Burn injuries can be excruciatingly painful and traumatic and are often accompanied by other types of loss. Long term, these injuries may lead to disfigurement and scarring, which could limit a person’s range of motion, impact their ability to feel sensations on the skin, and lead to amputations, or other medical issues.
When you have been impacted by a burn, it is crucial to talk to a compassionate catastrophic injury attorney at Colvin Accident Lawyers to understand your options for pursuing compensation. Trauma often accompanies burn injuries, and people who have sustained these accidents may require ongoing mental health care in addition to physical care. A Bakersfield burn injury lawyer from our firm could help an injured person recover damages during this difficult time.
Burns are one of the leading causes of death and severe injury and often happen because of negligence. People may only think of fire regarding a burn injury, but any heat-transmitting energy could lead to a burn. In addition to thermal burns caused by heat, burns can result from chemical exposure, electricity, and radiation.
Car, truck, and motorcycle wrecks, defective products, medical malpractice, and negligent supervision are the most common causes of burn injuries. Burn accidents also happen in the workplace, especially if a person’s job involves chemicals, radiation, or electricity. When a person sustains a burn injury, it is crucial to seek medical help right away for the best chance of a full physical recovery and to provide proper documentation and medical evidence to help a Bakersfield burn injury attorney prepare a solid case.
To describe the severity of a burn, doctors use degrees. There are four types of burns, which range from first-degree to fourth-degree. The higher the degree, the more severe the burn. Each person’s case is different, and a burn injury attorney in Bakersfield could assess a situation to determine whether a lawsuit is applicable.
Burns start at the first degree. These burns impact the skin’s outer layer. People will experience some pain or discomfort and reddened skin. First-degree burns usually heal on their own and require little medical treatment. People who have sustained these burns are unlikely to need medical care or even time away from work. Unless the injury was traumatic, there is probably no basis for a claim.
Second-degree burns are more severe. They impact the top two layers of skin and could lead to swelling and blistering. Medical care is necessary and may include skin grafts.
Third-degree burns extend deeper into the skin, which may appear charred or blackened. Nerve damage may occur, skin grafts may be necessary, and recovery is lengthy.
Fourth-degree burns are the most severe. They extend past the skin and into underlying tissues. They could impact muscles, nerves, bones, and organs. Fourth-degree burns generally lead to lifelong injuries, disfigurement, and permanent disabilities.
When a burn injury occurs at work, the worker’s remedies may be limited by state workers’ compensation rules. However, that does not necessarily mean they are limited to that compensation. They might have a third-party claim against another wrongdoer. In a third-party claim, someone other than the injured person’s employer or someone under the employer’s direct control is responsible for the injury. For example, if a contractor on a job site caused a fire, they could be liable for the burn injury, even though it occurred at the workplace. Manufacturers, electricity providers, other drivers, and subcontractors are some of the common parties involved in third-party claims.
Third parties may also play a role in other burn-related personal injury claims. For example, a person who sustained burns in an auto collision or as the result of a form of medical negligence could factor the losses these injuries caused into a personal injury claim. A successful claim could mean an injured person receiving compensation for the economic and non-economic forms of harm they sustain including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, disfigurement, and emotional trauma. A Bakersfield burn injury attorney could review the circumstances to help craft a settlement demand or award package that adequately accounts for all the impacts of a burn.
The aftermath of a burn injury can be overwhelming. While an attorney cannot make a recovery less painful or traumatic, they may be able to help make it less stressful. Our attorneys at Colvin Accident Lawyers are understanding and could help negotiate a claim for you as you focus on healing.
When someone’s negligence led to your injuries, they may be responsible for the costs of your recovery. Schedule a consultation with a Bakersfield burn injury lawyer at our firm to learn more.
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