Burns can cause devastating or even life-threatening damage. Even less severe burns can impact a person’s physical functioning and psychological well-being. If you suffered burns in an accident caused by another person’s carelessness, you could be entitled to compensation. Negligent parties are responsible for paying the damages of anyone who suffered losses caused by their carelessness.
To discover whether you have a viable case for damages, consult a Lakewood burn injury lawyer. At Tittle & Perlmuter, a dedicated attorney could explain your legal options and help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Explanation of Burn Wounds
The skin is the largest organ in the body and serves as a protective barrier for internal organs. Skin also regulates body temperature and provides critical sensory input. When the body experiences a severe burn, the inflammation can damage internal organs or lead to serious infections.
Damage to nerves could also cause excruciating pain. Severely burned skin is often less pliable when it heals, resulting in restricted movement. Burns often produce disfiguring scars.
Types and Degrees of Burn Wounds
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine describes different types of burns. Contact with a heat source like flame, hot surfaces, hot liquid, and steam produces thermal burns. Electrical burns result from direct exposure to an electrical current, including lightning. Exposing skin to x-rays or the sun could produce radiation burns, and some strong acids and solvents cause chemical burns.
These types of wounds often result from accidents caused by negligence. A Lakewood attorney could review the circumstances of a specific incident to identify potentially responsible parties who might be liable to pay the burn victim’s damages.
Classification of Burns
Burns are classified by degree depending on the depth of the damage. First-degree burns affect the outermost layers of skin and usually only require first aid. Second-degree burns penetrate more deeply and could be slower to heal. A burn that affects all skin layers is a third-degree burn, which could require skin grafts to treat. Burns that penetrate the fat layer and involve bone or internal organs could be classified as fourth, fifth, or sixth-degree burns. Such injuries are often fatal.
Pursuing a Burn Injury Claim in Lakewood
The Ohio Revised Code §2305.10 gives a claimant two years from the date of his or her injury to file a lawsuit seeking monetary damages. In the case of a burn injury caused by a malfunctioning product, the individual cannot file a lawsuit against the manufacturer if the injury occurred more than ten years after the product left the manufacturer’s control.
It is critical to comply with the statute of limitations, as a court could dismiss a lawsuit filed after the statutory time limit without considering its merits. However, there are other good reasons to begin working with a nearby attorney as soon as possible after a burn injury. A lawyer could:
- Handle all communication with other involved parties, protecting the burn victim from inadvertent admissions or disclosures
- Investigate the accident and compile evidence of negligence
- Calculate the injured person’s damages
- Negotiate with potentially responsible parties for an adequate settlement
- Prepare and present the case at trial if negotiations fail
When an injured person brings in legal counsel early in a case, defendants know that they must take the matter seriously. There is less likelihood that insurance companies will try to intimidate the injured person into agreeing to an inadequate settlement. Additionally, the burn victim can focus on recovering while a Lakewood lawyer takes the lead in his or her case.
Trust Your Burn Injury Claim to a Lakewood Attorney
Healing from severe burn injuries is physically and emotionally taxing. Pursuing a legal claim might seem overwhelming while you are dealing with severe pain and a challenging rehabilitation process.
Let a Lakewood burn injury lawyer handle your claim and support you throughout the recovery process. Our team at Tittle & Perlmuter could fight for the compensation you deserve and handle legal communications on your behalf. Call us today for a free consultation.
