Burn Injuries Due To Someone’s Negligence: What Are Your Legal Rights? 

Burn injuries can be a severely traumatizing experience and one of the most painful and long-lasting injuries one can endure. They can wreak havoc on every aspect of your life and result in physical limitations, including indulging in daily activities that you would previously enjoy, sleeping, and the ability to go to work. 

Not only this, a severe burn injury can leave the victim with permanent scarring that can have a tremendous psychological impact on the victim and could cause further complications in the affected area. 

If you find yourself a victim of a burn injury due to someone else’s negligence, be it an individual, a manufacturer, or a company, you possess the legal right to seek compensation for the damages incurred. An experienced burn injury attorney can assist you with holding the responsible party accountable and filing a personal injury claim against them. 

Read on to learn more about how you can protect your legal rights and fight for the justice you deserve.

Types and Causes of Burn Injuries

A burn injury can occur accidentally and abruptly in any scenario, with human error being the underlying cause. Deep burns can be catastrophic to your body as they could not damage your skin but the underlying tissues, muscles, and bones.

Some of the most common causes of burn injuries include scalding, exposure to dangerous chemicals, electrical shocks, motor vehicle accidents, and radiation exposure. Burn injuries can be classified into three common types, as per their depth of damage. They are as follows:

First-degree burns

Mild burns that affect only the outer layer of the skin and cause minimal skin damage. While they may cause some pain and discomfort, first-degree burns usually heal within a few days.

Second-degree burns

Cause severe pain as they penetrate the top layer and affect the second layer of the skin. May lead to blisters, soreness, and redness on the skin. They can take 2-3 weeks to heal.

Third-degree burns

Severe burns that damage both layers of the skin and the tissues underneath. They destroy the nerves and require specialized medical care immediately.

Know Your Rights

Severe burn injuries can take a massive toll on the victim and their family. Paying out for the subsequent medical care from your pocket can be costly, and dealing with the stress and frustration that accompanies it can leave a lasting psychological impact. 

While there is not much that can make up for the physical pain and emotional distress you had to suffer, there are some steps you can take to ease the recovery phase and rebuild your life. If you have sustained burn injuries due to another’s negligence or carelessness, you are entitled to recover compensation for the damages by filing a lawsuit against the negligible party. 

Claiming Compensation

Seeking compensation can help ease the rehabilitative process and significantly help you afford the resources you need for optimal recovery. Depending upon your circumstances, you can receive compensation for the physical pain and suffering, hospital costs, medical bills, lost income or wages, emotional suffering, and scar revision surgery. As mentioned at

https://www.herrmanandherrman.com/san-antonio-personal-injury-lawyer/san-antonio-burn-injury-lawyer/, you may even be entitled to punitive damages depending upon your circumstances. 

Punitive damages are typically awarded to plaintiffs at the court’s discretion in a bid to punish the defendant for gross negligence or outrageous conduct or behavior. Simply put, they do not compensate for a tangible injury or a specific loss to the victim but serve as an example to deter other future, similar acts.

How a Burn Injury Attorney Can Help

Seeking legal help by consulting a personal injury lawyer should be your priority after receiving immediate medical attention. 

Burn injury claims are complex, and you must have an experienced attorney by your side to file and lawsuit and represent your case accurately. Most lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not owe them a dime until you get the justice you deserve.

To succeed with a claim arising from a negligent burn injury, your lawyer will try to prove that the liable party’s negligence was the direct cause of your injury, due to which you must receive compensation for the damages. 

In contrast, the defendant’s insurance company will go to lengths to undermine your claim and settle the case by offering a lowball offer. An attorney with extensive experience will aim to work in your best interests by effectively dealing with their manipulative tactics and strive to negotiate a fair deal. They will give you personalized advice and guide you at each step of the legal process. 

Accordingly, the chances of receiving the compensation that you deserve for all related damages increase manifold.

Burn injuries are terrifying. They can cause tremendous amounts of physical and emotional pain and have life-altering consequences for the victim.  Depending upon the severity of the burns, it can take weeks, months, years, or perhaps even a lifetime to recover from the damage. 

 

No matter the complexity of the case, a highly skilled attorney will fight to protect your rights by dedicating the necessary time and attention to your case and using every available resource to obtain a favorable outcome.