Severe Burn Injury Lawyer in Mobile

The effects of a burn injury can last years, and severe burn injuries may impact you the rest of your life. From the pain of a serious burn and the tightness caused by scarring to disfigurement that can cause mental anguish, it’s no surprise that burns may be one of the worst outcomes of an accident.

You have options after you have suffered burn injuries due to someone else’s negligence. You may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, mental anguish, and pain and suffering. To discuss your claim in greater detail, call Burns, Cunningham & Mackey at 251-432-0612.

Common Causes of Burn Injuries

Burns can occur in almost any type of accident. Some of the most commonly reported sources of burn injuries include:

• Home and apartment fires
• Workplace fires
• Car accidents
• Tractor-trailer accidents involving explosions or hazardous materials
• Workplace exposure to toxic chemicals
• Frayed or damaged electrical cords
• Water exceeding approved maximum temperatures and plumbing systems carrying water at high temperatures
• Electrical accidents

Other issues can exacerbate the issues caused by fires or make injuries worse. For example, businesses or apartment buildings that routinely keep their fire exits locked “for security reasons” put their employees, tenants, and visitors at serious risk of burn injuries when a fire does occur. The extra time spent trying to get to the fire exit, discovering it’s locked, and having to find an alternative option can lead to fatal or catastrophic injuries.

Similarly, companies or apartment buildings that do not regularly check fire alarms, fire extinguishers, or other safety gear may cause fires to go undetected for longer periods of time. These are all serious issues when it comes to fire safety.

Types of Burns

Burns are categorized in several different ways. First, there are different types of burns that can leave you with serious or permanent injuries:

• Thermal burns. These are what most people think of when they think of burn injuries. They are caused by fire, steam, or boiling or hot liquids.
• Chemical burns. Exposure to harsh chemicals or involvement in a chemical explosion can leave you with serious chemical burns.
• Light burns. Overexposure to sunlight or UV light can also cause lasting skin damage.
• Radiation burns. Nuclear radiation is another source of burn injuries.

From there, each burn is evaluated in terms of its severity. The least severe is a first-degree burn, which only damages the outermost layer of skin. Someone with a first-degree burn will experience discomfort and minor pain, mild inflammation, and red skin. Generally, first degree burns heal on their own with time and rest.

Second-degree burns are more serious, damaging multiple layers of skin. Those with second-degree burns may notice blisters, red skin, and serious pain around the area. This type of burn does require medical treatment.

The most severe type of burn is a third-degree burn, which damages every layer of skin and can even cause permanent damage to bones and organs. These burns often leave you with dry, charred wounds that may or may not cause pain. Extensive nerve damage may mean that you cannot experience pain in the affected area, so even if your burns aren’t painful, seek medical attention immediately. Left untreated, third-degree burns can be fatal.

Compensation for Burns

Burns can leave you with extensive pain, serious injuries, lost wages, and disfigurement. Because of this, you may be entitled to substantial compensation for your injury. Burns of all types and severities run the risk of infection, permanent scarring, and other side effects. Depending on the severity of your burn and the extent of the damage you’ve suffered, you may be able to seek compensation for:

• Medical expenses. The medical expenses associated with a burn can be extraordinarily high. There are many types of treatments used for burns, and you may need to spend a significant amount of time in a burn unit recovering. Sizable burns may require skin grafting. On top of that, you are at heightened risk for an infection until your burn heals, which may mean a longer hospital stay.
• Long-term treatment expenses. The treatment plan for a burn often requires weeks or months of follow-up treatment. You may have to go to physical therapy if your burn has limited your mobility or left you with inflexible, tight skin. You may also need to seek follow-up care for a skin graft to ensure that your body is healing appropriately.
• Future medical costs. If your burn injury is serious enough to impact your quality of life long-term, it’s likely you’ll need future medical care. A fair settlement will consider these costs.
• Lost wages. Time spent away from work should be compensated in a full and fair settlement. You shouldn’t be left with additional financial stress because of someone else’s error or negligence.
• Lost future income. Third-degree burns are often serious enough to impact your mobility or your pain levels, leaving you unable to reach the same level of productivity once you heal. If your ability to work is permanently affected, your settlement should pay you for that loss.
• Disability and disfigurement. Settlements for burn injuries often include compensation for disability and disfigurement, as you are forced to live with these outcomes for the rest of your life.
• Pain and suffering. Pain and suffering payouts are often quite high for burn injuries, since the pain may last for the rest of your life.

Why You Need an Attorney

Regardless of where you acquired your burn injury, it’s important to hold the liable party accountable. Unfortunately, it’s extremely hard to get insurance companies to do the right thing when their client’s actions leave someone permanently injured. While you are in the hospital getting treatment for your burns, the insurance company is hard at work looking for ways to discredit your claim and avoid paying you a full and fair settlement.

The best way to fight back against this is to hire an attorney. At Burns, Cunningham & Mackey, we know the various tips and tricks that insurance companies use to take advantage of and manipulate victims.

We fight back with a thorough investigation, strong evidence of their client’s negligence, and proof of your injuries. This puts us in a great position to negotiate a full and fair settlement on your behalf. If the insurance company refuses to play fair and do right by you, we are ready to go to court and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Contact Burns, Cunningham & Mackey to Discuss Your Options

The earlier you reach out to our team about your burn injury, the more quickly we can start working for you. Set up a consultation now by calling us at 251-432-0612 or reaching out to our team online.