Work With Top New Jersey Burn Injury Attorneys Fire and burn injuries can be some of the most debilitating and painful injuries that an individual can suffer. Even a seemingly mild burn can cause significant discomfort. Severe burns that affect substantial portions of the body can also compromise delicate systems and cause damage to the internal organs […]
Fire and burn injuries can be some of the most debilitating and painful injuries that an individual can suffer. Even a seemingly mild burn can cause significant discomfort. Severe burns that affect substantial portions of the body can also compromise delicate systems and cause damage to the internal organs that an individual’s healthy skin is designed to protect. Although a burn injury may occur simply because of an accident, other times, these injuries are the result of the negligent, reckless or careless acts of another individual or entity. In these situations, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and other damages.
If you or your loved one sustained a fire or burn injury as a result of another’s negligent or careless actions, it’s important to contact Parker Waichman LLP right away by calling 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529) to discuss your case with a dedicated NJ burn injury attorney. We’ll give you a free consultation with no obligation, so you can learn more about your legal rights.
Even relatively minor fire and burn injuries can be extremely painful. These types of injuries can be caused by many different factors. External burn injuries occur when an individual’s skin is exposed to a source of heat, caustic chemicals, electricity or radiation. But an individual can also suffer internal burns through electrocution, ingesting chemicals or inhaling superheated liquids or gases. While fires cause the majority of burn injuries, you can also sustain a burn injury from radiation in an X-ray accident, electrical current, steam or hot liquid, hot ovens or irons, ultraviolet light or sunlight, chemicals like lye or strong acid, and hot glass, metal or other objects.
Burns are typically classified based on the type and amount of damage that they cause to an individual’s skin tissues as well as to bones, muscles, and blood vessels. The level or category of burn helps to determine the treatment that might be required and to what extent, and it predicts whether the victim will recover functionality. For instance, victims who sustain third-degree or fourth-degree burns might need an extensive skin graft and reconstructive surgeries. But even if a victim receives good medical care, they can still suffer lasting numbness or pain and permanent disabilities.
If you have sustained a burn injury, your doctor or health-care provider will diagnose your burn as falling under one of the following categories:
If you’ve sustained a fire or burn injury and you think it was caused by the negligent actions of another, you might be able to file a lawsuit to obtain compensation for your injuries and other damages. At Parker Waichman, our New Jersey burn injury attorneys will take the time to review your burn injury case and help you determine whether you have a viable claim for damages. Call us today at 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529) and find out what we can do for you.
Determining who may be responsible for your fire or burn injury typically depends on a variety of factors, including how and where the burn occurred. An experienced New Jersey burn injury lawyer can assist you with the investigation of your claim and help to determine who is responsible for your injuries and other damages. Some of the responsible parties in a fire and burn injury case might include:
If you have sustained a fire or burn injury, it’s important to seek medical treatment right away. But after you’ve received treatment, you may have questions about what your next steps should be. If you think that your burn injury was the result, at least in some part, of the negligent or careless actions of another individual or entity, you should consider consulting with an experienced New Jersey burn injury lawyer. At Parker Waichman, our lawyers understand how to handle these types of cases, and they can lead you through the legal process and keep you informed every step of the way. If you choose to hire Parker Waichman to take on your burn injury case, you can expect your legal team to build the strongest possible case so that you can recover the compensation you need and deserve.
One of the first actions your lawyer will take upon accepting your case is to conduct a thorough investigation. Some of the evidence that will be necessary for building your case may include medical records, witness statements, any pictures of the accident scene and your injuries, a police report if it was filed, expert witness reports, and employment or safety records and logs. Fire and burn injury cases can be complicated, so the more evidence that can be gathered that’s relevant and helpful to your burn injury claim, the better your chances of achieving a favorable outcome.
In some cases, either during the investigation process or after a claim has been filed, an attempt at settlement negotiations may be made. Many defendants will attempt to settle the case to avoid trial expenses. At Parker Waichman, we can sit down at the negotiating table on your behalf and help you to decide whether a settlement offer is fair and in your best interests.
If both sides are unable to reach a fair settlement, the case may proceed to trial. Fortunately, our lawyers have extensive trial experience, and they will advocate for your rights and interests to help you recover damages to the fullest extent possible.
If your case settles or you obtain a successful verdict at trial, you may recover compensation for your fire or burn injury including:
Other damages might include pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and punitive damages.
If someone is being burned in a fire, rolling the patient in a blanket can help extinguish the flames and possibly minimize the risk of any further injury.
The zone of coagulation is the part of a burn injury area that is the most severely damaged. As you might expect, it is the area that has sustained the maximum damage from the heat source. The other zones of a burn are the zone of stasis, which surrounds the area of worst damage and contains tissue that may heal, and the zone of hyperemia, the outermost part of a burned area.
Third-degree burn injuries involve the destruction of both the epidermis and deeper parts of the dermis.
Third-degree burns usually require skin grafting because the burns have gone through the epidermis and dermis layers to affect deeper tissues in the skin. When skin is affected by third-degree burns, it isn’t able to heal itself, which is why skin grafting is often a necessity.
Medical professionals often use what’s called “the rule of nines” to assess the level of Second and Third Degree burn injuries a patient has suffered, in other words, those injuries that cause blisters or worse. This rule divides the parts of the body into zones that make up 9% of the body’s surface. So, for example, someone who suffered Third Degree burns to his entire right arm and his chest would be said to have suffered burns to 18% of his body.
If you have been severely burned due to the negligent or careless actions of another individual or entity, you could be qualified to file a lawsuit for damages. Perhaps another individual was involved in some unsafe activity that started a fire, or maybe they were handling a dangerous chemical in a careless manner, and this was the cause of your burn injury. Product malfunctions, hot liquids or materials, and electrical glitches can also cause burn injuries. As long as the negligent or careless actions of an individual or entity were the cause of your injuries, then you will likely have grounds for a lawsuit.
Who is responsible for a burn injury usually depends on the circumstances of the injury. Those who might be liable for your injuries can include product manufacturers, landlords, tenants, property owners, governmental agencies or entities, employers or employees or service providers, such as a cosmetologist who misapplies chemicals to a customer’s hair and scalp and causes severe chemical burns. If any of these individuals or entities are found to be negligent, they can be held liable for your injuries and damages that result.
If you’ve been in an accident that has caused a fire or burn injury, it’s important that you seek medical attention right away, particularly if the burn is severe. It is also important to investigate the fire or other burn-causing incident as soon as possible. In many instances, substantial property damage accompanies a burn injury, so the property should be investigated thoroughly and quickly to determine what might have caused the fire and whether an individual or entity should be held responsible for the accident.
In many fire and burn injury cases, it will be necessary to retain expert witnesses. Even if your injuries are obvious, you still need to establish that someone else’s negligent or careless actions were the cause of the fire or other incident that resulted in your burn injuries. Expert witnesses can help the jury or judge to understand the severity of your injuries and their cause, strengthening your case.
Some of the damages that you might be entitled to in a fire and burn injury case include compensation for past, present, and future medical expenses, lost wages, and loss of future earning capacity. Noneconomic damages might include compensation for pain and suffering. Depending on the facts and circumstances of your case, you might also be able to recover punitive damages. Punitive damages are those that are intended to punish the defendant for particularly negligent or outrageous conduct.
Every state has different laws that govern deadlines for filing lawsuits, which are known as statutes of limitations. In New Jersey, the statute of limitations for filing a fire and burn injury case is typically two years from the date of the accident or injury, meaning you have two years to file a lawsuit. However, it’s crucial to note that depending on the circumstances of your specific case, the deadline may be shorter or longer. It’s essential to confer with an experienced NJ burn injury attorney as quickly as possible to be sure that your claim is timely: If you fail to file a lawsuit by the deadline that pertains to your case, you risk losing your right to compensation.
If you think your burn injuries were produced by the negligent or careless actions of another, you should seriously consider hiring a lawyer who has experience handling fire and burn injury cases. A knowledgeable and skilled attorney will know the ins and outs of the legal process, understand the relevant laws, have experience in investigation your case, know the types of expert witnesses that might be necessary, and be able to help you get the compensation you deserve.
In New Jersey, our clients pay nothing out of pocket for our services. We take personal injury cases on what is known as a contingency-fee basis. What this means is that if a lawyer takes on your case, you do not have to pay them anything until you obtain a favorable settlement or successful verdict at trial. If you are successful, your lawyer will be entitled to a percentage of the total amount recovered. If you are not successful, your lawyer will not get paid.
At Parker Waichman, our lawyers have many years of experience helping clients who have suffered from fire and burn injuries. Burn injury cases can be complex, given that there might be multiple causes or more than one party at fault for the victim’s injuries. The compassionate and knowledgeable lawyers at Parker Waichman have successfully helped many fire and burn injury victims to get the compensation they deserve, and we’ll fight hard for your legal rights.
The lawyers at Parker Waichman have earned a reputation for success, recovering more than $2 billion and counting for our clients. We’ve also earned recognition in the legal community for our determination and hard work, including:
When you choose Parker Waichman to take on your burn injury case, you can rest assured that your dedicated and skilled lawyer will be a zealous advocate for you and your interests and rights. Your attorney will work hard to get compensation for your injuries to the fullest extent possible.
The process of pursuing a burn injury lawsuit can be complicated, but we can make it as simple and painless as possible. When you work with an experienced New Jersey fire and burn injury lawyer at our firm, we’ll skillfully handle the intricacies of your case, allowing you to focus on your recovery.
Fire and burn injuries can be agonizing and debilitating, but getting compensation for your injuries can help to make it easier to move forward with your life. At Parker Waichman, our lawyers have many years of experience helping clients who have suffered from fire and burn injuries, and we’ll work hard to get you the results you deserve. Call us today at 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529) for a free evaluation of your potential fire and burn injury lawsuit. One of our New Jersey fire and burn injury lawyers will help you to understand your legal rights and determine your next steps, with no obligation.