Burn Injury Lawyers in Louisville

A burn injury is often a traumatic experience, resulting in long-term physical and psychological damage.

If someone else was at fault for the accident, you can receive compensation to cover your medical bills and other damages. It’s essential to work with a personal injury attorney to receive the maximum amount in compensation for your burn injury claims.

Degrees of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries are categorized according to the degree.

First Degree

First-degree burns are the least severe, affecting only the surface layer of your skin. The area becomes red and inflamed, but the damage is minor and will heal after a week or less. You can treat the burn yourself using cool water and aloe vera gel.

Second Degree

In second-degree burns, the damage extends beyond the top layer of skin into the dermis. They require a bandage. Skin is blistered and only heals after a few weeks.

Third Degree

Third-degree burns destroy all of the outer layer of the skin and the dermis, meaning they require medical treatment. You can recognize a third-degree burn by the charring and the dry wound it leaves, which is white or black in color. Third-degree burns require immediate medical attention to prevent permanent nerve damage and hypothermia.

Fourth Degree

The most serious injuries come from fourth-degree burns: this is when all layers of skin are burned as well as the muscles, tendons, and bones.

Causes of Burn Injuries

Serious burn injuries are not just caused by heat sources. In fact, there are four main causes of burns.

When a burn is due to a heat source, it is called a thermal burn. As well as fire, thermal burns can be caused by hot objects, liquids, and steam.

Chemical exposure can also lead to a burn. You could come into contact with acid, a solvent, or another type of corrosive substance. This is most likely to occur in an industrial environment.

Inhaling fumes from both fire and chemical substances can also lead to respiratory problems.

Direct contact with electricity can cause an electrical burn. This could happen if you touch exposed wires or make a repair without first turning off the power source. A severe burn injury from electricity could lead to tissue or organ damage.

Lastly, there are radiation burns, which are caused by sources of radiation, including X-rays, UV rays, and nuclear radiation. Unlike burns from other causes, these may only become apparent days or weeks after exposure.

Where Can Burn Injuries Occur?

Serious burns can happen in a variety of places.

One of the most common locations is at your job. Often, workplace injuries leading to severe burns are due to an employer failing to follow safety protocols, such as lacking fireproof doors or fire extinguishers, locking fire exits, or blocking escape routes.

Although uncommon, an extremely serious source of burns are refinery fires.

If you suffer from an injury at home, your landlord could be at fault. For instance, a fire may originate somewhere else in the apartment building or be due to something like unsafe electrical wiring or faulty fire alarms.

Another situation that could result in burn injuries is defective equipment. In these cases, the manufacturer could be held responsible for any burn victims’ injuries.

In the case of vehicle crash, you could suffer a burn in addition to other injuries. Truck accidents, and especially tanker explosions, tend to lead to particularly severe burn injuries.

Finally, serious burn injuries can occur due to recreational fires. This includes in places like hotels, restaurants, and clubs.

Compensation Available to Burn Injury Victims

You may be entitled to financial compensation for both physical burn injuries and psychological scars.

By making a claim against the negligent party (whether an employer, landlord, product manufacturer, or business owner), you’ll be able to seek compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills, and other losses.

If the burn occurred while you were at work, you may be able to use workers compensation to recover any lost wages. However, it’s important to talk with an attorney about whether seeking workers compensation is the best option for you, as this will mean you are unable to sue your employer and will miss out on some other types of damages.

How to Recover Compensation

To receive compensation, you need an injury attorney on your side.

Whereas you can represent yourself, it’s likely that you’ll receive far less than the full amount you’re entitled to. The insurance company for the at-fault party will always try to pay you the minimum — and without a knowledge of the law, it will be difficult to argue with the insurance adjusters that you deserve more.

Furthermore, it’s always necessary to have an attorney for burn injury lawsuits. Although it’s usually possible to resolve a claim without going to court, this is sometimes necessary. In this case, it helps to have a lawyer who is familiar with your case from the start.

If you’ve suffered burn injuries due to someone else’s negligence, you need to receive representation from an experienced burn injury lawyer. The legal team of burn injury attorneys at the Fleck Firm will ensure that you receive full compensation. Schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer to discuss your case.