From cooks to factory workers to custodial staff, many Virginians must work with dangerous heat, flames, sparks, and chemicals daily, and are at risk of suffering a severe burn.

Remember that workers’ compensation is no-fault insurance, so it doesn’t matter if your own carelessness or an employer’s negligence caused your on-the-job burn. Virginia workers’ compensation should cover your medical bills and lost wages.

Burns are among the less frequent workplace accidents. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while around 455,000 workers suffered sprains, strains, and tears on the job in 2017, only 26,000 suffered thermal or chemical burns, averaging five days away from work. These statistics would mean nothing, however, if you were one worker who suffered a severe burn on the job. Burns can cause physical and emotional injuries that prevent you from returning to work.

There's a chance of suffering a burn in almost any workplace. Even an office worker can get burned on a coffee pot or be exposed to a chemical. These injuries are often frequent on construction sites.

Depending on your work environment, you could experience one of these types of burns:

• Thermal. These are caused by exposure to or contact with a heat source. They could be caused by open flames, scalding liquids, hot objects, sparks, and explosions. Restaurant employees and welders are at particular risk of suffering a thermal burn at work, but many workers are exposed to heat sources.
• Chemical. Strong chemicals can eat away skin and deeper tissue, causing damage similar to a thermal burn. Industrial cleaners and chemicals used in labs and manufacturing processes can burn skin without the proper precautions. Custodial staff, chemical engineers, millwrights, machine operators, and construction workers all handle various kinds of chemicals that can cause burns.
• Electrical. When electrical current runs through the body, internal tissue can be burned. Anyone working around live wires risks an electrical burn, including construction and manufacturing employees, and others. These workers are also at risk of suffering electrical shocks, which could be deadly.

Severe burns can lead to serious infections, disfigurement, and permanent disability. These injuries might also require extensive treatment—including skin grafts and plastic surgery—that keep a victim away from the workplace for weeks or months. Virginia workers’ compensation provides benefits for medical treatment and psychological counseling, ongoing therapies, and wage replacement for workers who suffer burn injuries on the job.

Talk to a Virginia Social Security Disability Attorney

The lawyers from Kalfus & Nachman know what it takes to get you approved for Social Security Disability Insurance and/or Supplemental Security Income benefits. We can file your initial claim, attempt to get it marked for the Compassionate Allowance program, and file an appeal, if necessary.

We may also be able to pursue additional compensation by filing a personal injury lawsuit or insurance claim on your behalf. If your injuries and impairments occurred because of an accident, let us review the case and determine if we can pursue compensation for your injuries.

Whether you’re preparing your first SSDI application, submitting your claim for Reconsideration or appealing a rejected claim, you have a greater chance of success with the help of a knowledgeable lawyer.

If you live in the Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach or Roanoke, Virginia, areas and need assistance filing your SSDI application or making an appeal, please contact Kalfus & Nachman PC by phone at (855) 880-8163 or through the form on this page to schedule a free consultation.