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If someone else’s negligence caused your burn injury, then you may be entitled to compensation that can help cover the costs associated with the physical and emotional trauma. A Washington, DC burn injury lawyer from our firm can help determine if you have legal options to recover compensation.
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The American Burn Association (ABA) estimates that 486,000 patients seek treatment for burn injuries in U.S. hospitals each year. Severe burns not only require expensive medical treatment, such as skin grafts, but they can also cause permanent disfigurement or loss of limb. Many burn victims also experience post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety.
For people with severe burn injuries, these secondary complications make it difficult or impossible to earn a living. However, if someone else’s negligence caused your burn injuries, then you may be entitled to compensation that can help cover the costs associated with the physical and emotional trauma.
As a personal injury law firm in Washington, DC, Regan Zambri Long PLLC has handled hundreds of lawyer claims involving burn injuries. We can investigate the accident or product defect that caused your injuries and our lawyers determine all responsible parties. Our law firm has a reputation for success in complex personal injury claims involving burns. For example, in one product liability claim, our lawyer recovered a $3.8 million settlement for a 5-year-old who suffered burn injuries caused by a defective home appliance.
Serious burn injuries may result from exposure to chemicals, electricity, radiation, or heat. Such exposure can damage soft tissue, including the skin, muscles, and nerves.
The main types of burns are:
Generally, there are three degrees of burn severity:
These types of burns damage only the outer layer of skin. The site of the burn is usually red and painful, but there are no blisters. First-degree burns are mild and may heal quickly without any secondary complications.
Second-degree burns damage both the outer and middle layers of skin, often causing blistering, swelling, redness, and infection. These types of burns are often treated in the emergency room, but, in some cases, they may require inpatient hospitalization.
Third-degree burns destroy both the outer and inner lawyers of the skin. Third-degree burns may also damage any bones, muscles, and tendons. These burns often cause serious secondary health complications for survivors and may necessitate amputation of severely burned fingers, toes, or limbs. Treatment may involve skin grafts and prolonged hospitalization. In many cases, permanent disfigurement results.
The severity of a burn injury has a direct impact on the financial and psychological costs to victims and their families. Even a second-degree burn can cause disfigurement, amputation, and other complications. These may severely reduce the quality of life and require extensive medical care.
Depending on the type of accident that caused your burn, you may be able to hold multiple parties responsible for your injury. Some of the most common accidents that result in a burn injury include:
Although vehicle fires can be rare, the results can be severe. Burns that result from hot metal, steam, or fire from a car accident or truck crash can cause deep tissue damage, resulting in expensive medical treatments.
In an auto accident, the at-fault driver, trucking company, or another third party may be held responsible for your injuries.
Workers exposed to fire, molten materials, chemicals, and electricity can easily receive a severe burn that affects their lives. In cases where third parties cause work accidents, injured workers may be able to file a third-party lawsuit in addition to a workers’ compensation claim.
Defective appliances, consumer electronics, and vehicles may cause burn injuries. For example, defective lithium-ion batteries in smartphones and vaping products may explode and cause burn injuries to your hands, arms, and face. In these cases, it may be possible to file a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer, retailer, and/or wholesaler.
Businesses and property owners who ignore fire safety regulations or allow unsafe conditions may put visitors at risk for burn injuries. For instance, if you’re a tenant, you may be wondering if you can sue your landlord for a burn injury caused by their negligence. If the landlord neglects to install smoke alarms or fire extinguishers, then the resident may become trapped in the event of a fire, causing burn injuries. In that case, the tenants may then be able to file premises liability lawsuits.
Burn injuries are financially and emotionally costly because they can lead to multiple complications. Many individuals with severe burns will require skin grafts, physical therapy, and surgery.
Common complications may include:
Since each case is different, it’s difficult to know how much you can receive from a burn injury without speaking with an experienced personal injury attorney first. Severe burn injuries are considered catastrophic because they can be life-threatening and result in long-term medical treatment and disability issues. This is why it’s important to speak with a DC burn injury lawyer to learn how much your claim is worth.
If you suffered a burn injury, you will need to prove the following for a successful claim:
Unfortunately, no. Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland are contributory negligence states. What this means is if you had any responsibility for the accident that caused the injury, you are unable to recover damages. If you believe you were partially at fault, it’s still in your best interest to give our burn injury lawyers a call to learn your legal options.
As soon as you are able. The statute of limitations in DC and Maryland is three years; in Virginia, it is two years. Although this may seem like a long time, that time can easily go by quickly while you’re in the recovery process. Now is the time to call Regan Zambri Long PLLC today for a free consultation.
If your burn injury was caused by negligence, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against that individual or company. Our Washington, DC burn injury lawyers have been helping clients throughout the DC Metro area, including Virginia and Maryland. We understand the financial difficulties you may be facing following an accident and we work with you to make sure you receive the maximum amount of compensation.
Don’t wait much longer to file a personal injury claim with our burn injury DC attorneys. If you are a burn victim and need help getting compensation for your injuries, a lawyer at Regan Zambri Long is here to help. Contact a lawyer, our office today to schedule a free attorney consultation.
