When you think of a fire, what are the first types of injuries that come to mind? For many people, burns are the only types of injuries that they associate with fires. However, smoke inhalation during a fire can cause severe damage to victims. Smoke inhalation could result in severe, and often permanent, damage to those affected. If you were affected by smoke inhalation, you might have grounds to file a lawsuit against the party liable for your injuries. Filing a lawsuit against the party liable might make you eligible to recover compensation for your smoke inhalation injuries.
If you are interested in filing a smoke inhalation lawsuit, you must immediately contact a law firm with experience in smoke inhalation injuries and claims. The attorneys at Normandie Law Firm are here to help you file your lawsuit. Our law firm consists of some of the most skilled smoke inhalation attorneys—each with many years of experience handling smoke inhalation lawsuits. If you are interested in making a claim, you must contact our firm and request to speak with our attorneys as soon as possible. Our attorneys will give you all the information you need to get your legal process started and start working towards recovering the maximum amount of compensation for your claim.
In the following sections, you will find information to help you understand your rights after sustaining smoke inhalation lawsuits, which should help you gain a general understanding of your legal situation. For an in-depth review of your claim, you must contact our law firm immediately. Our attorneys will evaluate your claim and begin guiding you towards filing a successful smoke inhalation lawsuit.
The Effects of Smoke Inhalation
The injuries caused by smoke inhalation are often underestimated—because they are often not visible. However, when smoke is inhaled, victims can quickly be affected. In many instances, smoke contains a variety of chemicals depending on the specific details of the fire. Smoke might contain high levels of the following chemicals: carbon monoxide, cyanide, styrene, toluene, benzene, aldehydes, acid gases, sulfur dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides, for example. These chemicals can quickly lead to poisoning; victims might suffer permanent damage or death.
After exposure to smoke, it is essential that victims are evaluated. Early identification of smoke inhalation symptoms ensures that victims receive immediate treatment. Some early signs of smoke inhalation include the following: facial burns, frostbite, vision damage, coughing, hoarse voice, and soot in the nose and mouth. Middle throat damage, lesions in the upper airway, and burned saliva might all be present in a victim of smoke inhalation. Although there is a prominence of signs related to smoke inhalation, the clearest signs are often associated with breathing. Those exposed to smoke and affected by smoke inhalation might present the following signs:
- Fast, shallow breathing (tachypnea)
- Labored breathing (dyspnea)
- High-pitched sounds when breathing (stridor)
- Rattling in lungs when breathing (rales)
- Low-pitched rattling when breathing (rhonchi)
- Skin retraction while breathing
If the victim lost consciousness because of the prolonged exposure to smoke, it might be difficult to identify any of the signs and symptoms described above. It is essential that victims receive immediate medical attention for smoke inhalation. Smoke inhalation can cause the following effects in victims:
- Respiratory failure
- Poisoning
- Pneumonia Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome
- Internal inhalation burns
- Infections
- Hypoxia
- Bronchiole obstruction
- Atelectasis
- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
- Cancer
- Death
To lessen the risk of suffering the serious effects of smoke inhalation, victims must receive immediate medical attention. The main source of treatment is oxygen. In many cases, victims require oxygen to be administered through tubes or masks. In other cases, victims might be subject to hyperbaric oxygenation—or administration of oxygen in a compression chamber.
Were you permanently affected by smoke inhalation? If so, you might have grounds to file a lawsuit against the party responsible for your injuries. If you are interested in taking legal action against the liable party, you must contact our law firm as soon as possible. Our attorneys will give you the guidance you need to start your smoke inhalation lawsuit and recover the compensation you deserve.
Compensation Available for Smoke Inhalation Claims
Are you eligible to receive compensation if you are a victim of smoke inhalation? If you are suffering the effects of smoke inhalation, you might be eligible to receive compensation if you file a lawsuit. Below, you will find the different categories of compensation that you might find if you file a smoke inhalation lawsuit:
- Medical expenses—this category of compensation covers all bills associated with your smoke inhalation injuries. You will be compensated for hospital stays, treatment, and rehabilitation, for example. If you are projected to need further care in the future, you might also be compensated for the medical assistance you will need later in life.
- Loss of income—you might have been unable to work while you were receiving treatment for your smoke inhalation injuries. If you lost wages because of your smoke inhalation injuries, you might be compensated based on the history of your wages. If you are expected to be unable to work or work at a lower capacity in the future, you might be compensated for the income you are expected to lose during the years you were expected to work.
- Pain and suffering—the effects of smoke inhalation can lead to more than physical injuries. The victims of smoke inhalation often suffer mental and emotional effects associated with their smoke inhalation injuries. If you were left with depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress, for example, you might be compensated for your pain and suffering.
- Property damage—if the fire that resulted in your smoke inhalation also resulted in damage to your property, you might be compensated for property damage.
- Loss of consortium—if the injuries sustained as a result of the smoke inhalation left the victim unable to continue having a normal, loving relationship with his or her family, family members might receive compensation for loss of consortium.
- Punitive damages—if your smoke inhalation injuries were a result of reckless, negligent, or malicious actions, you might be entitled to receive punitive damages.
As you can see, there are many categories of compensation that might apply to your claim. However, only one of our experienced smoke inhalation lawsuit attorneys can evaluate your claim and identify the compensation that you might be eligible to recover. You must contact our law firm as soon as possible to request to speak with our attorneys. Our attorneys will always be committed to helping you recover the maximum amount of compensation available for your smoke inhalation lawsuit.
The Statute of Limitations to File a Smoke Inhalation Lawsuit
Were you severely affected by smoke inhalation? If you are suffering the negative effects of smoke inhalation, you might have grounds to file a lawsuit against the liable party. If you are interested in filing a lawsuit against the party that recklessly, negligently, or maliciously caused your smoke inhalation injuries, you must seek legal assistance as soon as possible. Filing a claim for personal injury is a time-sensitive manner. Victims must file their claims within the statute of limitations to ensure that they preserve their right to sue. A statute of limitations is a timeline that applies to all claims. The statute of limitations establishes the time that a plaintiff has to file a lawsuit; it is a deadline to sue. If the victim does not file his or her claim within the statute of limitations, he or she might lose the right to sue. The majority of personal injury claims have a two-year statute of limitations; therefore, victims would have two years from the date that they sustained injuries to file a lawsuit. However, the statute of limitations might be lengthened if any exceptions apply to your claim. For more information about the statute of limitations and any exceptions that might apply to your claim, you must speak with our smoke inhalation lawsuit attorneys as soon as possible.
Normandie Law Firm
If you suffered smoke inhalation, you were likely left with long-term effects. If your life was drastically changed after your smoke inhalation incident, you might benefit from filing a smoke inhalation lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit for smoke inhalation might make you eligible to receive various forms of compensation. The attorneys at Normandie Law Firm have the expertise necessary to help you file a smoke inhalation claim. Our attorneys have handled many smoke inhalation injury lawsuits and have guided many victims towards recovered the compensation to which they are entitled. Our attorneys understand how smoke inhalation has affected your life, and they are dedicated to helping you recover the compensation you deserve.
Our law firm offers free consultations and free second opinions because we believe that all clients should have access to legal assistance. We do not believe in making victims worry about paying any legal fees to speak to a lawyer. Instead, we do everything to encourage smoke inhalation victims to contact our firm and get the information they need to start their legal process. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our attorneys will provide you with all the information necessary to ensure a successful claim. Our attorneys are available to answer all questions and all concerns you might be having. It does not matter if you are initiating your legal process or if you have already initiated your legal process elsewhere—our attorneys will always be available to help you. If you have encountered an incompetent attorney at another law firm, our lawyers will do everything within our reach to get your claim back on the right track. When you speak with our attorneys, you will be certain that you and your claim are our priority. If you were severely affected by smoke inhalation, you must contact our law firm as soon as possible to speak with our experienced attorneys.
Our free legal services are available through a Zero-Fee guarantee. Our law firm offers a Zero-Fee guarantee that ensures that our clients never have to worry about paying any upfront fees for any of our legal services. Our law firm is also strictly based on contingency; therefore, our clients will not have to pay any legal fees until after our attorneys win their claims. You will only be required to pay legal fees after our experienced smoke inhalation lawsuit attorneys win your claim, and you recover the compensation you deserve. If you do not win, you will not be required to pay any legal fees. Do not hesitate to contact our law firm; our attorneys are ready to fight for your right to sue after suffering smoke inhalation.
