Whether a burn results from heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or radiation, if another party’s negligence caused it, you should immediately contact an experienced injury lawyer. A Washington, DC, burn injury lawyer could discuss your options for recovering compensation. Of course, how bad a particular burn is is categorized by “degree.” For example, a first-degree burn is typically considered superficial. In contrast, fourth-degree burn causes significant injury to the skin but also causes damage to the bones and muscles or tendons.
Fire stands as the primary cause of severe burns, with tens of millions of cases reported annually in the United States, leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths. Most of these fires are preventable, making them responsible for another party’s negligence. Most injuries and deaths from home fires can be averted by ensuring the presence of functional smoke detectors and indoor sprinkler systems in commercial spaces and apartment buildings. In 2014, fire/smoke inhalation fatalities reached 3,275, according to the NFPA. Stanfordchildrens.org reports that most deadly home fires start in a living or sleeping area.
A residential fire can cause severe burns, requiring the assistance of a DC burn injury lawyer. Whether it is a cooking accident, heating equipment, electrical issues, smoking in the bedroom, candles, or even arson, a residential fire can be caused by any number of negligent acts. Unfortunately, what may seem like a simple mistake can quickly balloon into a significant problem. A residential fire may trigger your homeowner’s policy. However, it is essential to consider how the fire began. If someone else’s negligence caused it, you may have a claim. Note that residential fires can be incredibly destructive. They can destroy everything you have ever owned. This can cause immense emotional damage. However, it is critical to note that you are only entitled to the market value of the property damage.
If you are in an apartment and suffer injuries from a residential fire, you may have a claim against your landlord. This will depend on whether your landlord negligently maintained the equipment that caused the residential fire. Pursuing this claim may require expert witness testimony if we cannot first settle your case. This is critical to note because expert witnesses can be expensive. However, if we have to hire an expert, the defense team will, too. Thus, both sides are incentivized to settle before litigation.
A DC burn injury lawyer may be able to help you if you suffer a burn injury from a restaurant or kitchen fire, electrical fire, scalding from a hot liquid, chemical burn, or radiation burn. Any one of these can be caused by the negligence of a third party. Generally, a public premises burn is a better case to pursue than a residential fire based on the coverage available to a plaintiff. Remember, to pursue a viable claim, we must have some theory of negligence to hold the defendant liable. Below is a list of common theories of negligence related to public premises and burn injuries.
These are all duties that a defendant has in a public premises injury. A breach of this duty triggers liability. For example, if a public premises such as a restaurant, hotel, or store does not correctly adhere to fire safety codes, and there is a causal link between that breach of duty and your injuries, we can hold that defendant responsible. This is generally a favorable defendant because, unlike a motorist who may not have insurance, a defendant like a hotel or restaurant likely does have insurance. This is a critical component of getting you the compensation you deserve.
Vehicle accidents are commonplace in DC. While DC is not an anomaly in this regard, fires resulting from vehicle accidents are less common. These can be caused by fires following a collision, hot engine components and fluids, electrical burns, or airbag deployment. Unfortunately, if you are in a vehicle accident where there is also a fire, chances are that burns are not the only injury you are suffering from. You may also be suffering from broken bones and brain injury, among many other common injuries.
Treatment of burns may range from a single visit to the primary care physician or emergency room to long-term care at a burn treatment center. Naturally, pain and suffering are commensurate with the length of treatment and the type of burn. A DC burn injury lawyer can help navigate the complexity of treating burn injuries by referring you to trusted doctors. In treating a burn injury, you must first assess the damage.
Advanced medical intervention may be necessary to treat severe burns. A DC burn injury lawyer can advise you on the value of a severe burn and whether you have a case based on how the burns affect you. Debridement may be necessary to treat a severe burn. This is the removal of dead tissue to prevent infection. Any time your skin is open, infection is a risk. Debridement seeks to deal with that risk.
Skin grafting is a second treatment method for severe burns. This surgery seeks to replace large, exposed areas with new skin, which may involve donor skin or synthetic substitutes.
A third treatment method to deal with severe burns is general rehabilitation. This may involve physical therapy, cognitive therapy, occupational therapy, and counseling to assist with your recovery. If you are burned in a place that has a personal connection with your identity, such as your face, this can cause severe emotional damage. This is a compensable damage that a DC burn injury lawyer can aid with.
Some plastic surgeons like to wait a year before operating on any scars. This is smart because it gives the body a chance to heal on its own, which is arguably the best method of scar management. However, sometimes more is needed. Types of scar management can include compression garments, silicone sheets, corticosteroid injections, and laser therapy.
Many personal injury lawyers have limited experience with burn cases, particularly those caused by airbag deployment. Discussing your case with a Washington, DC, burn injury lawyer who can provide your needed expertise is essential. Rogerrm, serving D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, has a proven track record, representing over 10,000 clients and recovering over $150,000,000 since their establishment by Gelb and his fi in 1954. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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