of pressure and blood flow problems. 
• Surgical cuts or escharectomies. This procedure helps reduce excess pressure under the skin in a burned limb. 
• Skin grafts. This procedure involves transplanting a piece of skin from one area of the body to another. 
• Synthetic skin grafts. If a large portion of a victim’s skin is burned, synthetic skin may be used instead of the victim’s own skin. 
• Physical therapy. During healing, scar tissue is formed. To help keep the newly formed skin flexible for normal movement, burn victims may participate in rehabilitation and physical therapy. If the burn extends through the skin into the muscle tissue, more intensive physical therapy may assist in a patient’s recovery. 
• Dermabrasion. This is a surgical procedure to improve or minimize the appearance of scars, restore function and correct disfigurements as a result of a burn. 

If you’ve suffered burns as a result of a motor vehicle accident, in Minnesota, your auto insurance company is obligated to pay for up to $20,000.00 for your medical expenses. These are known as personal injury protection benefits. In addition to claims for your past and future medical expenses, you may be able to make a claim for past and future wage loss and past and future pain and suffering as part of a civil liability claim against the at-fault driver.

If you suffered burn injuries as the result of a workplace accident, you may be eligible for Minnesota workers’ compensation benefits, including medical expense benefits, wage loss benefits, permanent partial disability benefits, and rehabilitation benefits.

If you’ve suffered a burn injury as the result of a car accident or workplace injury, a Minnesota personal injury lawyer or workers’ compensation lawyer can help you through the process of making sure you get the benefits you’re entitled to. For a free, no-obligation consultation, contact Meuser & Associate at 877-746-5680 or click here to send us an email.

Explosion and Fires at Black Dog Plant in Burnsville, MN Injures Three Firefighters

Firefighters from three departments responded to a call at the Black Dog Power Plant in Burnsville at about 7:30 this morning when workers discovered a fire in a coal bin. Just after 8:00 a.m., there was an explosion that blew off the side of one of the plant’s buildings.

KSTP reports that no Xcel Energy workers were injured, but three firefighters suffered minor injuries while fighting the fire.

Obviously, any of the firefighters injured while fighting this fire are entitled to workers’ compensation for their injuries. I’m just grateful to read that no one was seriously injured or killed. It doesn’t appear that the cause of the fire and explosion has been made public yet.

The dangers associated with fires and explosions are tremendous. According to the Bureau of Labor fires and explosions accounted for 3% of workplace fatalities in 2007.

More than half of the electricity generated in the United States comes from coal. For the foreseeable future, coal will continue to be the dominant fuel used for electric power production.

Coal-based energy production poses specific dangers to workers, specifically the risk of coal dust explosion. Particle sizes of coal which can fuel a propagating explosion occur within thermal dryers, cyclones, baghouses, pulverized-fuel systems, grinding mills, and other process or conveyance equipment.

If you or a loved one sustained injuries as the result of a power plant fire or explosion in Minnesota, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. For a free, no-obligation consultation to learn about your rights, contact us at Meuser & Associates at 877-746-5680 or click here to send us an email to speak with one of our Minnesota workers’ compensation lawyers.