New Jersey Radiation Burn Injury Lawyers

If you have suffered a radiation burn as a result of your job or as a result of an accident caused by negligence, you may have a legal right to compensation. A New Jersey radiation burn injury lawyer from Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., can provide you with assistance in making a claim for damages.

A radiation burn is one that results from exposure to radiant energy. According to WebMD, radiation burns can result from exposure to the sun, sunlamps, tanning beds or booths, X-rays and radiation during cancer treatments.

In some cases, the risks of radiation burns are known and accepted, such as when radiation may potentially save a life. In other instances, radiation burns occur due to an accident or negligence. They can cause serious, unintended harm. Radiation exposure may also occur in the workplace when performing certain jobs.

Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., can review the facts of your case. To schedule a free initial consultation, call us today at 1-800-LAW-2000 or complete our online form. You will not pay for our legal services unless we recover for you.

Causes of Radiation Burns

Radiation is a form of energy. It is transmitted as electromagnetic waves or particles. When the body is exposed to dangerously high levels of radiation, the ionizing radiation interacts with your body’s cells. This can cause harm to you. The cells may be damaged by the excess energy. Surface redness and swelling are likely to result. You may experience surface or internal burns.

The damage that results from radiation burns depends on the source of the radiation, the photon energy the body is exposed to and the extent of the exposure. Damage to the skin can result from either acute radiodermatitis or chronic radiodermatitis. Resulting burns from radiation exposure are typically considered beta burns. These are relatively shallow surface burns and similar to sunburn. Radiation exposure can also cause gamma burns, which can be very deep.

Radiation burns of any type must be treated promptly and given appropriate medical attention. For mild burns, covering with a clean dry bandage and allowing time to heal may be sufficient. For more serious radiation burns, additional medical treatment such as skin grafts may become necessary. Pain control is an important part of treating radiation burns.

Who is at Risk of Radiation Burns?

Anyone who is exposed to any type of radiation is potentially at risk of radiation burns. However, those at the greatest risk of developing radiation burns include:

• Individuals who have regular exposure to or who are overexposed to the sun, sunlamps or tanning beds.
• Cancer patients who are undergoing radiation therapy.
• Airport security personnel who operate x-ray devices.  The potential for radiation overexposure in this career is still being studied, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Professionals who work in the medical imaging field or radiation therapy jobs who frequently handle X-ray machines and other radiation-producing devices.
• Individuals exposed to radiofrequency through the use of high-power radio transmitters. OSHA has issued a safety hazard bulletin about this risk to longshoreman. The FCC attempts to minimize the dangers by establishing information on wattage above which radio stations can safely emit frequencies.

In some of these instances, such as when cancer patients undergo therapy and suffer mild surface burns, the risk of the damage from radiation is weighed against the danger presented by the cancer. An informed choice must be made in regard to radiation exposure.

In other instances, however, the radiation exposure is unintentional or unintended. The damage is clearly unexpected by the victim. For example, a patient whose doctor accidentally exposes him to an excess amount of radiation, or a worker exposed to radiation on the job, has not necessarily assumed the risk of the resulting burns.

Contact a New Jersey Radiation Burn Injury Lawyer for Legal Help

When radiation burns result from accidental overexposure to radiation or are caused by workplace exposure to radiation, it is important to understand that you have legal rights and options. You may be able to make a workers’ compensation claim against your employer for a workplace injury and have your medical bills and other costs covered. You may also be able to sue for negligence if you are exposed to excess radiation as a result of someone’s carelessness or breach of a legal duty owed to you.

A New Jersey radiation burn injury lawyer from Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., can help you to evaluate your case and determine if you have any legal recourse as a result of your radiation burns. We can also help with proving the cause of the injury and the extent of the damages to maximize compensation after your injury has occurred.

To learn more, call us today at 1-800-LAW-2000 or complete our online form. We provide free initial consultations and do not charge any legal fees unless you recover.