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Every year, hundreds of individuals sustain severe burn injuries. Injuries caused by burns are particularly challenging because the complicated and painful nature of these injuries can require an extremely lengthy recovery period. Besides the physical pain, a severe burn could cause significant emotional hardships as well as financial burdens.
If you or a loved one were severely burned due to the negligent actions of another, you may be able to receive financial damages to help you recover from that burn. A Riverdale burn injury lawyer has the experience and compassion necessary to help you seek the compensation you need to move forward. A skilled catastrophic injury attorney could calculate your losses and help you seek compensation for medical bills, mental anguish, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, and lost wages.
Burns are classified by degrees according to the severity of the resulting injuries. First degree burns are the most common and generally result in minor redness. Second-degree burns involve blistering and can result in possible scarring. Third-degree burns affect all layers of the skin. Fourth-degree burns go deep below the skin tissues and damage organs and muscles.
The majority of burns take place in the victim’s home. Some of the more common causes of burn injuries are:
Generally, injured individuals with more severe degrees of burns are awarded more damages. Except for cases involving injuries caused by a state-owned entity, the State of Illinois does not put a cap on damages, so a burn victim could recover actual damages for the following quantifiable losses that they suffer:
The courts also award general damages for losses that cannot be measured in quantifiable terms. The injured claimant could recover damages for their suffering, emotional anguish, loss of enjoyment of life as well as the loss of companionship or consortium.
Additionally, injured claimants may also be awarded punitive damages if the injury was caused intentionally or due to extreme negligence. According to Illinois Statutes, Chapter 735, Section 5/2-1116, if the court finds that the victim was partially responsible for their burn injury, the damages could be proportionally reduced relative to the victim’s fault.
Generally, Riverdale burn injury attorneys help victims of burn accidents pursue a claim for negligence against the wrongdoer. A burn victim file a claim within two years of the injury, according to Illinois Statutes Chapter 735, Section 5/13-202. The victim must prove that the person or entity who caused the burn had a duty of care, that the duty of care was breached, that the breach in duty caused the injury and that the injury caused the victim to suffer damages.
Burns can cause physical and emotional scarring that can permanently change your life. Nothing can restore you or your injured family member to the state you were in before the injury. A Riverdale burn injury lawyer could help you obtain a successful judgment, which could ease some of your financial burdens that resulted from the burn accident, though. Schedule a consultation today.