A burn can be one of the most painful and traumatic injuries a person can suffer. The effects of a severe burn injury can be life-altering, resulting in continuous pain, emotional trauma and life-long medical treatment.
Victims and families who have been affected by a severe burn injury have legal options if the accident that caused the injury was the result of another’s negligence. The Nye Law Group’s Charlotte burn injury lawyers can help you file a lawsuit that may lead to compensation for medical bills, future treatment, surgeries, and some level of comfort to you or your loved one. As advocates for the rights of personal injury victims, we have helped many past clients recover millions in verdicts and settlements, while bringing those responsible to justice. Our Charlotte burn injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis and provide first time clients with a free initial consultation to determine if they have a case.
Call 855-856-4212 to schedule a free, no obligation review of your claim.
Types of Burn Injuries
Severe burns are devastating injuries that can seriously impact a victim’s health and often result in extreme pain, long-lasting nerve damage or physical mutilation that can traumatically alter a person’s quality of life.
Burn injuries result from four types of burns:
- Thermal burns: Burns caused by heat sources like hot metals, scalding liquids, steam and flames that cause skin tissue cell death or charring.
- Radiation burns: Burns caused by prolonged exposure to ultra-violet rays or the sun, or by other sources of radiation such as x-rays or radio frequency transmitters.
- Chemical burns: Burns caused by strong acids, detergents, solvents or alkalis after the chemical come into contact with the skin.
- Electrical burns: Burns caused by electrical currents that pass through the body, resulting in rapidly forming injuries and often cause greater damage to lower layers of tissue than chemical or radiation burns.
Burns are categorized by severity into four levels:
- First-degree burn: A red, non-blistered burn on the skin
- Second-degree burn: A burn that results in blisters and some thickening of the skin
- Third-degree burn: A burn that results in widespread thickness and has a white, leathery appearance. While the burn may not hurt, the area surrounding the affected site will be extremely sensitive to pain. Third-degree burns may require skin-grafts, are susceptible to infection and may require hospitalization, as it takes months for the body to heal.
- Fourth-degree burn: A burn that has the same symptoms as a third-degree burn, but extends beyond the skin and into tendons and bones. This is the most serious type of burn injury and will cause the victim permanent damage.
Causes of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are often the result of serious accidents and can happen in a number of ways. Some of the most common burn injuries are caused by:
- Structure fires
- Apartment building fires
- Electrical fires
- Workplace accidents
- Scalding water and pipes
- Exposed cords or wirings
- Tanker explosions
- Auto accidents
- Truck accidents
- Commercial business fires
- Locked fire exits or lack of safety equipment
- Defective products
- Unsafe or inadequately stored chemicals
The cause of a burn injury can directly impact the severity of the burn and the symptoms that a victim will experience.
Our Charlotte burn injury lawyers have a knowledgeable understanding of specific burn injuries that will enable us to identify the specific cause of the accident that caused your or your loved one’s burn injury.
Call 855-856-4212 to speak with our Charlotte burn injury attorneys.
Why Should I File a Lawsuit?
Burn injuries caused by another’s negligence may entitle victims or families to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. This may provide much needed compensation for life-saving medical treatment or expensive hospital bills.
Modern medicine has made significant advances in recent years in providing corrective surgeries and skin-grafts that help save and improve the quality of life for burn injury victims. By filing a lawsuit against the at-fault party, you may create an opportunity where these surgeries are obtainable and affordable options.
Burn victims also experience traumatic life-alterations from the scars and traces of the fire that caused them so much harm. The psychological effects that victims experience after the incident that caused their injury can leave them with permanent mental distress and damage and may require years of therapy.
A lawsuit will not only help a victim hold the at-fault party accountable for the harm he or she has caused, but will provide an opportunity to seek the therapeutic help a victim may need to fully heal.
If you or your loved one received a burn injury and would like to know more about filing a lawsuit for compensation and justice, contact our Charlotte burn injury attorneys.
Call 855-856-4212 to learn more about filing a burn injury claim.
Recovering Damages for a Burn Injury
If you believe that your or your loved one’s burn injury was the result of another’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation that could provide crucial support for recovery and rehabilitation.
Damages can be awarded for negligence based on the following guidelines:
- The defendant owed a duty to act or refrain from committing a certain act
- The defendant breached this duty
- The defendant’s breach of duty injured the defendant
- The defendant’s actions or inactions directly caused the injury, and the defendant should have known this action would result in injuries
- The plaintiff suffered economically through medical bills, lost wages or other forms of damages
The amount of damages a victim is able to pursue in a burn injury claim depends on several elements that occur both during the accident and as a result of it. These elements include:
- Medical bills
- Lost earning capacity
- Physical pain
- Mental suffering
- Emotional distress
- Inability to connect or socialize with loved ones or acquaintances
North Carolina law follows a “contributory negligence” law when determining if a personal injury victim is entitled to damages. If the victim’s actions or inactions contributed to causing his or her injury in any way, he or she will not be able to pursue damages from the defendant.
However, the burden of proof falls upon the defendant to provide evidence that the victim’s negligence contributed toward their own injuries. The victim can also prove that the injury was willfully or maliciously caused by the defendant, in which case the defendant is not allowed to claim contributory negligence.
The time limit to filing a personal injury claim in North Carolina is three years from the moment you receive your injury. If your loved one passed away from his or her injuries and you are attempting to file a wrongful death claim, you have two years from the time of his or her death to file a claim. If you do not meet these deadlines, you lose the right to seek compensation from the at-fault party.
Recovering damages after a burn injury is important to ensuring the victim receives proper medical treatment and is provided with some level of comfort during the recovery process. Speak with our Charlotte burn injury attorneys to learn more about how to recover the compensation you deserve.
Fill out a Free Case Evaluation form to list a detailed description of your claim.
Who is Liable for My Burn Injury?
Many instances of severe burns result from fires in buildings that are not updated with the most recent safety equipment in compliance with North Carolina’s fire prevention code or lack any adequate preventative measures.
Our Charlotte burn injury attorneys are experienced in handling several types of claims involving severe burns. Some of the most common cases we encounter include:
- Work-related burns: Burns are one of the most severe injuries that can affect workers. Occupational hazards at dangerous job sites can cause accidents that result in debilitating burn injuries. Accidents that include exposed electrical wires, boiling water, scalding pipes, furnaces, stoves and ovens are the most common workplace injuries.
- Auto accident burns: Car accidents can result in a number of serious injuries, including varying degrees of burn injuries. If you can identify that the other driver was responsible for causing the accident, then he or she may be liable for your burn injury.
- Defective product burns: Burn injuries can be caused by products that are defective or have inadequate warnings about potential hazards or dangers. A manufacturer that fails to equip a product with safety labels or that manufacturers or sells a defective product can be held liable for any harm that product causes.
- Burn injuries caused by unsafe conditions: If you were burned because an unsafe condition existed on a property owner’s land or business, he or she could be held liable for your injury. Property owners have an obligation to prevent any dangerous condition from forming on their establishment, and they can be held liable through a premises liability claim.
Identifying the at-fault party is an essential part in any personal injury claim, but it is not always an easy process. This will require a Charlotte burn injury attorney who is dedicated to pursuing all leads and ensuring that every piece of evidence supports your claim.
Contact our qualified and dedicated Charlotte burn injury attorneys to learn more.
Why Hire our Charlotte Burn Injury Attorneys?
When filing a burn injury claim, it is important to have an attorney who can offer you quality legal guidance and assist you in recovering by providing valuable connections to the medical community.
When investigating a burn injury claim, our attorneys will:
- Document the injury: Burn injuries can change rapidly, worsening or altering the affected area of the body. It is important to quickly document and categorize the burn based on the symptoms the victim first experiences. By doing this, we will be able to determine the type of burn and identify the injury’s cause.
- Document and preserve evidence: Our investigators will carefully document the accident scene, gather any necessary evidence and preserve any proof needed to support your claim. We will issue a Preservation of Evidence Letter to the defendant that prevents him or her from destroying or altering any evidence before we investigate it.
- Consult with medical providers: Our attorneys will consult with your medical providers and healthcare specialists regarding any treatments, surgeries, rehabilitation or medical procedures being performed.
- Identify the cause: When recovering compensation for a burn injury, it is important to have the cause of the accident or fire identified when filing a claim. By collecting evidence and recording the injury as it occurred, we are able to build a strong case on your behalf.
It is important to have evidence ready when constructing your claim, which includes:
- Materials that may have contributed to any excessive or rapid burning.
- Products similar to the one that caught fire or caused your burn.
- Safety labels and equipment or machinery information, if your burn was the result of defective product.
Our Charlotte burn injury attorneys work as a team to provide our clients with the highest quality legal services and will dedicate the time and resources necessary to help your claim receive the best possible outcome.
While legal experience is crucial for personal injury claims, having an understanding of the medical field, as well as connections within the medical community, is crucial for attorneys representing burn injury victims.
The Charlotte offices of The Nye Law Group are located within three miles of some of our city’s major hospitals, such as Carolinas Medical Center and Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center.
Call 855-856-4212 to schedule a free consultation with our Charlotte burn injury attorneys.
Contact our Charlotte Burn Injury Attorneys
There are few injuries more painful or traumatic than a burn injury, and if one is caused by another’s negligence, he or she should be held accountable and provide compensation to the victim. Our Charlotte burn injury attorneys can provide you with the legal experience and dedication you or your loved one needs to increase your chances of receiving compensation. Our initial consultation with prospective clients is always free, and we will not charge you any fees unless we help you receive compensation.
To schedule an appointment with our Charlotte burn injury lawyers, call 855-856-4212.
