Even with prompt medical attention, burn injuries can cause disfiguring, life-altering harm. If someone else’s negligence caused these damages, you might be eligible to pursue financial compensation from those responsible. Unfortunately, simply knowing someone else is to blame for your burn and holding them legally accountable for your ensuing losses are two very different things, especially if you have little or no experience with civil litigation in the past.
Guidance from a skilled and compassionate Kennesaw burn injury lawyer could increase your chances of securing a favorable case result. Throughout your settlement negotiations and—if necessary—civil trial, a catastrophic injury attorney could help you enforce your rights and pursue a course of action that suits your unique circumstances.
Proving a Negligent Act Caused a Serious Burn
High-degree burns can stem from various forms of legal “negligence,” which is another person’s careless or reckless violation of a duty to act responsibly. This breach directly leads to a preventable injury occurring. Some common ways negligence may lead to burn injuries include:
- Poor property maintenance
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Dangerous working conditions
- Improper use or storage of caustic chemicals
- Defective product malfunctions
It is important to note that demonstrating someone else’s carelessness is not enough to establish civil liability for the burned party’s damages. The injured person must also show through a preponderance of all evidence that their injury would not have happened without the defendant’s negligent act and that all damages they wish to recover stemmed directly and primarily from their avoidable burn injury.
An injury can only be the basis for a civil claim if it is severe enough to require professional medical care of some kind, meaning first-degree burns may not qualify for litigation by themselves. A Kennesaw burn accident attorney could review a particular person’s circumstances and offer guidance about their filing options during a free initial consultation.
What Damages Could Be Recovered?
Burn injuries that are severe enough to serve as grounds for litigation may result in long-term or lifelong harm. Second-degree and third-degree burns may involve damage to multiple skin layers, which in turn could lead to permanent scarring, nerve damage, and loss of mobility in the affected areas.
Comprehensive burn accident claims often must account for both past and future repercussions of the plaintiff’s specific injury, including:
- Emergency medical bills
- Costs of future surgical, therapeutic, and/or pain management care
- Lost enjoyment of life from permanent disfigurement
- Lost work income and/or working ability
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Personal property damage
A Kennesaw attorney’s guidance could be vital in identifying and appropriately valuating every form of harm that could be factored into a burn injury case.
Contact a Kennesaw Burn Injury Attorney for Help
Being involved in a burn accident is already difficult enough. Sustaining such harm because of another person’s negligence makes matters even more devastating. Unfortunately, pursuing legal action for your injuries may be challenging to manage alone, especially if you are still physically, financially, and emotionally recovering from the accident.
If someone else’s carelessness caused your injuries, a Kennesaw burn injury lawyer could fight on your behalf while you heal. Call the Gunn Law Group today to get started.