Burns can be painful, require extensive medical treatment, and cause permanent scarring and disfigurement. Suppose you or a loved one suffered a burn injury during a fire, motor vehicle collision, or other accident. In that case, you may qualify for financial compensation to aid with your healing, recovery, and more.
Sevenish Law Firm, P.C. exclusively handles personal injury cases. If your burn resulted from someone else’s negligent actions or wrongful behavior, our Greenwood burn injury lawyer can fight to hold them accountable for your damages. We can stand by your side and focus our decades of legal experience on securing the awards you need.
Our Indiana Attorney Can Assist With Your Burn Injury Case
Our Greenwood burn injury lawyer can help you with a personal injury claim or lawsuit for burns suffered because of a:
- Car, truck, or bus accident
- Motorcycle accident
- Pedestrian or bicycle accident
- Construction accident
- Work injury
- Dangerous or defective product
- Residential or commercial building fire
- Negligent property conditions/lack of fire safety measures
Burn Injury Classifications and Complications
Health care providers categorize burn injuries based on severity. According to the Cleveland Clinic:
- First-degree burns are mild, causing pain and redness to the top layer of skin (the epidermis). Medical professionals consider first- and second-degree burns that cover 10 percent or less of the body minor. This type of burn usually does not require hospitalization.
- Second-degree burns affect the epidermis and lower layer of skin, known as the dermis. This type of burn can cause redness, pain, blistering, and swelling. Second-degree burns covering more than 10 percent of the body are moderate to severe, depending on the burn location. Burns on the face, hands, feet, or genitals can be more serious.
- Third-degree burns injure the epidermis, dermis, and fatty tissue underneath. In addition, third-degree burns destroy sweat glands, hair follicles and damage nerve endings. Health care practitioners classify third-degree burns covering more than 1 percent of the body as severe.
Burn symptoms range depending on the classification and severity of your injury and may include blistering, swelling, pain, and charred or peeling skin. However, third-degree burns can cause serious, life-threatening complications, such as:
- Low blood pressure (hypotension)
- Shock
- Organ failure
- Dehydration
- Edema (excess fluid and swelling)
- Severe infection (sepsis)
- Amputation
- Disfiguring scars
Burn Injury Treatments Can Be Invasive and Ongoing
Burn injury treatments aim to remove dead tissue, reduce scarring, control pain, regain function, and ward off infection. Health care providers may use a combination of treatment methods and medications, including:
- Intravenous (IV) fluids
- Pain medications
- Anxiety medications
- Creams and ointments
- Specialty wound dressings
- Antibiotics
- Ultrasound mist therapy
- Physical therapy
- Care from a specialized burn center
More severe burns may require more invasive treatments, including plastic surgeries and skin grafts. In addition, individuals who suffer a burn on the face, neck, or throat may also need a breathing or feeding tube.
We Can Seek Compensation for Your Burn Injury With an Insurance Claim
Our Greenwood burn injury lawyer may be able to recover damages through an insurance claim. For example, if your injury occurred during a motor vehicle collision, we can file a claim against the at-fault driver’s automobile insurance policy. Likewise, if your burn happened in a house fire, the owner’s homeowner’s insurance may pay for your losses.
You may consider handling your insurance claims alone, but we strongly advise against pro-se representation. Insurance companies have attorneys working for them. Additionally, you cannot return for more compensation once you sign an insurance settlement. You have one chance to secure the awards you need, and someone with legal experience can assist with this while protecting your rights.
Burn injury compensation may include:
- Medical bills. Medical awards include your current and future burn-injury-related treatments. We can help you recover the cost of emergency treatment, hospital stays, specialized medical services, prescription drugs, surgeries, and long-term nursing care.
- Pain and suffering. Burns can cause physical, mental, and emotional trauma. Our Indiana injury lawyer can help you pursue compensation for pain and suffering caused by scarring and disfigurement, chronic pain, loss of mobility, loss of body part or bodily function, depression, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and loss of enjoyment of life.
- Lost income. You may miss weeks or months of work if your severe burn injuries require extensive treatment. We can help you recover your back pay and lost benefits, tips, bonuses, and earnings. If your injuries prevent you from returning to your job, we can seek compensation for losing your future earning capacity.
- Property damage. If your vehicle or other personal property was damaged or destroyed during an accident or fire, you can seek the cost of fixing or replacing your items.
- Wrongful death. You might qualify for wrongful death compensation if your loved one sustained a fatal burn injury due to negligence or wrongdoing. Awards may include the deceased’s medical bills, funeral and burial expenses, and lost income (including future earnings). Surviving family members may also pursue awards for losing their loved one’s companionship, guidance, and love.
What If Insurance Is Not an Option?
Your best option for seeking financial recovery may be a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. We do not back down from taking legal action and pursuing your case at trial if necessary.
Whatever happens, we can advocate for you and be your voice. We can manage case paperwork and deadlines, gather evidence, build your claim, negotiate on your behalf, and fight for the most advantageous resolution available.
Contact Sevenish Law Firm, P.C.
Contact our office today to learn more about how our Greenwood burn injury lawyer can seek justice for you and your family. We can get you started with a free consultation.
