What Is a Burn Injury?
Burns are skin or tissue injuries caused by exposure to excessive heat or other sources, such as electricity, friction, or chemicals. Depending on the severity of the burn, the symptoms can include blisters, charring, and red, white, or brown skin. In addition, burns can affect normal skin functions, such as preventing infection and regulating body temperature.
While many people think of fires as the most obvious way to sustain a burn injury, there are many ways burns can occur, including the following:
- Flames
- Hot surfaces
- Hot liquids or steam
- Chemicals
- Friction
- Electricity
- Radiation
- Sunlight
What Are the Most Common Types of Burn Injuries?
Thermal burns are the most common type of burn injury that patients suffer. They are burns caused by heat sources such as flames, hot surfaces, or hot liquids. According to one recent study, 86 percent of burns are thermal burns, while four percent are electrical, three percent are chemical, and seven percent are other types of burns.
Some of the most common ways people can sustain burns include the following:
- Car accidents – Sometimes, cars combust when they are in an accident. Car fires burn especially hot due to the gasoline and other chemicals involved. If vehicle occupants are injured and unable to exit the vehicle quickly, burns can be especially catastrophic.
- Workplace accidents – Many workplaces regularly use fire, dangerous equipment, chemicals, and other burn hazards. Employers are responsible for providing their employees with adequate training and protective gear, but sometimes accidents happen. Injured employees will typically be eligible for workers’ compensation, even if no one was at fault for the injuries.
- Defective products – Electronics, vehicles, machinery, excessively flammable clothing, e-cigarettes, heaters, electric blankets, and other products can cause burns when malfunctioning. This leaves the manufacturer potentially liable for any resulting injuries. In addition, unsuspecting customers can also suffer burns when products lack appropriate warning labels or instructions.
- Structure fires – Many potential causes exist, whether in a house, apartment complex, or workplace. In some situations, another party may be liable for your injuries. Some examples include arson, faulty wiring, or a campfire outside a designated area.
- Cooking – There are situations where someone else may be liable for some cooking fires or burns. This could include defective cooking equipment, a rental house with a faulty or poorly maintained stove, or a workplace that did not provide appropriate safety equipment for employees.
A thorough investigation can uncover whether someone else was at fault in these cases. A burn injury attorney can then use these details to build a strong case and demand fair compensation for your injuries.
Burn Injury Lawsuits and Trial Preparation
Our burn injury attorneys will listen to the details of your case during an initial consultation. We can then help you understand your legal options and begin to build a case. Our team will consider the issue from all angles and collect evidence from various sources. It is essential to document how the injuries happened, the severity of your injuries, and the long-term effects you may face.
Although we can settle most cases outside of court by negotiating aggressively with the responsible party’s insurance company, building a solid matter from the beginning is also beneficial if the case goes to trial. The jury may be more likely to relate to your story if they can see your suffering severe or long-term health consequences. In addition, our skilled litigators will be prepared to advocate effectively for your rights in court.
How Much Compensation Can You Get for a Burn Injury?
The compensation in a burn case ranges from several thousand dollars to millions in more severe cases. Various factors may affect the value of a case, such as the severity of your injury and the impact on your life.
In general, you may be eligible for compensation for the following:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Reconstructive surgery
- Long-term care and rehabilitation
- Lost wages or loss of earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Physical disfigurement and impairment
- Loss of enjoyment of life
We will sit down with you to review the details of the accident that harmed you and the impact of your injuries on your life to help determine the value of your case.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer at Geiger Legal Group, LLC Today
While recovering from a severe burn, you have a lot on your mind. The physical pain, the financial stress of medical bills, and the frustration and anger that may come from an injury that was someone else’s fault are probably only some of what you are going through. The burn injury lawyers at Geiger Legal Group, LLC want to make sure choosing an attorney is the least of your worries.
Our experienced and compassionate team is ready to help you pursue justice and compensation for your burn injuries. Our top priority is getting to know you as a person and understanding how your injuries impact your life. The secret to winning cases is genuinely caring about our clients. As we work on strengthening that relationship, our argument becomes more robust because we genuinely have your best interests in mind.
Contact Geiger Legal Group, LLC today for a free consultation.
