Sustaining an injury due to the negligence of another party is one of the most frustrating occurrences to bear. You know that if it weren’t for the fault of another party, you would not be harmed to the extent that you were. If you suffered burn injuries because of the improper care or negligence of another person, you may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit against those responsible. Our top-rated personal injury law firm in San Diego consists of an expert team of attorneys that has been practicing law for years, and we can help you sue the responsible parties for damages and compensation. The legal system and lawsuit process can be confusing and murky, and we take pride in being able to answer the questions you have and clear up any misconceptions. You should have all the information you can to make an informed decision, and a top attorney with expertise in burn injury lawsuits can help. Some examples of questions we are asked include:
- Is my burn severe enough to sue someone?
- I was burned while eating out. Can I sue the restaurant?
- My child was burned while in school. Can I file a lawsuit against the school?
- What do I do if I’m burned while at work?
- Where can I find a burn injury attorney in San Diego?
- I need a lawyer for a burn bodily injury in San Diego. Who should I hire?
Information on Burns
Burn injuries can be some of the most severe wounds you can sustain. They come in many forms and degrees and can be caused by a plethora of sources. The most common burn to sustain is, of course, a thermal burn, or one caused by fire; there are also electrical burns, which arise from exposure to electricity, and chemical burns, which are generally rarer than the other two due to the less present nature of caustic or corrosive chemicals in everyday society. Even though we often burn ourselves – via staying outside for extended periods of time in the sun without any sunblock or preventative materials or by mishandling pots and pans while cooking in the kitchen – the injuries are not usually that severe.
However, there are different levels of burns, and what may not seem like a severe injury may in fact be worse than it appears.
A first-degree burn is the least severe; only the top layer of skin is affected, and the injury turns the area red and sensitive. The skin may peel or swell, but the burn has a quick healing time of only around 1 to 2 weeks.
A second-degree burn is moderately severe, and features the telltale sign of blisters – these blisters usually indicate that the second layer of skin has been damaged, and the blisters may pop and peel, leaving raw, exposed skin. These burns may take a few weeks to heal, and any scars they leave behind may fade with time.
A third-degree burn goes past all of the skin layers and ends up damaging the flesh that rests above the muscle and bone; it is extremely painful and leaves substantial scarring. The skin may turn white and be numb. These burns usually require extensive medical treatment and skin grafts.
A fourth-degree burn damages muscle, bone, and internal organs. Since the heat is so extreme, it chars the surrounding tissue and can cause additional wellness issues like gangrene and necrosis. Fourth degree burns usually result in amputation, as the area is too badly damaged to salvage.
The severity of your burn injury will play a major role in the size of the settlement you receive in a lawsuit. The more debilitating the injury, the more time you will need to spend in the hospital receiving treatment like surgery and skin grafts. The healing process is painful and medication can be administered to help. In the wake of these injuries, you should contact an accomplished attorney who has experienced handling burn injury claims to start seeking compensation.
Locations and Types of Accidents Where Burns Take Place
- Home / Apartment Building: Fires resulting in burns that come about in homes or apartment buildings are not uncommon. They occur from overloaded electrical outlets or extension cords, faulty wiring in the building, and cooking accidents. Homeowners or caretakers may be held responsible for your injuries, especially if they were negligent.
- Workplace: Burns in the workplace can happen when fellow employees do not take proper care of electrical equipment or if the building does not adequately maintain its electrical wiring. A burn injury attorney will help you file a personal injury lawsuit against responsible parties, as well as advise you as to which direction to go for additional claims, such as filing a worker’s compensation claim or pursuing a lawsuit to sue your employer.
- Construction Site: With all of the heavy machinery and electric and gas powered equipment, it is no surprise that burn injuries often spring up and harm people at the work sites. You may be a passerby and subjected to a burn from a careless worker mishandling equipment; if so, you are likely able to file a personal injury claim.
- School / Daycare / Child Care: If your child is subjected to burn injuries while in the care of another person or group, you should hire a competent attorney to sue the school, sue the daycare, or sue the company. Children can be accident-prone, and extra care should be taken in protecting them from themselves; further, injuries sustained in childhood may have lasting negative effects on the rest of your child’s life, and anything that can help alleviate those effects is a worthwhile acquisition.
- Defective Products: Burn injuries caused by defective products can happen anywhere, anytime. You may be affected by a malfunctioning grill, a car part lacking proper insulation, faulty wiring on a piece of electrical equipment, and many others. When a product malfunctions, you may find it in your best interest to sue the manufacturer for damages arising from the injury.
- Hospitals: Some hospitals use laser equipment and certain tools to cauterize wounds, and some doctors use potentially dangerous substances to treat illnesses and such. If you receive improper medical care or you sustain burns through surgical errors, you should seek the assistance of an experienced attorney to help you sue the hospital or sue the doctor for medical malpractice.
What to Expect out of a Settlement
In filing a personal injury claim for a burn, you can receive compensation for various damages, including:
- Medical costs, including hospitalization, medication, surgery, rehabilitation, and cosmetic surgery fees.
- Lost wages for time spent away from work or inability to continue work in the future.
- Punitive damages in the event that the person was deliberately attempting to cause you harm or acted with gross negligence. These damages are difficult to win, and only a skilled attorney who has experience in burn injury cases will be available to net them for your settlement.
- Pain and suffering, which covers the bodily pain associated with burn injuries, as well as emotional trauma, fear, anxiety, mood disorders, and various other conditions that were brought on by the wounds.
If you sustain second or third-degree burns and the injuries cover a sizeable portion of your body, you may be able to receive a hefty sum from a personal injury lawsuit settlement. Our qualified San Diego lawyers will help you through the legal process and represent you so that you will receive the maximum restitution for your injuries. Be sure to file a claim within two years of the incident, however, as the statute of limitations will otherwise run out, and you will not be able to collect or fight for any compensation if you were burned. A lawyer experienced in burn injury cases will be able to tell you if the statute of limitations on your claim has run out or not.
How Our Firm Can Help You
Our San Diego law firm has represented burn injury victims for many years, and we stop at nothing to get our clients the fair and just compensation they deserve. An injury as severe as a burn can have permanent effects on your health and wellbeing; we believe that when you are harmed due to the fault of another, that person should be held totally responsible for your damages.
Contact us today to talk to one of our San Diego attorneys with experience in burn injury cases. You will receive a free legal consultation with advice from an experienced lawyer on how to proceed with a personal injury lawsuit. The legal process is daunting, however, and we feel it is in your best interest to hire a person who understands the nuances of court systems and insurance agencies and who will aggressively fight for your rights as a person and for your just restitution.
Zero Fee Guarantee
Further, we offer you a zero fee guarantee when you use our services. This means we do not seek any payment or bill you in any way until we have won your case and you have received a settlement from your claim. You do not pay out of pocket for our legal services. We feel this is a necessary, fair deal to present to our clients, simply because it guarantees we will do our job as best we can to benefit you. If we cannot win your case, you are left without a settlement and have other bills to pay; it is unfair to ask for you to pay for services that were meant to net you that compensation but ultimately failed.
Our priority is your health and your benefits, and we promise to relentlessly fight to pursue a sizeable settlement for your injury. Our experienced lawyers can give you more information when you call today.
