Burn Injuries And New York Medical Malpractice: Almost Always Negligence!

When you think of New York medical malpractice, you may not normally think of burn injuries being caused by a negligent healthcare provider. But the truth of the matter is that these are rather common injuries and can result in very serious instances of medical malpractice—including permanent and debilitating injuries.

They can occur in many different ways, including the following types of burn injuries caused by medical malpractice:

Laser or Cauterizer Burns – just like scalpels, lasers, and cauterizers must be aimed carefully. Failure to aim them carefully can result in very serious injuries just like with a regular tool like a knife. When a surgeon slips with a laser, it can result in a burning injury wherever the slip occurs. Sometimes lasers can be used improperly and cause injury to tissue behind what it being cut or cause serious scarring. Both of these mistakes can result in damage to nerves, veins, or arteries which can be very serious injuries.

Chemical burns – there are many chemicals and drugs used in healthcare facilities. These caustic substances are used both for treatment but also for cleaning and sterilizing. When they come into contact with a patient, these hazardous substances can cause serious personal injuries and burns.

Electrical Burns – patients in a hospital, during a procedure, or in surgery are usually hooked up to many different computers and machines which are monitoring various aspects of the patient’s vitals and assisting with patient care. When machines are older, faulty, or wires are wore and exposed, there could be the risk of electrical burns which cause serious injury and even death.

Scalds and Thermal Burns – hot materials such as hot towels, equipment, tools, lasers, cauterizing tools, and other objects can be very hot and cause burns. Additionally, the sterilizing process can result in very hot objects which, if they are not cooled properly, can also cause burning injuries.

Friction Burns – many tools that are used have moving parts, such as drills or saws, which rotate. If the rotating object is placed against the skin or tissue of a patient, it can cause a friction burn and result in permanent scarring and damage.

Radiation Burns – treating cancer and other serious health conditions requires a cocktail of strong chemotherapy drugs and intense radiation therapy. If the radiation therapy is not properly done, it can actually result in serious injury caused by burning damage to the tissue. This burns can be extremely painful and take a very long time to heal.