Every year, nearly 1.1 million people report having to seek medical treatment for burn-related injuries. While some are only mild scalds, others are severe and can require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation.
If you suffered severe burns due to another person, business, or entity’s negligence, you should not have to cover the resulting costs alone. By reaching out to a Seminole burn injury lawyer, you could have assistance with determining your legal options. A qualified attorney could work to establish fault, calculate your losses, and pursue a claim on your behalf.
An Overview of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries can arise from any number of circumstances, including electrical currents, flames, chemicals, and hot liquids. Burns are then classified into three categories, with first-degree being the least severe and third-degree being the most.
First Degree Burns
A first-degree burn, also known as superficial burns, cause the least damage to the skin. These typically do not result in scarring and only damage the top layer of the skin, healing within a week or so. Victims may feel minor inflammation, swelling, pain, peeling skin, and redness.
Second Degree Burns
A second-degree burn causes damage beyond the top layer of skin, resulting in blisters, thick scab tissue, and extreme redness. Second-degree burns could take up to three weeks or more to heal, with most burns leaving no scars but sometimes changes to skin pigment.
Third Degree Burns
A burn injury victim experiencing third-degree burns are some of the most severe. This causes damage to all layers of the skin, underlying tissue, muscle, and bone. A third-degree burn results in nerve damage, scarring, contracture, and charring of the skin.
Pursuing a Legal Claim in Seminole
Depending on the circumstances surrounding a severe burn, the injured individual may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation. In order to seek a lawsuit, however, plaintiffs must first file a claim within the statute of limitations. Under Florida Statutes §95.11, plaintiffs have four years from the date of their injury to file a claim.
After filing a case, plaintiffs could engage in settlement negotiations. If a settlement is not reached between the parties, the case could proceed to trial. Here, an injured claimant must be able to demonstrate that the defendant was at fault for their injuries. This is done by establishing negligence.
For someone to be considered negligent, they would first have to owe the claimant a duty of care. Then, it must be shown that this duty of care was breached by, for example, neglecting the rules of the road or not maintaining a safe property. Once these steps are established, it must then be shown that these breach of duty led to an accident and that this accident resulted in the claimant’s injuries. Establishing each of these elements for a burn injury claim often requires the experience of a Seminole lawyer.
Consult a Seminole Burn Injury Attorney Today
If or a loved one suffered serious burn injuries due to another person’s careless, reckless, or otherwise negligent actions, you are likely to be overwhelmed and traumatized. The idea of pursuing a claim may feel daunting, especially having to negotiate with insurance companies and gather the appropriate documentation.
Fortunately, you do not have to navigate this process alone. By retaining a Seminole burn injury lawyer, you could focus on your recovery with the knowledge that a tenacious attorney is pursuing compensation on your behalf. To learn more, schedule a consultation with a legal professional today.
