Few types of injuries are more painful or debilitating during the healing process than severe burns. Some burns are so substantial that the injured party has little chance of ever healing completely from them. No matter what degree of burn you experienced, you may have grounds to sue the person responsible for your injury if you are able to prove that their negligence directly caused your harm.
A qualified Ballwin burn injury lawyer could provide irreplaceable personalized support and guidance throughout this unique type of claim. Experienced catastrophic injury attorneys know how immensely harmful injuries of this nature could be, and once retained, these professionals could work tenaciously on your behalf to protect your interests and rights while securing fair restitution for your losses.
Medical personnel classify burns into different degrees based on the amount of damage they cause to the skin and underlying tissues. A local attorney could help demand fair restitution for any level of burn injury, so long as it is severe enough to require professional medical care beyond basic first aid.
First-degree burns are surface-level injuries that only damage the outermost layer of skin—known as the epidermis. While these burns are generally minor injuries that will heal by themselves over the course of a few days, widespread first-degree burns, or first-degree burns in sensitive areas like the hands or groin, may necessitate medical attention.
Second-degree burns are often substantially more painful than first-degree burns because they penetrate completely through the epidermis and damage the dermis layer of skin underneath. These could be characterized by:
Second-degree burns sometimes cause damage to nerve endings, and particularly severe ones may result in permanent scarring.
When a burn damages underlying fat layers and soft tissue, and penetrates both skin layers, it is classified as a third-degree burn. Third-degree burns are sometimes less painful than second-degree burns, because the damage done is so immense that it includes total destruction of nerve endings, resulting in numbness and other potential long-term consequences.
Especially severe third-degree burns that damage large amounts of muscle tissue or even bones are sometimes referred to as fourth-degree burns. Even with prompt medical intervention, these burns almost always have permanent repercussions and are often fatal.
The value of a burn injury settlement or civil court verdict depends on the extent of the physical damage done and the losses the plaintiff sustained as a direct result of that damage. Recoverable damages in a typical claim might include:
A well-practiced burn injury lawyer in the area could ensure a claimant is properly compensated for their past and future losses.
Even if you heal completely from your burn over time, the financial and psychological effects of your injury may persist for months or years afterwards. In more severe situations, permanent disability or disfigurement from a burn could fundamentally alter your prospects in life, necessitating greater compensation from the party responsible for harming you.
A Ballwin burn injury lawyer’s assistance could make the difference between a positive and negative resolution to your claim. Call now to schedule your initial consultation.
