Burn injuries can be one of the most severe and painful injuries you suffer in a personal injury accident. Subsequent medical treatment can be just as painful. You may be facing a long road to recovery and worrying about how to cover unexpected expenses.
If you have suffered an injury of this nature, an experienced personal injury attorney from Siniard Law, LLC can help. We can put our considerable experience and resources to use to fight for compensation that acknowledges the full extent of the injuries on your life. Contact us today for a free case review.
How a Burn Injury Lawyer Can Help You
Burns can have a dramatic impact on your life. You could be facing mounting medical bills, months or years off work, permanent disability, disfiguring injuries, and a drastically decreased quality of life. You might not know what to do or where to turn for help.
An experienced lawyer can guide you through the personal injury claim process. You should not be responsible for paying expenses you incurred due to someone else’s negligence. A personal injury attorney can fight tirelessly to recover fair compensation for you while you focus on your recovery.
When you hire a personal injury attorney, they serve as your legal advocate by:
- Explaining your legal rights and options during a free consultation
- Investigating your accident to identify all at-fault parties
- Gathering evidence to prove fault
- Computing the full extent of your injuries
- Coordinating your medical care
- Working with financial and medical experts to understand how your injuries affect your life
- Handling communication with insurance companies and other parties on your behalf
- Negotiating for maximum compensation on your behalf
Call us today for an initial consultation to review your legal options.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries
Serious burn injuries can occur in various ways, including:
- Motor vehicle accidents – Victims may suffer serious burns in car accidents, truck accidents, and other motor vehicle accidents. MVA accident victims may come into direct contact with hot car parts, or fires can burst out that injure them.
- Defective products – Faulty appliances, tools, or other consumer products can have electrical shorts or catch fire for different reasons.
- Workplace accidents – Workers may suffer accidents on the job involving scalding liquids, caustic chemicals, or other dangers.
- Negligent premises – Properties that are not properly maintained may result in electrical injuries.
- Medical malpractice – During certain medical procedures, healthcare professionals may use medical equipment improperly or equipment that is unsafe.
At Siniard Law, LLC, we understand how serious burn injuries can disrupt people’s lives and adversely affect their lives. We provide compassionate legal services.
What Are the Different Types of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries can take many forms, including:
Contact Burns
Contact burns are what most people think of when they imagine burn injuries. They occur when someone comes in contact with a hot object or surface, such as a stove or piece of machinery. These burns are often classified as third-degree burns.
Thermal Burns
A thermal burn occurs when someone is exposed to open flames or hot surfaces, such as hot liquids like boiling water, grease, or chemicals. Thermal burns are a leading cause of burn injuries to young children and elderly individuals.
Electrical Burns
An electrical burn occurs when an electrical current passes through the human body. Common causes of electrical burns include downed power lines, electrical cords with shorts, and defective items. In addition to burn injuries, electrical burns can cause other injuries, including cardiac arrest and tissue damage.
Chemical Burns
Chemical burns occur when the skin makes contact with dangerous substances, such as acids, flammable liquids, or alkalis. Skin damage can spread after the initial exposure to the chemical. These injuries often occur in manufacturing plants and industrial settings.
Radiation Burns
Radiation burns occur when a person is exposed to radiation, including the sun and X-rays. Defective medical equipment can cause severe radiation burns.
How Are Burn Injuries Classified?
Medical professionals classify burn injuries into the extent of the damage they do and how far they penetrate the body. Severe burns may require treatment at a burn center. Burns are classified as follows:
First Degree Burns
First-degree burns only affect the outer layer of skin, called the epidermis. Mild sunburn or scalding may be a first-degree burn. Symptoms of these burns include:
- Redness
- Dry skin
- Peeling skin
- Pain when touched
- Blanching when pressed
Second Degree Burns
Second-degree burns affect the epidermis and the underlying layer of tissue, called the dermis. Second-degree burns may appear:
- Red
- Blistered
- Swollen
Third Degree Burns
Third-degree burns damage the skin and underlying tissue, often appearing charred or waxy. Even though these are more serious burns, the victim may not feel pain because the burn may have caused nerve damage, which prevents feeling or sensation. Third-degree burns that are not treated promptly and cover a large portion of the body can be fatal.
Fourth Degree Burns
Fourth-degree burns damage bones, muscles, and ligaments beneath the skin. These injuries are often fatal.
Medical Treatment for Burn Injuries
The medical treatment you receive after suffering a burn injury will depend on the source of the burn, its severity, and its location on your body. Recovering from a serious burn injury may involve various types of medical treatment, including:
- Emergency treatment – Many burn injuries require emergency medical treatment to stabilize the patient, prevent further damage, and monitor for infections and complications. Burn injuries may require multiple surgeries. Burn injury victims are vulnerable to suffering serious infections because the skin serves as an important barrier to germs. When this surface is damaged, bacteria can seep into the body.
- Burn center treatment – Serious burn injuries may require intensive and specialized care at a burn center. Burn injuries can cause related issues, including low body temperatures because the skin helps regulate body temperatures and respiratory issues that make it difficult for victims to breathe. Victims may also suffer infections, including sepsis, which can cause organ failure. Burn centers are familiar with these complications and can carefully monitor patients for them.
- Skin grafts – More serious burns sometimes require skin grafts because the skin is destroyed. Skin grafts remove healthy skin from an area of the body to replace damaged or destroyed skin in another area of the body.
- Rehabilitation – Some burn injuries require months of rehabilitation and therapy. This rehabilitation may be intensive.
- Cosmetic surgery – Burns can cause serious scarring and disfigurement. Victims may need cosmetic surgery to repair scar damage and joint damage affected by scarring.
- Psychological counseling – Burn injuries can be emotionally traumatizing, so medical professionals may recommend victims receive therapy to help process the trauma.
Many burn injury victims confront mounting medical bills while being unable to work for extended periods. The first step to recovering financially is identifying the party responsible for the injuries.
Who Is Responsible for Burn Injuries?
Some of the parties most commonly named in compensation claims for personal injury victims include:
- Motorists – Car accidents can cause contact burns and explosions that injure occupants. When motorists act negligently in causing collisions, they can be held responsible for the damages.
- Property owners – Property owners who do not maintain safe premises are responsible for some burn injuries.
- Product manufacturers – When a product is defectively manufactured or designed or lacks sufficient warnings, the product manufacturer may be responsible for resulting burn injuries.
- Medical providers – Healthcare professionals who use medical equipment negligently or deviate from the standard of care can be responsible for some burn injuries.
Other parties can potentially be held liable for burn injuries. To prove a negligence claim, you must show the following:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care.
- The defendant breached the duty of care.
- The defendant’s breach of duty caused the burn.
- You suffered damages from the burn.
An experienced attorney can help prepare a personal injury claim seeking fair compensation for your
What Types of Financial Compensation Can I Recover in a Burn Injury Case?
Burns can have serious consequences for victims and their families. Accident victims can recover compensation for economic damages they suffer as a result of the accident, such as:
- Doctor bills, hospital visits, surgery costs, rehabilitation expenses, and other medical expenses
- Lost wages for time you missed from work while recovering from your burn injuries
- Reduced earning capacity if your long-term earning potential was reduced due to your injuries
- Property damage you suffered in the accident
You can also seek compensation for your intangible and subjective losses known as non-economic damages, which include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Lost quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Our experienced lawyers can identify all of your losses and fight to secure maximum compensation on your behalf.
What Is the Deadline for Filing a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Alabama?
Each state is responsible for establishing laws concerning how long claimants have to file a personal injury lawsuit. These laws are known as statutes of limitations. The statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit in Alabama is two years. If you miss this deadline and don’t take legal action on your claim, you can forfeit your right to recover compensation through the courts. Safeguard your rights by reaching out to an experienced Huntsville burn injury lawyer today.
Can I Recover Compensation If I Was Partially at Fault for an Accident?
In most states, accident victims have the right to recover fair compensation for their injuries even if they were partially at fault for the accident as long as they were not the primary party responsible. However, Alabama has a strict contributory negligence rule that prohibits any financial recovery if the accident victim was found to have been negligent in causing their own injuries to any degree. For this reason, it’s essential not to admit fault for an accident and to speak to an experienced burn injury attorney today.
Contact Our Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation Following a Burn Injury
If someone else’s negligence caused your burn injury, a Huntsville personal injury lawyer from Siniard Law, LLC can help. We can investigate your case, advise you of your legal rights, discuss your legal options, and explain how we can help during a free case review. Contact us today to get started with your legal claim.