Burn injuries are some of the most severe and dangerous injuries a person can experience. Whether from a house fire, a car accident, or some other source, a burn injury can debilitate you, cause you to miss work, and lead to very high medical bills.
In many of these cases, a lawsuit is your only chance to recover the damages needed to pay for ongoing expenses. The right burn injury lawyer can help you recover maximum damages for your injuries, help you determine who is liable for those injuries, and more. Call Schwartzapfel Lawyers at (516) 342-2200 to speak with a lawyer who can help.
Let’s break down why you should contact burn injury lawyers in New York today.
Burn Injuries Explained
A burn injury is any injury when your body is damaged from heat, chemical, radiation, and/or electrical damage. Burn injuries are characterized by symptoms including but not limited to:
- Burned skin
- Burned muscle tissue
- Burned or charred bone
- Organ damage
- Damaged or destroyed nerves
Burn injuries can range from minor to severe depending on the source of the heat or energy, proximity to the burning element/item, and other factors. Burn injuries can result in significant pain and discomfort and may even result in permanent disfigurement or death in the worst-case scenarios.
Burn Injury Types
New York law classifies five types of burn injuries:
- Thermal burns, which occur when a person makes contact with or is exposed to a very hot object. Thermal objects include fires, hot liquids, steam, and so on.
- Electrical burns, which occur when a person makes direct contact with electricity or an electrical current. This can also result in electrocution and other injuries or ancillary side effects.
- Chemical burns, which occur when a person makes contact with or is exposed to harmful chemicals. The most common chemicals that cause chemical burns include very acidic solvents or other liquids.
- Radiation burns, which occur when a person is exposed to very high doses of radiation over a short or long time frame. For example, cancer patients may receive chemotherapy treatments but may also be vulnerable to radiation burns (which can occur on the inside or outside of tissues).
- Cold burns, which occur when a person is exposed to very low temperatures. Also called frostbite, cold burns may cause as much or more damage as heat-related or chemical-related burns.
The type of burn injuries sustained will affect whether a victim can file a lawsuit, who is liable for the burn injury(s), and more. But in each of these cases, burn injury lawyers can be very helpful when filing a lawsuit and when trying to secure maximum compensation.
To learn more, call Schwartzapfel Lawyers at (516) 342-2200 for a free consultation.
Burn Injury Degrees
Additionally, burn injuries are diagnosed using a 1 to 6” scale. With this scale, first-degree burns are the least serious injuries, and sixth-degree burns are the most severe and may result in death, disfigurement, and/or other severe effects.
- First-degree burns – These are surface-level burns that only affect the outermost layer of skin tissue. Symptoms are typically characterized by redness or pain at the injury site.
- Second-degree burns – These burns affect the outer and inner layers of skin tissue and are characterized by symptoms including heated skin, shiny or wet appearance to the skin, blisters, and more.
- Third-degree burns – These burns affect both the outer and inner layers of skin in addition to the layer of fat beneath the skin tissue. Also called full-thickness burns, third-degree burns may cause damage to nerve endings, which may impact a victim’s ability to feel discomfort or pain at the burn site. Many third-degree burn injuries require skin grafts.
- Fourth-degree burns – These burns are very severe and may cause damage to muscle, nerves, and tendons underneath the skin. Fourth-degree burns may cause infections, joint problems, and other long-term symptoms or consequences.
- Fifth-degree burns – These burns affect bone tissue at the site of the burn injury(s). Some fifth-degree burns may lead to long-term or chronic issues or injuries, such as organ failure, internal damage, and more.
- Sixth-degree burns – Sixth-degree burns are the most severe and will do damage to underlying bone tissue and organs. Many sixth-degree burn injuries are fatal.
Causes of Burn Injuries in New York City
In New York City and beyond, burn injuries can be caused due to accidents including but not limited to:
- Automobile accidents in which fires start or a vehicle explodes
- Construction accidents
- Defective products
- Home fires
- Medical negligence
- Hazardous public premises
- Unsafe workplace premises
- Other explosions
Because burn injuries can occur from such a wide range of potential hazards, determining burn injury liability can sometimes be challenging. To help you better understand your options, speak with a Schwartzapfel Lawyers burn injury expert by calling (516) 342-2200 today.
Burn Injury Liability
New York State law explains that anyone or any organization that contributes to a burn accident may be liable for necessary damages, including compensation for medical bills, loss of ability, and more. Depending on the circumstances of a burn injury accident, liable parties may include:
- Other drivers
- Public transit companies like the MTA
- Bicyclists or pedestrians
- Employers for workplace organizations
- Building and property managers and/or owners
- Government agencies, including the government of New York City
- Product manufacturers or companies (which could be liable for product liability lawsuits)
- Contractors or managers on construction sites
Accordingly, determining who may be liable for burn injuries and compensation is one of the first duties of a burn injury lawyer.
What Do Burn Injury Lawyers Do?
Burn injury lawyers provide several main phases of assistance throughout a burn injury lawsuit process.
Contact Schwartzapfel Lawyers P.C. at (516) 342-2200 to hear firsthand what we can do if you or your loved one has been involved in a burn injury accident.
Help You File a Lawsuit/Contact Insurance
Firstly, burn injury lawyers can help victims contact the authorities or their insurance companies as necessary. In many cases, burn injury victims cannot care for themselves or make phone calls (especially if they have very severe burn injuries). A skilled personal injury lawyer will see to it that insurance companies are contacted so that the appropriate policy can be used to pay for medical bills and other accident-related expenses.
Moreover, burn injury lawyers can advise victims on matters such as:
- Whether they should file a burn injury lawsuit
- Who may be liable for their burn injuries
- When they should file a lawsuit
Collect Key Evidence
Additionally, burn injury lawyers can help victims gather the evidence they need to ensure their lawsuit stands a good chance of success. It can be very difficult for burn injury victims to acquire necessary evidence such as police reports, eyewitness accounts, and medical notes. Well-qualified lawyers can do all of this legwork and more.
Perhaps more importantly, the right burn injury attorneys will be able to organize all evidence logically and present it persuasively to the court when the time comes.
Protect You from Burn Injury Lawsuits
Conversely, burn injury lawyers can also protect liable parties from having to pay accident victims unnecessarily. Remember: Burn injury accidents can be confusing and complex, especially if multiple parties are involved (such as an auto accident resulting in a fire).
As such, if you are accused of burn injury liability and are sued by another injured party, an experienced burn injury lawyer can help you defend yourself in court. This way, you won’t have to overpay for the medical bills and/or ancillary expenses of other injury victims.
What Kind of Compensation Can You Receive?
Successful burn injury lawsuits will result in damages to cover the cost of your:
- Past and future medical bills related to your burn injuries
- Loss of income if your burn injuries prevent you from returning to work
- Loss of ability if your burn injuries are debilitating
- Loss of quality of life if your burn injuries are debilitating, disfiguring, or have other long-term effects
- Pain and suffering, as burn injuries are understood to be one of the most painful injuries a person can experience
Depending on the specifics of your case, burn injury lawsuits can yield damage amounts ranging from hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Like much of personal injury law, the outcome will depend on the circumstances of the accident, the evidence gathered, and the strength of your legal team.
Skilled, knowledgeable lawyers can help you recover as much compensation as possible and ensure that you don’t have to pay out-of-pocket for the exorbitant medical bills that often accompany burn injuries.
Summary
Burn injuries can be very hard to handle alone, especially if you want to file a lawsuit against those responsible. Let Schwartzapfel Lawyers P.C. take on some of the heavy burdens and help you with filing your lawsuit, gathering evidence, and securing as much compensation as possible so that you can focus on what’s important: getting better.
You owe it to yourself to hire a team like Schwartzapfel Lawyers, where every client is family. Take the first step toward recovery by contacting us at (516) 342-2200 for a free consultation with one of our New York burn injury experts.
Don’t wait. Your future is worth it.
Sources:
Schwartzapfel Lawyers, P.C. | Fighting For You™™
Classification of Burns – Health Encyclopedia | University of Rochester Medical Center
