Suffering burns can be devastating because of the lasting impact they often cause. If you were injured in an equipment failure or car accident, and someone else was responsible for the incident, you may have the legal right to compensation for the losses you have incurred. We encourage you to obtain legal counsel to support yourself throughout this process. It could be critical to ensuring you get all of the compensation owed to you. Our burn injury lawyer has the experience and dedication to help you.
At Moody Law, we are committed to providing our clients with exceptional legal service and guidance as they fight for the compensation owed to them after a personal injury case. That includes providing aid for burn injuries.
Are Burn Injuries a Type of Personal Injury?
Burn injuries can occur for various reasons but could be a personal injury claim if someone else was responsible for the losses you have incurred. The following are some examples of how these serious types of burns can occur.
- Car accidents
- Equipment failures
- Toxic chemical exposure
- Lack of proper safety equipment
- Lack of escape plans
- Motorcycle accidents
- Construction accidents
- Product failures
- Fuel exposures
- Surgical burns
If you are unsure if anyone is responsible for the losses you have experienced, we encourage you to set up a consultation with our burn injury attorney as a first step. Our California burn injury attorneys have helped many people facing a wide range of burn injuries to get compensation from those who caused this type of damage.
Types of Burns
There are a range of ways that your skin can suffer burn injuries, and it is not always related to heat and fire. The following are some of the most common types and causes of burns that occur that may fall under negligence.
Cold Burns
A cold burn, sometimes called an ice burn, occurs when the skin comes in contact with very cold surfaces for a long period of time. This can cause frostbite, which is a type of burn to the skin. Cold burns may be due to exposure to very cold climates for a period of time.
Friction Burns
A friction burn occurs when the skin is damaged by another material rubbing against it, causing friction to develop. The skin may become damaged by hard or rough objects that brush against it. Some examples include concrete or the roadway, but others may include carpeting.
Electrical Burns
These burns are due to exposure to electrical currents that travel through the body. Electrical burns can damage not just the skin but also tissues and organs within the body. These burns may occur when there is damage to electrical cords or sockets, for example.
Chemical Burns
Chemicals can also damage the outer layer of the skin, causing a burn-like reaction to it. These typically occur when solvents, acids, or detergents specifically come in contact with the skin, leading to damage to the outer layers. This may occur, for example, when a chemical is poured onto your skin.
Radiation Burns
Radiation is a very dangerous type of burn, and while the most minor forms come from sunlight in the form of a sunburn, it can also occur due to exposure to X-rays. Some people receive radiation therapy for cancer treatment, which can also cause this type of burn.
Thermal Burns
In this type of burn, the damage caused to the skin comes from very hot liquids or steam. These burns can cause significant injury and damage.
How Severe is Your Burn Injury?
When determining the type and amount of compensation you are owed, you will need to have a good idea of the severity of your burn. A light sunburn or a burn from touching a hot pan is typically considered a minor burn with no need for medical care. Other burns damage more of the skin, going deeper into it and damaging tissues, ligaments, nerves, and tendons.
Consider this breakdown of burn severity:
- A 1st Degree Burn: this type of burn is the least severe, impacting the very top portion of the skin and typically not requiring significant recovery. They can be painful, and in some cases, deformities can occur.
- A 2nd Degree Burn: In this type of burn, the first layer of skin, called the epidermis, suffers damage, as does the middle layer. This type of burn is more painful and often can create a shiny appearance. Many people will complain of pain just as the skin is touched. Second-degree burns require more invasive treatment and, in many situations, also will create scars and disfigurement.
- A 3rd Degree Burn: Some burns go deeper, impacting the dermis and epidermis layers of the skin. Deeper and more painful, these burns will lead to more prominent damage to the skin, causing it to become black or yellow in color. These types of burns require more extensive medical care, including potentially surgery, and often are at a higher risk of infection. These burns also cause discoloration and scarring.
- A 4th Degree Burn: Some of the most prominent of burns with the highest risk of long-term damage, these burns have gone even deeper, often damaging tissues, nerves, tendons, and ligaments, often all the way to the bone. These burns are so significant that they can often lead to amputation of impacted skin. They also carry a high risk of infection and the need for extensive care. Often, these burns do not hurt as much as others since they have injured and destroyed the nerves present.
All types of burns should receive medical care if there is skin damage, significant pain, or an increased risk of infection. It is often best for you to seek out care from medical providers if you are unsure of how to treat your condition.
Who Is Responsible for Your Burn Injuries?
In order to determine if you are able to obtain compensation for the losses you have, it is critical to determine fault. Why did this happen to you, and could it have been prevented? That is going to play a role in determining if you can pursue compensation.
When you meet with our burn injury lawyers in California, we will discuss fault with you extensively as we work to understand what is occurring and why it has happened. Here are some examples.
- You may suffer a burn after a car accident if the vehicle starts on fire. This type of accident may be the fault of the other driver that caused the accident.
- Did you suffer a burn after a product you purchased failed? It may be the fault of the manufacturer of that product that you suffered burns.
- Were you caught in an apartment fire in which the property owner failed to maintain proper fire escapes? Even if the fire was not their fault, the lack of safety equipment in place could make the property owner responsible.
- Did you suffer burns from gas being poured on your skin due to a gas station mishap? It could be the owner that is responsible.
- Did you suffer a burn as a result of equipment at work failing to work properly? If so, that could be the responsibility of your employer, who failed to maintain the equipment or, in some cases, a lack of safety equipment.
These are just some examples. When you meet with our California burn injury attorneys, we will work closely with you to determine who may be responsible, and then we will work closely with you to help you obtain all of the compensation owed to you.
What Is Your California Burn Injury Worth?
The only way to know what your burn injury is worth is to meet with our burn injury attorneys to discuss your case. We can then answer all of your questions and create a plan for addressing your needs. The following are some examples of the compensation you may be owed in an accident like this.
Emergency medical care costs, including ambulance rides, ER bills, and even helicopter trips to the burn center to help stabilize your health.
- In-hospital treatment care, including medications, specialist care, and all testing needed
- Infection prevention and control, as well as treatment and complications if it occurs
- Burn reconstructive surgery if needed
- Rehabilitation and recovery therapy as needed
- Medications needed for pain and overall care
- Lost time at work
Many people with serious burns have many more complications than this. That often includes severe changes to their body, such as the loss of limbs, mobility, or other functions. Burns can also cause a significant amount of disfigurement, which may be corrected to some degree but will never go away. That can lead to a wide range of additional risks. Some people are unable to go back to work or do the things they used to love to do as a result of their burns or new limitations brought on by them.
More so, there are many non-economic damages that can be associated with burn injuries. For many people, there is emotional distress and trauma present. It can feel impossible to go on with your life when you have such serious changes to the way your body works, looks, and feels. Nerve damage from the burn can also lead to numerous complications, including long-term pain. You may lose your quality of life for these and other reasons or suffer emotional distress.
Because of the complexity of this type of injury, working with a burn injury attorney in California is critical. Our attorneys work hard to ensure our clients receive the highest level of attention to their specific needs. This type of injury can carry a lifetime of complications. We cannot take them away or solve those problems, but we can certainly fight to protect your future from additional financial challenges.
Do Not Just Settle Your Burn Injury with the Insurance Company
When a burn injury occurs, the recovery process can be complex, and it is very rarely a straightforward, simple process. Unlike a broken bone or laceration, burns leave scars and create intense complications to health and well-being. We encourage our clients to hold off on filing a claim for the losses they have incurred until they better understand what all of their losses are.
That includes any long-term recovery needed, infection risks, and medical bills associated with therapy. Even if the insurance company tries to encourage or even force you to settle your claim, do not. Instead, let our California burn injury attorneys go to work for you.
How Our Burn Injury Attorney Fight for Fair Compensation
Avoid calling the insurance company just yet. Instead, call us for a free consultation. Let us offer insight to you on what your legal options are. Here is what we can do for you.
Determine the Cause and Responsibility in Your Case
We start with understanding who is responsible so we can pursue full compensation for your losses. Our legal team gathers evidence, researches what occurs, speaks to witnesses, and will work with expert witnesses if that will help provide more insight into who is responsible.
Handle Estimating All of Your Losses
We work with you, your doctors, and other experts to determine the extensiveness of your losses. We will use other cases like your own to gain more insight into what type of compensation may be owed to you. That includes considerations for long-term recovery needs but also help for things like the emotional counseling you may need and your chronic pain.
Negotiate With the Insurance Companies
Once we have all of this information, we can negotiate with the insurance company for all of the losses you have incurred. We are aggressive professionals willing to go after those responsible and provide you with the best possible recovery. We do not back down. If the insurance company does not agree, we may encourage you to seek out legal action in a court of law.
Set Up a Free Consultation With Our California Burn Injury Lawyers Now
Call Moody Law now to set up a free consultation with our burn injury attorneys in California. We can offer clear insight into your legal options, and then we will fight for what you are owed.