Seeking Compensation For Florida Burn Injuries

Some of the most serious injuries that hospitals see each year are burns. Burn injuries can leave lifelong scars both physical and emotional, and if you experience serious burns as a result of someone else’s negligence, it can feel like insult added to injury. If you have been involved in an accident and sustained burn injuries, consulting a knowledgeable attorney can help you determine what your legal options might be.

A Variety Of Causes & Degrees

There are four categories of burn injuries, ranging from 1st to 4th-degree burns in order of severity, though it may seem counterintuitive. 1st-degree burns are the lightest, and will usually heal on their own, while 4th-degree burns are the most severe, able to destroy not only skin, but bone, muscle, and even internal organs. 4th-degree burns are the ones that can be life-threatening, depending on the area affected and the time between injury and treatment. The majority of burns are 1st or 2nd-degree, but those that are more serious can cause injuries that last a lifetime.

Approximately 486,000 burn injuries requiring medical treatment were registered in 2016 (mostly 3rd and 4th-degree, as the majority of 1st and 2nd-degree burns can be treated at home). The most common type of burn comes from thermal sources such as fire, registering around 43 percent of burn-related hospital admissions. Other types include scalds (boiling water burns) with 34 percent, contact burns (contact with hot surfaces) with 9 percent, and 4 percent electrical burns.

Filing Suit

Burns usually fall under the umbrella of personal injury accidents, so if you have sustained burn injuries, you would likely file suit against the person or people you believe to have caused your injuries under a theory of negligence. (One exception to this is if you sustained your burns in an auto accident – Florida is a no-fault auto insurance state, which means that instead of filing suit against a negligent driver, you must seek compensation from your auto insurer unless your injuries are “significant and permanent.”) A negligence case must be proven by establishing that the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff, and that their failure to exercise due care was the direct cause of the plaintiff’s injuries.

Like with many negligence cases, there are several types of damages that one can recover in a burn injury case. As one might imagine, medical bills are perhaps the most common type of damages sought, but a burn injury plaintiff can also very often recover lost wages, as well as more intangible damages for pain and suffering, mental anguish, or both. It may feel too overwhelming to think about filing a claim against the person you believe is responsible for your injuries, but you deserve a chance to recover for what you have been through.

Call A Tampa Burn Injury Attorney

If you have been burned in an accident, your injuries are likely severe, and in extreme cases, you may require lifelong care. You need an experienced Tampa burn injury attorney on your side that can offer compassionate and knowledgeable representation at a time when life can feel very overwhelming. The Rinaldo Law Group has handled many of these cases, and is ready to try and help you with yours. Contact our offices today for a free consultation.

Resource:

ameriburn.org/who-we-are/media/burn-incidence-fact-sheet/

https://www.tampainjuryaccidentlaw.com/after-a-florida-truck-accident/