Suffering a burn can be a life-changing occurrence, with long-lasting consequences. Burn accident victims are frequently left with disfiguring scars, reduced ability to use their limbs, and profound emotional trauma. When you suffered severe burns due to defective products or someone else's negligence, you are left both with pain, financial loss, and a sense of injustice. However, you are fully entitled to see justice served - so get in touch with an experienced Fort Lauderdale burn accident lawyer at VG Law to examine your case.
According to Stanford Health Care, burns can be caused by in four different ways:
Depending on the type and duration of the exposure, a burn can penetrate one or several layers of skin. Thus, they are categorized as:
Burn injury victims do not suffer just in the moment of the accident and during recovery. While the first dangers of a severe burn are infection and scarring as the burn heals, a burn will leave a lifelong negative impact on the person.
Some of the most serious long term consequences of various types of burns are:
Thus, even if you believe that you suffered minor burns in an accident, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. And if you believe someone else was responsible for your accident, you should contact a Fort Lauderdale burn injury attorney to help you prepare a personal injury claim and obtain fair compensation from the fault party.
Now, what kind of accidents leading to various types of burns may be imputable to someone else? These are some of the most common causes identified by personal injury lawyers in cases for which they negotiated claim compensations:
Passenger cars, trucks or motorcycles can catch fire after a violent collision. In many cases the occupants of the vehicles are trapped inside or underneath it and unable to move away and limit the exposure to flames.
In the case of truck accidents, victims can also suffer chemical exposure to the various substances transported in the truck, which spill all over the roadway.
When you rent an apartment or are on the premises of public or private property for legitimate reasons, the property owner has a duty of care towards you. They should ensure that their buildings/facilities are in good condition and safe to use by other persons. However, many people suffer burn accidents on someone else's property due to:
Failure to maintain all the wiring and plumbing in a building represents breach of duty and the property owner owes you financial compensation for your physical pain, mental anguish and expensive surgeries you may have to undergo, including plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery.
Your employer owes you a duty of care. Your workplace should be a safe place, with all the tools, equipment and machinery properly maintained and in good condition. However, many accidents happen at work, leaving employees in extreme pain and requiring skin grafting. Most of these occurrences are:
In many of these cases, you have the right to sue your employer for negligence and obtain the maximum compensation you deserve for your economic and non-economic damages.
A defective or dangerous product may explode or catch fire, causing the user severe burns. It may be a design flaw or manufacturing error, but in both cases, the product manufacturer is liable for your pain and suffering.
When you file a compensation claim for burn injuries, you may include two types of damages: economic and non-economics. Also, in certain situations, at the end of a personal injury trial, the judge may award punitive damages.
Economic or financial damages will compensate you for the actual expenses and financial losses you incurred as a result of the burn accident. These include:
Non-economic damages compensate you for:
Punitive damages represent an additional compensation that you may request during a court legal action (burn accident lawsuit). In order to be eligible for this compensation, according to the Florida Statutes, you must prove with "clear and convincing evidence" that the negligent party acted with intentional misconduct or gross negligence.
In some cases, burn victims believe that they may not get financial compensation because they may be partly at fault for their accident. Even if it is so, the Florida Statutes specify clearly that personal injury victims may file a compensation claim even if they are more than 50% at fault for the occurrence. Their award will be reduced by the proportion of responsibility they have.
Thus, if you were 60% at fault and your attorney evaluates your fair compensation at $100,000, you are still eligible to collect $40,000.
At VG Law you will find a team of experienced Fort Lauderdale burn accident lawyers who combine knowledge of law with innovative negotiating techniques to obtain results for our clients. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you do not have to wonder whether you afford to hire us. We will collect our fees out of the settlement amount we negotiate for you.
Call us now for a free case evaluation: 833-HELP-365!