Whether they occur in the household, at work, or during a severe accident, burn injuries can often have debilitating and often permanent consequences. Unfortunately, recovering civil compensation for this kind of injury can be complicated, since it may be difficult to determine who the liable party is or prove their actions directly caused your injury.
If you were seriously burned due to someone else’s negligence, legal help is available from a Chesterfield burn injury lawyer. Once retained, a seasoned injury attorney could work tirelessly on your behalf to collect evidence of liability, document your injuries and losses, and pursue appropriate restitution either through a private settlement or a lawsuit in civil court.
Generally, any accident-related injury that requires professional medical treatment can serve as grounds for a personal injury lawsuit against the person or entity responsible for causing it. While this means that burn injury litigation typically involves second-degree and third-degree burns, first-degree burns could also justify litigation if they cover large portions of a person’s body or impact sensitive areas like the face, groin, or extremities.
Regardless of a the level of severity, a person who experiences a burn cannot file suit unless they can prove it was caused by someone else’s negligence. This means a plaintiff must show that the defendant in their case breached a duty of care owed to them, and that this breach proximately caused them to be severely burned.
Many burn injury cases stem from car crashes and product defects, but liability could also arise under certain circumstances. For example, a landlord could be held responsible for not fixing a frayed electrical cord in an apartment if it causes a renter to suffer severe electrical burns. A qualified local injury attorney could work with a plaintiff to identify who may be responsible for their burn and collect evidence demonstrating liability.
Since second-degree burns penetrate both the epidermis and dermis layers of the skin, and third-degree burns often damage tendons, nerves, and muscle tissue, it is not uncommon for severe burns to cause permanent harm. Accordingly, it is often advisable for claimant’s suffering from burns to take not only short-term losses into account, but also long-term damages they may experience in the future.
With help from a qualified lawyer, someone who suffers severe burns in Chesterfield may be able to pursue compensation for:
Legal counsel could also be crucial to ensure a case is filed within the deadline set by the statute of limitations. While Revised Statutes of Missouri §516.120 sets a fairly generous filing deadline of five years for most personal injury claims, that time can pass quickly if a plaintiff is unable to efficiently collect evidence and build their case for compensation.
Burns are extremely painful injuries, and particularly severe cases often have permanent consequences. If another party’s reckless or careless actions caused you to suffer a burn, working with a seasoned legal representative to recover compensation could be crucial to protecting both your physical health and your future financial security.
Guidance from a knowledgeable Chesterfield burn injury lawyer could make all the difference in the outcome of your civil case. To talk with a trustworthy attorney about how you could pursue restitution for your losses, call today to set up a free consultation.
