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Burn Injuries: Recovering from the Carelessness of Others
Burn injuries may be some of the most tragic, painful and horrific injuries a person can suffer. They can result in permanent disfigurement, significant medical expenses, and medical treatment that could potentially last a lifetime. If someone performed an act - or failed to act - in a situation that caused your injuries, and this person failed to act like a reasonably prudent person would in a similar situation, this individual could be held liable under the theory of negligence.
The American Burn Association estimates that, in 2013, over 450,000 people across the United States received medical treatment for injuries related to burns. Additionally, more than 3,400 people died due to fire, burn, and smoke inhalation injuries. Lastly, over 40,000 people were hospitalized due to burn-related injuries. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services, in 2005, burn injuries sent over 7,770 citizens to emergency rooms across the state, over 600 citizens were hospitalized for longer-term care, and 61 individuals died as a result of their burn wounds.
If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury, it is important that you immediately contact an experienced burn injury attorney to properly document your injuries and to get you the compensation you deserve.
Categories of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries can occur from a wide variety of sources. These sources include automobile accidents, residential fires, chemical spills, fire alarms, gas lines, arson, electrical fires, thermal burns, furnaces, and even hot liquids.
Causes of Burn Injuries
Most of the time, individuals or organizations are the catalyst of burns injuries. If they acted negligently, failed to maintain the premises, or failed to install fire alarms and smoke detectors, they could be liable for your injuries. The product that started the fire could have been defective as a result of poor engineering, or the owner of the premises could have ignored mandated safety requirements. Or quite possibly, a parent could have left children unsupervised, who subsequently caused a fire that resulted in your injuries.
Obtaining Recovery for Burn Injuries
Victims of burn injuries can usually recovery for a multitude of things related to the injuries, such as medical expenses, plastic surgery, lost wages, future earnings, partial or permanent disabilities, rehabilitation, chronic care, and pain and suffering.
Why You Should Consult an Attorney
As you can see, burn injury cases are very complex and it is not always clear who is responsible for your damages. Also, you must adequately document your injuries if you decide to pursue a lawsuit against those people responsible for your injuries. Wisconsin law requires burn injury victims to file a lawsuit within three years from the date of injury in order to recover any damages for their injuries. Contacting an experienced attorney will ensure that all evidence relevant to your case is gathered within the appropriate time frame, including reports from emergency services, medical records, and possible witnesses.
If you or a loved one suffered burn injuries due to the negligence of another party, you should consult an experienced Milwaukee personal injury attorney who will evaluate your claim, determine the causes of your injuries, and relentlessly pursue those who were responsible.
