Did you know that each year in the United States, 1.1 million burn injuries require medical attention?
Unfortunately, many burn injuries are often the result of preventable accidents. Whether it occurs on the job, from a defective product or chemical, even mild burn injuries can be devastating.
Serious burn injury cases are complex and require an experienced attorney to represent your case accurately.
Read on to learn more about your legal rights if you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury and are considering legal help.
Do you have a burn injury? Call the Flood law firm today for free consultation (860) 346-2695
Who is Liable for my Injury?
Burn injuries are often unexpected side effects of common accidents such as industrial or construction accidents, car crashes, unsafe workplace or premises injuries or from defective products.
While accidents happen, you have the right to seek compensation for serious injury stemming from another persons carelessness or negligence. Depending on the circumstance, you may be able to sue an individual, company, employer or manufacturer if they were responsible for your injury.
Workers’ compensation is typically available for employees who were injured on the job. In some instances, workers may also be able to file a lawsuit against a third-party (separate from their place of employment) to claim compensation for medical bills, rehabilitation, lost wages and more. For example, if you were burned by a defective product, you may have a product liability claim against the manufacturer that created the faulty device.
Aside from locating the site of the injury accident, classifying the type of burn injury sustained by the victim will allow your attorney to determine the type of claim you may have.
Common causes of burn injuries include:
- Thermal burns: From contact with heated objects, such as steam, fire, hot oil and boiling water.
- Chemical burns: From contact with corrosive material like a strong acid or base.
- Electrical burns: Injury when electricity runs through the body. Electrical burns can happen after touching an electrically live object or water with an electric current.
- Radiological burns: When a victim is exposed to radiation, most commonly caused by caused by UV radiation. These burns can occur from sun damage, high power radio transmitters, radiation therapy, radioactive fallout or nuclear accidents.
Long Term Burn Injury Effects
Burn injuries can be minor medical inconveniences or life-threatening emergencies. Victims with severe burns often require treatment at specialized burn centers and may also need emotional support and physical therapy.
Provided below is a general classification of burn injuries by depth of damage:
- First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of skin (epidermis) and usually heal within a few days.
- Second-degree burns affect both the epidermis and the second layer of skin (dermis) resulting in pain, swelling and Healing time ranges from 2 weeks and more.
- Third-degree burns destroy the entire skin layer and protrudes into the fat layer. Third-degree burns destroy nerves, causing a feeling of numbness. Healed skin may look waxy or leathery.
- Fourth-degree burns include third-degree issues and affect muscles, tendon, and bone. Specialized care is required.
In addition to physical injuries, burn injury victims often suffer from the following symptoms:
- Physical disabilities
- Severe scarring
- Emotional trauma
- Behavioral changes/body changes
- Continued pain even after injuries heal
- Disfigurement to skin, facial features, or extremities
- Internal organ damage
Compensation for Burn Injuries
Serious burn injuries take a toll on the victim and their loved ones. If you have suffered a burn injury due to another’s negligence, you are owed restitution. Compensation can help afford you the resources you need for your best recovery.
You could receive compensation for:
- Hospital costs
- Medical bills
- Cosmetic surgery and scar revision surgery
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Counseling for emotional distress
- Lost wages and future earnings
- Vocational rehabilitation
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
How a Burn Injury Lawyer Can Help
If your burn injury was caused by another person's mistake or negligence, the attorneys at The Flood Law Firm are here to help. Our burn victim attorneys work with burn injuries of all types and fight for the justice and healing they deserve. We can answer your most pressing questions and will guide you through the legal process each step of the way. Let us help you reclaim your life.
Call us today at (860) 346-2695 for a free, no-obligation consultation to learn more about what we can do for you.
