Yamin Law Group
WHEN TO SEEK A BURN INJURY ATTORNEY?
California is home to thousands of car accidents every year. While high impact collisions usually result in catastrophic injuries, minor fender benders can also result in harm. Since driving is so prevalent in the state, your chances of being involved in an accident are high. In the event of a car accident, you or a loved one may be entitled to significant compensation.
WHY SHOULD YOU HIRE ABURN INJURY
Burns can be caused by a variety of factors, including defective items. Fires or flames caused by defective products might burn the victim. Because there are so many things that might cause burns, it’s crucial to only use equipment and goods for the purposes intended. However, if you have been hurt by a product, you should contact our firm right away to discuss your legal options.
WHAT TO DO AFTER SUFFERING A
Document the Accident
After suffering a burn injury it is important to:
- write down what happened
- take photographs of the injury and the scene of the accident
Creating a record helps build your claim in order to receive the compensation you deserve.
Go to the Hospital
It is important to treat your burn injury immediately because you may need to receive treatment from a medical specialist depending on the type of burn you suffered.
Contact a Burn Injury Attorney
Contacting a burn injury attorney will alleviate the stress of the complex legal intricacies of burn injury claims. Accordingly, a burn injury lawyer will work on getting you set up with medical professionals to treat your injuries and negotiate your claim to get you the compensation you deserve.
A BURN INJURY CAN BE DUE TO:
Burns can be caused by a variety of factors, including defective items. Fires or flames caused by defective products might burn the victim. Because there are so many things that might cause burns, it’s crucial to only use equipment and goods for the purposes intended. However, if you have been hurt by a product, you should contact our firm right away to discuss your legal options.
Products defects
Burns can be caused by a variety of factors, including defective items. Fires or flames caused by defective products might burn the victim. Because there are so many things that might cause burns, it’s crucial to only use equipment and goods for the purposes intended. However, if you have been hurt by a product, you should contact our firm right away to discuss your legal options.
Strict liability:
Strict liability involves claims against manufacturers and defendants arising out of manufacturing and distribution of products.
COMMON CAUSES OF BURN ACCIDENTS
Thermal
- Contact with external heat
- Ex. fire, steam, scalding liquid, etc.
- Car accidents
- Restaurant accidents
- Firework accidents
- Radiation
- Caused by UV rays, x rays
- Overexposure to UZV from the sun is the most common
- Tanning salon burns
Chemical
- Acids or solvents resulting in chemical burns
- Ex. cleaning products may cause chemical burns (over exposure)
- Industrial settings
Electrical
- Electrical burns from wiring, open power source,
- Construction site accidents
Preventable Accidents:
- Unattended cooking
- Dropped cigarettes
- Children playing with matches and lighters
TYPES OF BURNS
First-Degree burns
- First-degree burns affect the outer layer of skin and are considered a superficial burn. The symptoms of a first-degree burn consist of redness, itchiness, pain, and swelling. A first-degree burn may be mild but, in some cases, may cause infection and may need medical attention from a physician.
Second-Degree burns
- Second-degree burns are considered partial thickness burns and involve the top two layers of the skin. The symptoms may be blisters, discoloration, intense pain, and some may be life threatening or take a long time to heal. The most common second-degree burns are scalds which can be from hot liquids spilled from a pot or steam emitted from hot liquid.
- Second-degree burns may be from accidents with ovens, stoves, exposure to fire, or contact with boiling water. An example would be a person placing their hand on a hot burner.
Third-Degree burns
- A third-degree burn is considered a full thickness burn and affects the top two layers of the skin and the fat tissues underneath the skin. Accordingly, third-degree burns may also cause damage to underlying bones, muscles, and tendons. Also, the symptoms of a third-degree burn may cause the skin to appear charred, white, brown, black, or a dry leathery texture. Third-degree burns may be caused by scalding liquid, flames from a fire, an electrical shock, or a chemical source.
- Moreover, the victim of a third-degree burn may have no sensation in the area of the burn because the nerve endings may have been destroyed. Third-degree burns require immediate treatment and may involve skin grafts and other surgeries if necessary.
Fourth-Degree burn
- A fourth-degree burn is severe and affects the top layers of the skin, tissues, nerves, and possibly muscles. The appearance will look charred and the bones may be exposed. Fourth-degree burns require a trip to the emergency room and are considered a medical emergency. If not treated properly the consequences may be amputation or even death.
Examples of Burn Injury Settlements
- A group of construction workers while on the job were exposed to a faulty water heater that was emitting toxic gases. As a result, those gases caught on fire and caused an explosion. The construction workers all suffered burns immediately and one even died from his injuries. The survivors had millions of dollars in medical bills and trauma related to the accident. The case settled for almost three million dollars.
- A woman went to a tanning salon and while tanning fell onto one of the bulbs causing her to be badly burned. Consequently, she needed surgery to remove the skin and required various ointments and steroids to treat her injury. A jury awarded almost one million for her damages.
- A hotel’s hot water system that supplied hot water to the hotel restrooms allowed the water to become extremely hot. As a result, a plaintiff who was already disabled stepped into a bathtub with the hot water and suffered second-degree burns. The plaintiff was compensated by the hotel for around $275,000.
- An individual received second and third-degree burns on his body due to an overfilled propane tank. Vapors from the tank ignited when the plaintiff was barbecuing and caused him to get severely burned. The gas station that filled the tank settled for $970,000.
- A famous example is the Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants when a 79-year-old woman suffered third-degree burns when she accidentally spilled scalding hot coffee on her lap after buying it from a McDonald’s restaurant. The woman needed to be treated for her burns and required skin grafting and years of medical treatment. The jury verdict on this case ruled that McDonald’s was at fault using comparative negligence.
HOW CAN YOU GET COMPENSATED FOR YOUR INJURIES?
Economic Damages
- A person receives economic damages (sometimes called “special damages”) as compensation for monetary losses they sustain as a result of a personal injury. These damages are verifiable monetary losses and are easy to determine.Examples of economic damages may be:
- Past and future treatment costs
- Lost wages
- Childcare
- Home service care
- Property damage
- Vocational rehabilitation
- Out-of-pocket costs
Non-Economic Damages
- Non-economic damages (also known as “general damages”) are the means our justice system has for compensating losses beyond the scope of medical bills and lost earnings.Non-economic damages are non-monetary losses such as:
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Loss of companionship
- Overall reduction of quality of life.
GET IN CONTACT WITH ABURN INJURY ATTORNEY
The legal, physical, and emotional challenges facing burn injury victims must be handled by a personal injury law firm with experience in dealing with burn victims. A burn injury attorney understands the legal and medical issues involved in burn injury cases and knows how to effectively handle the claim to the victim’s benefit. If you or someone close to you has suffered a burn injury contact Yamin Law to help evaluate your case and get you the justice you deserve.
As a convenience to you, we do hospital and home visits in Los Angeles County and throughout Southern California