Aside from being extremely painful, high-degree burns could also cause permanent disfigurement and loss of sensory function. If you sustained an injury of this nature because someone else acted irresponsibly, taking legal action against them could be crucial to maintaining your financial and personal wellbeing.
Help is available from seasoned catastrophic injury attorneys at Smith Hulsey who have handled unique claims like yours before. With a Clarkesville burn injury lawyer’s guidance, you could have substantially better odds of securing a favorable case result without sacrificing recovered compensation due to legal obstacles.
The monetary value of a civil lawsuit over a severe burn depends on the severity of the injury and how long its effects will impact the plaintiff’s life. For example, second-degree burns—while excruciating to experience—generally do not allow for as much civil restitution as third-degree burns. This is because the former can often heal completely with proper medical attention and the latter almost always result in permanent harm.
While specific recoverable damages vary from case to case, some of the most common damages that burn accident attorneys factor into Clarkesville claims include:
Importantly, people seriously burned in the state can only recover for the portion of their overall damages that they are not found personally responsible for. Under Official Code of Georgia §§51-11-7 and 51-12-33, if a plaintiff is found any percentage of fault for a burn, it may result in a proportional reduction in their final damage award. Plaintiffs who are at least 50 percent at fault for their losses are ineligible to recover any type of compensation.
Another element of civil law that could hinder recovery efforts for a serious burn injury is the statute of limitations for personal injury claims. As per O.C.G.A. §9-3-33, most people trying to file a personal injury case, including those who sustain high-degree burns that have long-term effects, have only two years to file. The two-year deadline begins the day of the accident. If someone wants to pursue any civil litigation, they must file within the deadline.
One exception to this rule is that some statutory filing deadlines begin on the date a plaintiff discovered their injury rather than when they actually sustained it. While there are rare exceptions to this rule under specific circumstances, it is highly advised to not rely on the possibilities of an extended deadline. With that in mind, seeking help from a skilled attorney as soon as possible is almost always the best move to make after getting severely burned in Clarkesville.
Severe burns can have lasting repercussions that impact every part of an injured person’s life. If someone else’s misconduct led to you suffering an injury this serious, effective civil litigation could be your best means of securing compensation. A Clarkesville burn injury lawyer could discuss your rights and options in detail during a confidential consultation. Schedule yours by calling Smith Hulsey today.
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