Burn injuries are one of the most traumatic events a person can experience. Even small burns, if severe enough, can have lifetime ramifications. Destroyed tissue often needs to be replaced using healthy skin from other places on the body, and this leaves the victim needing multiple surgeries just to treat the burn itself.
This is to say nothing of any additional cosmetic surgery procedures that may be necessary to reconstruct or repair a person’s appearance. Depending on where the injuries are located and how severe they are, a person may suffer a devastating loss of confidence and hesitate to be seen in public.
Fortunately, with the help of a qualified burn injury lawyer, it’s possible to obtain compensation not just for your medical costs, but also for your pain and suffering.
Reasons for a Burn Injury Settlement
Even if you were injured in your own home, it can still be possible to obtain a burn injury settlement—it simply needs to be proven that the burn was the result of someone else’s negligence. Here are some common reasons for burn injury settlements:
- Insufficient warning labels or poorly written instructions that do not convey the danger of an item or appliance
- Faulty or negligently constructed equipment, the manufacturer of which can be proven to have known of the defect and have sold the product anyway
- An accident for which an installer or contracting company is liable—for example, an accident that could have been prevented had the responsible party ensured a building’s wiring was up to code
Outside of your home, so long as the accident wasn’t a case of personal negligence, a burn injury settlement may often be obtained. These settlements are typically obtained from the person that owns the property you were on at the time you sustained the injury or from the person responsible for the device that caused your burns.
How Much Is a Burn Injury Settlement?
While each individual case is different, because of the often extensive nature of burn injuries, medical costs alone can easily reach six figures or more. As mentioned above, this doesn’t even cover medications or cosmetic surgeries that may be necessary for weeks or years following the burn accident.
In cases of provable negligence, especially in grievous cases, you may also be awarded punitive damages that equal or go above and beyond the primary reimbursement settlement.
How Can a Burn Injury Settlement Attorney Help?
After a burn accident or injury, the moment you are well enough to make a phone call or send an email, you should reach out to a qualified burn injury settlement attorney. They can begin helping you immediately and start investigating your case.
They’ll reach out to all of the relevant authorities, witnesses, and product manufacturers to gather evidence as soon as possible. The attorney will also want your side of the story so they can begin piecing together the puzzle of how and why the accident occurred and who is responsible.
In today’s ever-connected world of phones, security cameras, and other devices, there may be photographic or video evidence of your accident that you didn’t even know existed. It’s an attorney’s job to seek out and obtain this evidence before it’s deleted or lost.
Once the attorney fully understands your situation, they can work with you to begin your burn injury settlement case. While you may feel that a burn injury attorney may cut into your settlement amount, the alternative puts you at risk of being pressured by insurance companies into accepting lower-than-average payouts.
Often, these payouts come with a lengthy contract that states you cannot file suit again for the same matter even if new evidence comes to light or additional injuries are discovered. This can leave victims with less money than they deserve and eliminate their ability to seek necessary compensation.
By having a qualified burn injury attorney from Strom Law on your side, you can rest assured that you’ll receive the maximum settlement possible for your case.
