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There are few injuries that are more painful than severe burn injuries. Providing care for a person who is the victim of a catastrophic burn must be gentle and concentrated. It can include years of rehabilitation and extended treatment for any complications. The Topeka burn injury lawyers at Joseph, Hollander & Craft are ready to help you collect the money you need to pay for that care and address your other losses.

Classification of Burns Injuries

Burn injuries generally fall into one of three primary categories, depending on the severity of the burn: first, second, and third-degree burns.

First-degree burn injuries

First-degree burns are the most common burn injury. This is a burn to the first layer of skin. It can cause discomfort, inflammation, blisters, and pain. Symptoms disappear once the damaged skin cells are shed and heal in less than a week. These burns can usually be managed by home care. Examples of first-degree burns are sunburns and contact with a heated dish or surface.

Second-degree burn injuries

A second degree burn is more serious since it involves damage to both the inner and outer skin layers. Second-degree burns result in more severe damage and pain and can be evidenced by shiny red skin and blisters. They usually take more than three weeks to heal. Second-degree burns can be caused by very hot water, chemicals, stoves, and ovens.

Third-degree burn injuries

The worst burns that people most commonly survive are third-degree burns. These burns destroy the outer and inner skin layers, and also damage layers of fat beneath the skin and nerve endings. The damage can also reach the bloodstream, organs, and bones. Some third-degree burns can be fatal. Damage from these burns can become infected and leave scars and often require skin grafts. Treatment for third-degree burns requires hospitalization and treatment in a burn unit or ICU.

There are three additional categories of burns (fourth, fifth and sixth degree), which usually result in death.

The Topeka burn injury attorneys at JHC know how to recover money damages to help burn victims address the significant effects of severe burns. We also help families seeking justice and compensation following the loss of a loved one due to a burn injury.

Accidents Causing Burn Injuries

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people suffer burn injuries from fires and explosions that require medical treatment. Many of these burn injuries are avoidable and occur as the result of someone else’s negligence or carelessness. When they do, the burn victims have a claim for compensation for their injuries and the resulting losses.

Building Fires

Building fires can often be attributed to negligent landlords, owners, and property managers. When rules and regulations are ignored, such as the use of faulty wiring, dangerous appliances, or faulty smoke detectors, fires can happen and innocent people can be injured. This also includes construction negligence that causes electrical burns, fires, and other harmful incidents.

Defective/Dangerous Products

Defective and dangerous products are often the cause of burn injuries. Electrical products, acids, solvents, flammable materials, and consumer products are just a few examples. Electric cars and scooters have been known to catch fire while charging.  Designers, manufacturers, and retailers of consumer products have a duty to ensure that their products are safe for consumers. It is also their duty to warn consumers of known dangers and provide instruction on the safe use of their products. When they fail in these duties and cause injuries as a result, it is important to hold the responsible parties accountable and recover what you need to manage the resulting loss.

Vehicle Fires

Along with electrical modes of transportation, motor vehicles such as cars, trucks, and buses are a common cause of fires resulting in burn injuries to victims. In addition to fires caused by accidents and collisions, fires can also result from a mechanical failure in the vehicle.

Impacts of Burn Injuries

There are almost always severe consequences associated with burn injuries. These consequences include loss of feeling, severe and prolonged pain, mental and emotional anguish, loss of mobility, lung damage, infection, and the need for skin grafting. Many victims are left with permanent scars, physical disabilities, and severe psychological trauma.

Medical treatment can be long-term and require multiple surgeries, including skin grafting. Some burn victims require life-long care and are no longer able to live independently.

When someone else is at fault for these significant consequences, you deserve compensation. JHC’s Topeka burn injury lawyers can help.

Speak to Our Topeka Burn Injury Lawyers

Don’t hesitate to get the legal help you need to recover from a serious burn injury. Contact JHC’s Topeka burn injury lawyers today. Your initial consultation is free and you only pay us if we win compensation for you. Don’t wait. Contact us now.

FAQs 

What are common expenses that can be included in my damages claim for a burn injury?

Part of a claim for damages includes economic damages, which is compensation for the expenses you incurred from your injury. Common items considered when determining economic damage claims for burn injury cases include:

• Medical expenses: This includes items such as emergency treatment at the scene or in the emergency department, IV fluids and prescription medication, physician and surgical services, hospitalization, physical therapy, and rehabilitation.
• Lost wages: This would include any time you miss work because of your burn injury itself or to attend burn-related medical appointments.
• Loss of future earning capacity: If you are unable to return to the job you had before your injury or are unable to earn in the same capacity before you were injured, it can be included in determining your loss of future earning capacity.

There are also non-economic damages made to compensate for the negative impact that your burn injury has had on your quality of life. Examples of impacts that are commonly listed on non-economic damage claims include physical pain and suffering from the burn or the treatment provided, emotional distress, and loss of the enjoyment of life.

Can I wait to file my Topeka burn injury case?

A statute of limitations governs the amount of time you have to file a personal injury claim. It may limit you to a couple of years after the accident that caused the injury. Do not let that time limitation pass.

Even if you feel like there is plenty of time to file, you should contact a qualified personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Evidence relevant to your case may need to be collected shortly after the incident, and a knowledgeable personal injury attorney will know what to preserve. This can be critical to proving your case and the extent of your damages.