Severe burns are traumatic injuries that can cause pain, emotional suffering, and financial loss. When someone else’s negligence causes the burn injury, you can recover damages with the help of a burn injury attorney at BD&J Injury Lawyers. Since every burn injury is different, it’s important to have an experienced attorney to help you navigate the situation. While collecting a settlement can never erase the trauma you’ve endured, it can help you receive the monetary compensation you deserve to rebuild your life.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries
Fires often come to mind when thinking of burn injuries, but other potential causes may include:
- Building fires
- Traffic accidents
- Electrical burns
- Chemical burns
- Thermal burns caused by extreme heat
- Steam burns
- Explosions
Types of Burn Injuries
Burns are classified by the severity of the injury. Burn injury types include:
- First-degree burns: This is the least severe burn type and only affects the top layer of skin, known as the epidermis. While this type doesn’t typically cause blisters or long-term damage, the skin turns red and may cause discomfort.
- Second-degree burns: With this type of burn, the injury also affects the dermis. It’s more severe than a first-degree burn and may cause swelling, blisters, and more severe pain. Scarring is minimal, and the burn usually heals within several weeks.
- Third-degree burns: The most severe burn type, third-degree burns, go down to the subcutaneous layer of your skin. These burns damage all skin layers and everything in them, including hair follicles and sweat glands in the affected areas. Pain is usually not felt around the burn since the nerves in the affected area are damaged. Skin with this type of burn often appears leathery and may look white or black instead of red.
You can also describe the type of burn based on the source of the injury. Common types include:
- Radiation burns: The most common type is a sunburn caused by UV rays, but it can also come from other types of radiation, including X-rays.
- Thermal burns: Items that are extremely hot cause thermal burns. Possible sources include hot water, steam, fire, and hot objects.
- Chemical burns: Some strong or corrosive chemicals leave burns on your skin. These burns often happen if chemicals spill or splash you.
- Electrical burns: You can receive burns on your body when you come into contact with an electrical current.
Who is Liable for Burn Injuries?
Burns may happen due to the negligence of a person or company. Some examples include:
- The at-fault driver in a vehicle accident resulting in a fire
- The manufacturer of a faulty product that causes a burn despite using it according to the instructions
- The property owner, when hazardous conditions cause burns
- The builder, when negligent construction practices result in a burn
- The employer, if unsafe conditions or practices result in thermal or chemical burns
If you’re recovering from a burn caused by negligence, a burn injury lawyer with BD&J can help you determine who’s liable for your injuries. They can review the evidence and help you build a case against the responsible party.
Types of Damages You Can Recover
Burn injuries may severely impact your life, monetarily and emotionally. They often result in high medical bills and could keep you from working, further affecting your income. Your quality of life may decrease due to pain and emotional suffering. A burn injury attorney in Beverly Hills helps you recover damages for those effects, including compensation for:
- Current and ongoing medical expenses: Severe burns may require weeks or months of recovery and could include surgeries and other treatments. Your Beverly Hills burn injury attorney fights for compensation to cover the medical expenses you’ve incurred and any future therapies and treatments you may need.
- Lost wages: Time spent in the hospital affects your income. If the burn injury causes long-term disabilities, it could affect your future earning potential. Your settlement should include compensation for that decrease in income.
- Property damage: Situations involving your property, including your vehicle, could result in compensation for damage to those items.
- Pain and suffering: Receiving a burn injury is often traumatic and could cause long-term emotional effects, such as pain, suffering, and anxiety. You may experience a lower quality of life after the injury. Your burn injury lawyer can help you calculate a monetary amount for those emotional consequences.
Why to Consult a Burn Injury Lawyer
While you can recover damages on your own, it’s a complicated process that requires establishing liability and calculating fair compensation. You may encounter insurance companies and the opposing attorneys who prevent you from receiving the damages you deserve.
When you work with a burn injury attorney from BD&J, they can help you with the entire process to ensure you have the evidence you need, file the right paperwork, and meet all deadlines. Our negotiation skills and legal expertise help you receive a higher settlement for your burn injury. Call us today at (855) 906-3699 if you have suffered a burn injury. We can evaluate your case and support you through your settlement.
