Burns can be very serious and painful injuries, leaving permanent scars and disabilities. They are caused by exposure to heat, electricity, radiation or chemicals. Most of the events that lead to burn injuries are accidents occurred as the result of negligence or a defective product. In that situation victims are legally entitled to file a burn injury lawsuit in order to receive financial compensations.
Burn injury types and their effects
Burns are categorized depending on the extent and the depth of the injury. First degree burns affect only the upper lawyer of the skin, which becomes red. Victims experience pain, swelling and discomfort, but that usually disappears in a couple of days.
Second degree burns affect both the epidermis and dermis. People experience serious pain, and the wound heals within a couple of weeks.
Third degree burns are very serious affecting all the lawyers of the skin. Victims often do not feel too much pain because nerves have also been destroyed. However the body is exposed to the risk of infections and the injury will leave permanent marks.
Fourth degree burns are life threatening. Not only the skin but also muscles and bones have been affected. These injuries often lead to amputations.
Burn injury lawsuit
The purpose of a burn injury lawsuit is to recover compensation, called damages, for the injured party. These damages consist in medical costs, the costs of care, pain and suffering, including physical and emotional suffering and disfigurement and lost earnings.
Burn injury lawyers will have to prove the negligence of the defendant by a preponderance of the evidence in order to obtain the damages for their clients.
If the burn injury was caused by a dangerous, defective or recalled product, the legal action will be based on a product liability claim. However if the accident led to the death of the victim a wrongful death lawsuit shell be filed.