Burn injuries are notorious for being debilitating and causing severe scars. They are also notorious for being expensive. People are often aware that those with large or particularly severe burn injuries may require acute care immediately after the initial trauma they experience.
However, people are less aware of the full scope of the financial impact that burn injuries can cause. Many of the secondary expenses are beyond what people expect, which may result in them failing to properly assert themselves in pursuit of compensation.
What are some of the expenses people often don’t expect after a burn injury?
Long-term care costs
It is relatively common for those with burn injuries to require ongoing medical care for the rest of their lives. They may have nerve damage and scars that make regular medical appointments necessary. Long-term care costs can trump the financial impact of acute care needs immediately after sustaining a burn injury.
Mental health care costs
Burn injuries can lead to mental health challenges through a variety of different means. In some cases, chronic pain combined with functional limitations can lead to depression and difficulty adjusting. Other times, financial stress or a major change in an individual’s appearance could cause mental health challenges. The incidents that cause substantial burn injuries could also potentially cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mental health symptoms can persist for decades depending on an individual’s diagnosis and their response to treatment.
Reduced earning potential
Burns can affect the wages that people earn. Individuals who require extensive leaves of absence from work or regular time off to attend medical appointments may have a hard time continuing to work in demanding professions or pursuing advancement opportunities. The mental health consequences of major burns can also affect earning potential and job performance. Disfiguring scars can even negatively affect earning potential, as appearance-based discrimination in the workplace is relatively common.
Accommodation expenses
Depending on the functional impact that burn injuries have on an individual, they may require assistive technology or specialized medical equipment. Obtaining that equipment can be costly. So can making a home accessible for someone with functional limitations. Accessible vehicles can be another major expense that people often don’t consider initially after a traumatizing incident.
Working with a professional to evaluate the likely impact of significant burn injuries can help the affected party properly quantify the amount of compensation they may require. People need to know what long-term losses they may incur if they hope to hold people or businesses responsible for the practical impact of burn injuries.