Burns can be caused by various scenarios, from car crashes to product defects to chemical accidents. These injuries range from mildly painful to severely debilitating, and serious burn wounds can even permanently affect a person’s ability to live a normal life.
If you suffered a burn in an accident caused by someone else’s misconduct, you could pursue legal action with help from a dedicated attorney. At Smith Hulsey, an Oakwood burn injury lawyer could help prove civil fault for your accident and work to hold the at-fault party financially responsible for your losses.
Medical professionals classify burns in different “degrees” based on how deeply the burn penetrates into the skin and how much damage it does to affected tissue.
First-degree burns are the mildest form of injury within this classification system, affecting only the top layer of skin. These wounds generally healing on their own after a few days with basic first aid.
Second-degree burns are more serious, as they penetrate completely through the epidermis and cause damage to the dermis layer underneath. Since the dermis layer contains most of the skin’s nerve endings, second-degree burns are often extremely painful. Some second-degree burns may heal naturally over the course of several weeks after a period of swelling, blistering, and blotchy red and white appearance. However, more serious second-degree burns may require emergency medical intervention and could result in permanent scarring and/or loss of sensation.
Third-degree burns penetrate both layers of skin and cause damage to underlying fat and muscle tissue, often destroying nerve endings completely in the process. Assistance from an experienced Oakwood attorney can be crucial after an accident causing this type of burn, as these injuries often necessitate prolonged medical treatment and have debilitating long-term repercussions.
Recovering civil compensation for damages related to a serious burn generally requires the injured plaintiff to demonstrate legal negligence on the part of one or more named defendants. In practice, this means showing the defendant did something so reckless or careless that it breached the duty they owed the plaintiff to act reasonably under the circumstances. Additionally, a burn victim and their attorney must show that this breach proximately caused the specific injuries and losses they sustained.
Importantly, civil plaintiffs can also be found liable for their own injuries. Under Official Code of Georgia §51-12-33, any plaintiff found to bear 50 percent or more of the total blame for their burn may be barred from obtaining financial recovery for it. Beyond just proving fault by someone else, a qualified burn injury lawyer could also work to challenge accusations of comparative fault and protect a victim’s right to compensation.
Severe burns can result in lifelong physical limitations that have significant financial and personal consequences. Accordingly, it is critical to have support from a legal professional with experience fighting on behalf of burn victims when filing suit over this unique type of injury.
Once retained, an Oakwood burn injury lawyer could work diligently and tenaciously on your behalf to secure the best possible case outcome. Call Smith Hulsey today for a consultation.
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