What are my Legal Rights if I Sustain a Serious Burn Injury?
An injury due to a burn can be an incredibly expensive and painful one to treat. Even if you’ve only experienced a slight finger burn due to touching a hot stove, you know how excruciating the experience can be. Depending on how severe the burn is, multiple layers of skin can be damaged resulting in prolonged healing time and treatment.
Every year, more than 450,000 people are injured due to burns or scalds as reported by the national burn association and the causes of these injuries are many. While some burns may be caused by a simple human mistake (hot stoves or pans, spilling hot liquid, getting to close to a campfire etc.) some are caused by equipment malfunction or due to the negligence of others. In these types of cases, the burn victim may be able to receive compensation to help cover medical expenses as well as the pain and suffering due to the extremely painful injury.
Below are a few of the types of incidents that can occur and are causes of burns due to negligence or equipment malfunction:
- Pressure cooker explosion – A lot of burn injuries occur in the home, namely the kitchen. Some of these are due to equipment malfunction or poorly manufactured products. Pressure cookers are one kitchen item that if designed poorly or incorrectly, can actually explode, causing severe burns to anyone who is in close proximity.
- Faulty electrical equipment – Burns caused by faulty electric circuits are another common occurrence and those who installed the circuit or the owner of the building that housed the circuit could be liable in the case of an injury that resulted from the faulty circuitry.
- Caustic chemical spill – An injury sustained from caustic chemicals being spilled on the job or in a factory type setting can be severe. These can result from old or faulty equipment or from a sudden explosion.
- Firework display mishap – Each year many people are injured due to firework mishaps caused by negligent handling or use of these dangerous items.
- Vehicle fires – Vehicle fires are rare, but they can become severe and cause extensive injury to anyone close or inside the vehicle. These fires can be caused by malfunctions with the engine or due to an auto accident.
If you suffered a burn due to the above scenarios, or any other event where you believe the accident occurred because of faulty equipment or due to the negligence of someone else, you absolutely have the right to file a lawsuit. Securing the services of a law firm that has experience in dealing with burn injury victims will help ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Burn injuries can be extremely painful and require months, and sometimes years of recovery that includes physical therapy, skin grafts, and even plastic surgery in some cases. A qualified burn victim law firm can help you receive the compensation you deserve in the event should such an injury occur.