Florida Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are among the most painful that an individual can experience, and their effects can be lifelong. What many people do not realize is that fire is not the only way that someone can suffer a burn injury, though it is the most common – chemical burns, electrical burns and scalds can cause just as much harm as a direct flame burn, and if you are burned due to another person’s negligence, you may be able to seek compensation for your suffering, regardless of the method in which you experienced it.
Burn Injuries On The Rise
The American Burn Association’s National Burn Repository (NBR) estimates that approximately 486,000 burn injuries occurred in 2016 which required medical treatment. This number does not include burns which may have been treated privately or in facilities that would not respond to federal surveys, which gives an idea of just how common burns are. It is also noteworthy that fire and smoke inhalation deaths are their own category, because it can be difficult to determine deaths from thermal burns versus smoke inhalation, especially in instances where both are present, such as house fires.
Within these statistics, there are three degrees of severity for burns. It may seem counterintuitive, but first-degree burns are actually the least serious, only affecting the top layer of skin. Sunburn is actually classified as a first-degree burn – painful, but not usually serious. A second-degree burn goes through multiple layers of skin and blisters, which may cause long-lasting damage. A third-degree burn penetrates the entire thickness of the skin, and destroys the tissue underneath. Third-degree burns are often painless, because so much damage has been done that the pain receptors simply die.
Many Causes Of Action
Because burns can cause such devastation, it is important to ensure that you seek recovery for as many causes of action as possible, such as medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and the like. Burn treatment is expensive and also, are very likely to cause psychological harm due to the level of recuperation required. Pain and suffering is a large component of many jury awards, and it is possible to seek damages specifically for the psychological harm you have experienced after your injuries.
Be advised that even if a jury finds you were partially responsible for your own injuries, you should still be able to recover. Florida law observes a system called pure comparative fault, which means that you are still able to recover if a jury deems it proper, but any award will be lowered by your percentage of fault. So, for example, if you are found to have been 30 percent at fault for your own injuries, you would still be able to recover 70 percent of your expenses if the jury finds the defendant liable.
Contact A Tampa Burn Injury Lawyer
Burn injuries are very serious, and if you have been burned in an accident, you deserve to work with an attorney who understands the high stakes of these cases. The Tampa burn injury attorneys at the Rinaldo Law Group are well versed in these types of cases and we are ready to fight for your rights in yours. Call our office today at 813-831-9999 for a free consultation.
Resource:
ameriburn.org/who-we-are/media/burn-incidence-fact-sheet/
