Individuals who suffer severe burns are often required to undergo extensive
skin graft surgeries in order to correct and treat their injuries. Even
with costly skin graft procedures, lengthy hospital stays, and ongoing care,
burn injuries can leave individuals with lifelong disfigurement and debilitation, limiting
their ability to work and reducing their quality of life.
How Much Does Skin Grafting Cost?
Skin substitution is a complex medical process, and can cost a great deal
for those who do not have extensive medical insurance plans. The national
average cost of skin grafting is between $1,900 and $3,000 per procedure.
In the event that a person should suffer a burn injury in an accident that
leaves a permanent effect – known as a “residual injury”
– such as scarring from skin grafts or amputation, the amount of
their eligible damages can increase by a large margin. This is for obvious
reasons, as residual injuries can cause a person to suffer over a long
period of time. The more serious the effect of these injuries have on
a burn victim’s life, the higher the compensation.
Does Skin Grafting Cause Scarring?
Scars from a person’s burns or from the resulting skin grafts can
be both cosmetically embarrassing and can make the affected area less
flexible. If a person’s scars are on a joint or in any other area
of the body that regularly flexes, such as the webbings of the fingers
or toes, they can cause a permanent decrease in mobility and justify higher damages.
Unfortunately, certain social prejudices can skew insurance awards for
the cosmetic damage of scars. For example, young, single women are often
compensated more for their scars than older, married women on the belief
that a scar will have a more serious impact on a young woman’s social
life. Similarly, a woman will usually be considered to be more damaged
by a scar than a man with the identical scar. To overcome some of these
prejudices, injured parties can obtain a medical opinion about the cost
of having the scar removed or repaired and include it in their demand
letter to their insurance company.
Birmingham Burn Injury Attorney
If you have been forced to undergo skin grafts following an accident caused
by another party’s negligence, the Birmingham personal injury lawyers at
Glenda Cochran Associates Attorneys at Law can fight to recover compensation for your long term injuries, including
your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and emotional distress.
We have more than 25 years of legal experience and are ready to go the
distance on your behalf.
Call
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schedule a free consultation today to review your legal options.