Burn injuries can be devastating, and severe burns require extensive hospitalization and months of rehabilitation. The cost of treating these injuries can be in excess of a million dollars. If you or a family member suffered burn injuries due to another party’s negligent or careless act, you have the right to recover compensation for treatment, ongoing care costs, lost wages, and the psychological after-effects of the incident.
Bressman Law works with burn victims in and around Dublin, OH, and the surrounding area, helping them get the compensation they deserve. We offer free, no-obligation evaluations of your case, and can help you better understand your legal options. If you do choose to work with a burn injury lawyer in Dublin, OH at Bressman Law, we will represent you throughout the claims process and fight for your right to fair compensation.
How Can Our Burn Injury Lawyer Help You Recover Damages?
Our burn injury lawyer in Dublin, OH, have experience in assisting burn injury victims secure compensation for their ongoing medical expenses, income loss, trauma, and other harms and loss they suffered from someone’s wrongdoing.
Our lawyer can help you with:
- Filling out the burn injury claim and/or lawsuit-related paperwork within appropriate deadlines.
- Investigating your accident and collecting evidence to prepare a strong claim.
- Reviewing your case to determine the full extent of compensable damages you have sustained.
- Assigning a fair value to your case that accurately reflects both economic and non-economic losses you suffered.
- Looking at the facts of your case to pinpoint the liable parties who are responsible for your losses,
- Handling communication with insurance companies and at-fault parties’ legal representation.
- Negotiating insurance adjusters and other stakeholders to conclude an appropriate settlement for your burn injury losses.
- If a fair out-of-court settlement is not possible, we will advance with a lawsuit against the at-fault individual or entity and represent your case in front of a judge and jury.
Our burn injury lawyer will fight for a fair compensation for you.
For a free legal consultation with a burn injury attorney in Dublin, call (614) 538-1116
What Damages Can You Recover in a Burn Injury Claim?
Generally, potential compensation depends on the seriousness of your injury. In Ohio, you can procure compensation through three types of damages.
Economic Damages
These damages are easy to tabulate and verify since they are monetary losses you suffered from your burn injury. Economic damages include:
- Past, current, and future burn injury-related medical expenses
- Lost income from losing employment or having to take days off for recovery
- Personal property or equipment that was damaged in the fire that resulted in your injury
Non-Economic Damages
These damages mainly cover losses related to psychological trauma that your burn injury continues to cause and its effect on the quality of your life. Non-economic damages include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Scarring or disfigurement caused by the burn
- Loss of enjoyment in activities you once found pleasure in
- Loss of consortium
Our lawyer and legal counsel will research and dissect the different facets of your case to identify the full range of damages you have suffered. We will also obtain evidence that shows the presence of these damages and the impact it has caused on your life. This information will be vital when filing your claim or pursuing compensation through a lawsuit.
Dublin Burn Injury Attorney (614) 538-1116
Who Is Liable for My Burn Injuries?
Determining who is liable for the cost of your burn treatment and other damages depends heavily on the cause of the incident that led to your injuries. Only once we understand what caused the accident can we know who is at fault. This allows us to identify the liable party or parties in your claim and to build a case demonstrating their negligence.
Imagine, for example, you suffered serious burns in a car accident. We investigate the crash by requesting copies of the police report and other documentation from first responders. We also interview witnesses and may even obtain surveillance video of the crash from a nearby business. Our accident reconstruction team finds that another other driver failed to stop at a red light and plowed into the rear of your car, igniting a fire.
Once we determine the liable party, we must prove its negligence. Consider our example above. To have a valid claim, we must prove:
- The other driver had a duty to uphold certain rules, such as stopping at the red light
- S/he failed to do so, causing the crash
- This crash caused your injuries and subsequent damages
Since we can demonstrate negligence, we can file an insurance claim to recover the compensation you deserve.
Depending on what caused the burn injury, one or multiple parties may be held liable for your situation. Here are some of the most common at-fault parties in a burn injury claim:
- Employer or a coworker
- Property owner
- Landlord
- Parts manufacturer
Once you discuss your case with us and we review all the facts and circumstances, we will be able to figure out who was responsible for your burn injury and if more than one party may be involved.
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How Can I Recover Compensation for My Medical Bills and Other Damages After a Burn Injury?
In most cases, the insurance claim following a burn injury is a third-party liability claim.
Depending on how and where your injuries occurred, we may base your claim on the liable party’s auto insurance, homeowner’s insurance, or business liability policy.
If your burns occurred because you touched exposed electrical wiring while visiting a friend’s house, we would file a claim with his/her homeowner’s insurance provider to recover your damages. If the same incident happened at a restaurant, we would likely file our claim with the restaurant’s business liability coverage provider.
If the liable party is your employer, your ability to file a third-party claim is often limited. We can help you determine your options and/or file a workers’ compensation claim instead. We will advise you of your options during your case evaluation and help you find the right option for compensation.
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What Are the Effects of Burn Injuries?
The severity of burns depends on how much of the body received damage, and how deep the burns went. The most severe burns, third- and fourth-degree burns, destroy all three layers of skin. They can also affect the fat under the skin, blood vessels, tendons and ligaments, muscle, and even the underlying bone structure.
A third- or fourth-degree burn is a major injury and can be one of the most devastating and debilitating of all injuries. Treating severe burns can call for repeated skin grafting procedures and extensive reconstructive surgery. Victims of this type of burn are at high risk for infection and may lose limbs to amputation if damage or infection makes it impossible for doctors to do anything more. Most face long hospitalizations, and both inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient therapies. The cost of these treatments adds up quickly, leaving victims stressed about their financial future, as well.
Even with all this treatment and therapy, many burn victims struggle to recover fully. Many face loss of sensation and decreased motor abilities, especially when the burns affect the hands and arms. The skin itself often never recovers, leading to loss of elasticity and scarring. Its leather-like appearance may affect self-esteem, and post-traumatic stress disorder is not uncommon for burn victims.
What Causes Burn Injuries?
Burn injuries occur in a number of ways, and the effects depend heavily on the severity of the burn as well as what area of the body it affects. Most people are familiar with external burns that occur because of fire, hot liquids or gases, electricity, and exposure to chemicals. However, internal burns may also occur, usually through inhaling or ingesting hot liquids or gases, swallowing chemicals, or electric shock.
Burns requiring a visit to the emergency department occur due to:
- Exposure to fire or flame: 43 percent
- Scalds from hot liquids: 34 percent
- Contact with a hot surface: 9 percent
- Electrical burns: 4 percent
- Chemical burns: 3 percent
- Other causes: 7 percent
In many cases, these burns occur because someone else acts negligently or carelessly. This may be the case when the burns occur:
- During an auto or motorcycle accident
- At a bonfire or campfire
- In a house fire resulting from negligence or intentional acts (e.g., arson)
- Because of spilled liquids or chemicals
- Because of a release of steam
- Contact with a hot object
- Due to unprotected electrical wiring
Your Time to Pursue Compensation for Your Burn Injury Is Limited
As per Ohio Revised Code Section 2305.10, victims generally have two years from the date of the injury to seek compensation from liable parties through a personal injury lawsuit. However, some cases are exempt from this time limit. Our attorney would be honored to evaluate your case and explain how the statute of limitation applies to you.
If you wait to pursue legal action once the time limit is up, the court may dismiss your case, and you will lose your right to compensation. It is prudent to start early and contact a lawyer immediately. This way, your legal representation has enough time to compile the paperwork, document, and time-sensitive evidence.
How Can I Contact a Burn Injury Lawyer Near Me?
If you need a burn injury lawyer in Dublin, OH, or any of the nearby communities, Bressman Law can help. We can identify all possible liable parties in your case, file a claim to recover your losses, and negotiate a fair settlement.
Comprehensive service is the bedrock of our practice. Call our office today to see how we can help you.
Call or text (614) 538-1116 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
