There Is More to a Burn Than Meets the Eye Says Cleveland Medical Malpractice Lawyer Mellino December 7, 2010.

Burns are painful and frightening for an adult. They are even worse for a child.

"It always tugs at my heart to see and deal with a child burn injury. They hurt and are life-threatening for the child because they carry the significant risk of shock, respiratory impairment and the chance of secondary and opportunistic infections setting in," said Christopher Mellino. Mellino is a Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer of the Mellino Law Firm LLC, in Ohio.

While it’s entirely possible for children to burn themselves – after all, curiosity is just about the first name of every child there ever was – there are instances where a burn is the direct result of someone else’s negligence. For example, a daycare worker or babysitter may be held liable for a child’s burn injuries and any medical treatment needed. "In situations like this, any parent will want to know their legal options and their rights, and what they need to do to get compensation for their child’s injuries," Mellino said.

"Did you know that just about 3,000 children die each year as a result of burns and secondary complications? It’s a frightening figure and when you also find out that child burn injuries are the second leading cause of death for U.S. kids, you really begin to wonder about your own child’s safety," Mellino said. About 40,000 children go to hospital every year suffering from burns.

Fire is not the only cause of child burn injuries. They can be burnt by chemical sources, friction, electricity, light and thermal sources. As with adults, kids can also sustain first, second and third degree burns, with third degree being the worse and causing the most extensive damage to the skin, under the skin and the surrounding tissues.

The worse the burn, the worse the damage that tends to result in long term recovery and/or life-altering scarring with continual medical treatment over the years to help the child grow and cope with their burns. Skin grafts are usually a part of this process, along with other expensive surgery or cosmetic surgery to attempt to repair the damage. During any of this process, there is always a high risk of infections.

"If your child’s burns are the result of a negligent caretaker, a seasoned Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer is able to calculate the long term costs of the injuries and also factor in the devastating emotional toll on you and your whole family. From there, we discuss a personal injury lawsuit," Mellino said.