Few types of injuries are more painful or long-lasting than severe burns, and especially serious burns can result in permanent scarring and even life-threatening complications. If you suffered a burn at the hands of a negligent person or entity, you may be justifiably upset at the harm they caused you to suffer, but you may not be sure what you can do to hold them responsible for their actions.
Fortunately, help is available from a seasoned Lawrenceville burn injury lawyer who has helped many other people in your same situation before. Once hired, your dedicated catastrophic injury attorney could help you identify all your damages, comprehensively prove who is at fault for them, and relentlessly seek fair restitution in or out of court as the circumstances demand.
While burn injuries can theoretically occur under a lot of different circumstances, they are particularly common in severe car crashes, workplace accidents, incidents involving exposure to hot liquid or steam, and accidental chemical exposure. In some cases, a property owner could be held liable for burn injuries caused by exposure to faulty wiring or electrical paneling.
Technically, there are six degrees of burns according to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, but for the purposes of understanding options for civil litigation, it is best to focus on the first three in particular. First-degree burns typically do not warrant a lawsuit, as they only affect the outermost layer of skin and rarely require medical intervention for them to heal properly.
Conversely, second-degree burns that affect both the outer epidermis and the inner dermis, and especially third-degree burns that completely destroy both layers of skin, generally require prompt medical attention and may lead to scarring, nerve damage, and various other long-term consequences. Anyone who suffers a second-degree burn or worse due to another party’s negligence should speak with a hardworking Lawrenceville lawyer about their legal options.
The role attorneys typically play in burn injury claims is twofold. First, they establish based on a preponderance of evidence that someone else’s negligence is specifically to blame for your injuries. Then, they demonstrate the losses—both economic and non-economic—that the plaintiff suffered as a result and seek enough money through a private settlement or court verdict to fully compensate for those damages.
In both respects, assistance from a seasoned attorney in Lawrenceville is often critical to achieving a positive case outcome after a burn injury. For example, since Official Code of Georgia §51-12-33 forbids plaintiffs who bear at least 50 percent of the fault for their injuries from filing suit for damages, defendants often try to accuse accident victims of negligence so they can avoid financial liability for that person’s losses. Even if a partially negligent plaintiff can still file suit, any percentage of fault they bear will result in a proportional reduction of their final damage award.
Unfortunately, there is no amount of financial compensation that can erase the pain of a serious burn, nor potentially the permanent scars it leaves you with. What a civil lawsuit can do, though, is ensure you do not have to bear the financial brunt of your injuries yourself if they only occurred because someone else was reckless or careless.
Seeking a positive resolution to a burn injury claim is generally a lot easier with help from a qualified legal professional. Get in touch with a Lawrenceville burn injury lawyer today to start discussing your potential case.
