If you suffer a burn of any kind due to the actions—or inactions—of another person, it is essential that you understand your legal options for recourse. Burns can be extremely painful, leave serious and permanent scars, and severely impact your quality of life. Additionally, the expensive treatment for them can often be complex and take years to complete.
If someone else is responsible for your harm, a catastrophic injury attorney could assist you in holding them accountable and obtaining the compensation you need. A Norristown burn injury lawyer could evaluate the circumstances surrounding your case to determine your legal options.
Factors Affecting Compensation in Burn Accident Cases
An individual suffering from burns can struggle with high medical bills and the loss of income due to missed time at work while recovering. Compensation may be available for damages suffered by hurt individuals, however, the amount of awards varies in each case and depends on certain factors.
An experienced Norristown burn accident attorney could help evaluate an individual’s case to determine the potential compensation. The common factors that may influence the amount of compensation an individual may receive include liability insurance, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Liability Insurance and Medical Expenses
Many people carry liability insurance, which can pay for the claims against them if they are found responsible for the claimant’s injuries. The applicable policy limits may alter the amount of compensation depending on the circumstances of the case.
Another factor is medical expenses for the treatment of burns. These can be extensive and include skin grafts, plastic surgery, and physical therapy. Some of these medical treatments can take months or even years to complete, causing a long and drawn-out process through which the injured person will go.
Lost Wages & Pain and Suffering
Lost wages following an accident can also alter compensation amounts. Many individuals cannot return to work for months or years after catastrophic harm like this. In some cases, an individual may not be able to resume their previous work responsibilities for the remainder of their life.
Physical and financial impacts are not the only results of an accident. An accident may result in emotional pain and suffering, such as:
- Severe mental and emotional anguish
- A sense of shame
- Social isolation due to serious scarring and other injuries
Because of these results of an incident, a plaintiff may attempt to claim rewards for their emotional pain and suffering.
Who is Liable for Someone Getting Burned?
There may be one person or multiple parties that contribute to the burns suffered by an individual. Identifying all responsible parties can be a difficult task, but it is critical to recovering the full compensation a claimant is entitled to. Typically, there are three main aspects that should be known when identifying whether a party may be liable for injuries like this.
First, the party who owed a duty of care to the hurt individual must be identified. After identifying all responsible parties, the next aspect is determining the way that the party violated their duty. Lastly, it is critical to know that the responsible party’s violations caused the claimant’s injuries.
Determining who caused the burns is frequently a difficult task for plaintiffs. This, in addition to the state statute of limitations for burn injuries being two years under 42 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes § 5524, causes immense difficulty for people seeking compensation without the aid of a professional. A seasoned attorney in Norristown understands how to identify the parties liable for the burns and navigate through the deadlines for these types of claims.
Contact a Knowledgeable Norristown Burn Injury Attorney Today
When you suffer severe burns due to the negligence of another party, you may require extensive medical treatment to recover. In addition, you may have to deal with the financial stress of the mounting medical bills and lost wages from missed work while trying to recover from your injuries.
A Norristown burn injury lawyer could help ease some of your stress and fight for the compensation you deserve for your wounds. Contact us today to speak with one of our compassionate attorneys.
