Burn injuries are some of the most uncomfortable and traumatic types of injuries someone can sustain. They take months and sometimes years to heal and often require costly procedures, long-term hospital stays, and follow-up treatments and therapies. These treatments often rack up huge medical debt, leaving sufferers to recover emotionally and financially. Burn injuries that are severe can cause death due to infection and shock in serious cases.
Whether your burn resulted from electrocution, exposure to chemicals, or exposure to heat, if someone else’s negligence caused your injury, it’s important to seek justice as soon as possible to recover any damages and suffering you have experienced. The burn injury lawyers at Custy Law Firm | Accident & Injury Lawyers can help you do just that. If you’re the victim of a burn injury, our compassionate Valparaiso attorneys will listen to your story, and fight fiercely and skillfully for your needs to ensure you receive maximum compensation.
Don’t hesitate to seek the help of an experienced, knowledgeable injury attorney. Call us today at (219) 286-7361.
What Kinds of Burn Injuries Qualify for A Lawsuit?
Burn accidents can happen at any place and any time, but it’s different if your injuries were as a result of another person’s negligence that exposed you to harm unnecessarily. Below are the different kinds of burn injuries that may lead to a lawsuit.
Chemicals Burns: Chemicals with the capacity to severely damage the skin resulting in burns. You can find these occurrences happening a lot in workplaces. Certain products include harsh cleaning products such as disinfectants and harsh surface cleaners, art supplies such as chemicals used to remove oil paints and other permanent materials, degreasers that are often used for cars, doors, and other mechanical parts, solvents, and acids, which can take the form of a solid-liquid or gas.
Certain industries are vulnerable and susceptible to chemical exposures resulting in burns. Some of these industries often include roofing and contracting, chemical laboratories, and manufacturing plants. It is important to remember that the industries where a person can be exposed to burns are not limited to those listed above. Important symptoms to look out for that may not be completely visible until hours later include:
- Blisters,
- Difficulty breathing,
- Excessive Coughing,
- Irritated, sensitive, or itching skin,
- Numbness,
- Pain (The degree of pain is not necessarily related to the severity of the burn since the most serious burns can be painless.),
- Shock,
- Swelling, and
- White or charred skin.
Electrical Burns: Electrical wiring that is exposed, lines (even with low voltage power), power tools, and equipment used for farming increase the risk of burn and put people at a higher risk of experiencing electrical burns. Industries involving construction, large appliances, and the use of high-voltage machinery increase the risk of burns and injury. Electrical burn victims often suffer severe injuries such as nerve damage, tissue damage, visible burn marks, or death caused by electrocution.
Product Burns: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that thousands of burns occur every year by defective products and merchandise. When a person suffers damage because of a defective product or merchandise, the injured individual may be able to file a product liability claim against the distributor or manufacturer of the product—even if you did not purchase the defective merchandise yourself.
The Indiana Product Liability Act states that defective product lawsuits are governed by Indiana Code §-213, also known as the Indiana Product Liability Act. The Indiana Product Liability Act supports lawsuits brought by consumers against manufacturing companies and sellers for physical injuries caused by their product.
What If I Suffered a Burn Injury Caused by Someone Else?
Our personal injury lawyers at the Custy Law Firm | Accident & Injury Lawyers represent clients and their loved ones who have suffered severe injuries by the wrongful conduct or negligence of another person. At Custy Law Firm | Accident & Injury Lawyers, we understand that the important long-term goals after going through such trauma are to get medical bills paid and covered, make sure you or your loved one does not suffer financially through any lost wages, and make sure the appropriate person will pay for future treatment relating to your injury.
If you were injured in a burn accident, you may be wondering how much compensation you can recover. This will depend on a number of factors particular to your accident, such as the extent of your injuries and the cause of your accident, but, in general, if you were the victim of a burn accident due to another party’s negligence, you have a right to compensation for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and more. More specifically, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Hospitalization and surgery
- On-going treatment and medication
- Physical therapy, rehabilitation services, and home nursing services
- Permanent or temporary disability
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Mental anguish
- Loss of companionship, if the accident caused the death of a loved one, and you’re filing on their behalf
We will negotiate aggressively with the negligent party’s insurance company, and we will not resolve your case unless the amount of compensation is fair and covers your losses. We aren’t afraid to go to court, if needed, to pursue a fair compensation package.
How Long Do I Have to File a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Indiana?
If you or a loved one experienced a serious burn, and you or your family has been impacted by the injury, you may be eligible to recover compensation for medical bills and suffering. Under Indiana personal law, a judge can hold the accused person liable and require them to pay compensation if their acts caused a serious injury or the death of your loved one.
Every state has time limits on the types of lawsuits you can file. The state-mandated time limits are called statutes of limitations. To file a personal injury lawsuit in Indiana, you must file within two years of the burn accident. According to Indiana personal injury laws, personal injury cases have a time limit of two years from the date the accident occurred to file the lawsuit in the Indiana court. Unfortunately, if you do not file your case within the statute of limitations, the court judges may not hear the case and the defendant could win the lawsuit you’ve brought against them. If you still have questions about filing a personal injury in Indiana, it may be time to speak to an experienced lawyer.
Burn Injury Statistics
A person’s skin often acts as a barrier shielding a person from bacteria entering the body. When there is a serious burn, this protective barrier is broken—exposing you to infection. Therefore, medical professionals are always cautioned to thoroughly clean and cover open wounds to reduce the possibility of an infection from happening. According to the CDC, 1.1 million burn injuries require medical attention every year in the United States. About 10,000 people in the United States die every year of burn-related infections.
There are several types of burn injuries that may lead to infection, including:
- Second and third-degree burns: of the total number of burn injuries that occur in the United States, 46% of them are caused by fire.
- Boiling liquid (scalding) burns: make up for 32% of scalding burns from boiling water, hot oils, or steam.
- Thermal burns: about 8% of thermal burns occur through contact with high heat objects such as an iron or stovetop.
- Electric shocks and burns: about 4% of burns in the U.S. are caused by electricity.
- Acid (chemical) burns: 3% of burns in the U.S. are from acids and chemicals.
- The other 7% are due to a mix of other causes such as sunburn, fireworks, smoke inhalation.
If the accident that caused the burn was due to the negligence of another person, or someone exposes you to harsh chemicals resulting in life-altering or life-threatening burns, then there is a good chance you can file for compensation for your burn injuries. If there is proof that a person’s injury was caused by negligent behavior, whether, by a doctor, a nurse, a commercial business, or any other public or private liable entity, a person may be able to seek compensation for damages.
Contact Custy Law Firm | Accident & Injury Lawyers in Valparaiso
If you or a loved one has a potential claim that you would like to discuss with an experienced attorney, please contact us in Valparaiso at (219) 286-7361. Our lawyers will listen to your case and inform you of your legal options. There is no charge for a case consultation.
