People often underestimate burns, but a severe burn can devastate your immune system, leave you with permanent disfigurement, and cause lifelong pain. Hundreds of thousands of burn victims seek medical attention for their injuries every year, and some of those injuries occur because of another’s negligence.
Have you been burned because of someone else’s actions? If you’ve suffered burn injuries, you may be able to seek compensation. Reach out to the team at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. online, or call us at (312) 236-2900 to discuss your case.
Dangers of Burn Injuries
When you find out how much damage a serious burn can cause, you’ll understand why it’s important to seek compensation after you’re injured by someone else’s negligence. While many burns will heal given enough time, rest, and moisture, burns can also lead to serious consequences that follow you for the rest of your life.
Permanent disfigurement is a possibility after any burn. If the skin does not fully heal, victims may suffer permanent tightness and pulling whenever they move the affected area. Furthermore, if full healing does not occur, the skin may never return to its previous texture or color.
A single burn can have a domino effect, causing other serious health problems. A burn that covers a large amount of skin can cause blood loss, leading to shock and possibly even death. The destruction of the skin leaves you vulnerable to infections. The larger the burn, the more exposed you are to germs. A serious infection can quickly sweep through the body and leave a victim septic.
A lot depends on how large the burn is and where it occurs. Areas that are at serious risk of complications include the face, hands, groin, and feet. Small burns may be treated with skin grafts. However, the larger a burn is, the more likely it is that a skin graft simply is not possible.
Choosing a Chicago Burn Injury Attorney
After an accident that causes a burn, you may wonder if you need an attorney. The short answer: yes.
To go into greater detail, you absolutely need someone whose sole job is to be your legal advocate and representative. It does not matter how obvious it is that the other party caused your injuries, nor does it matter how obvious it is that you have a long recovery period ahead of you. Regardless of the details of your accident, the insurance adjuster will do everything they can to pay out as little as possible to you. They want to improve their profits and enrich their stockholders; doing right by victims is an afterthought.
Because of this, it’s not a good idea to talk to insurance adjusters on your own. They will feign concern, try to get details about the accident out of you, encourage you to downplay the severity of your accident and try to shift the blame onto you.
If you accept a settlement and later find out that you took far less than you deserved, you don’t get a do-over or a second chance. It doesn’t matter if your settlement has already been drained by medical bills and you have another round of medical bills coming. When the insurance company gets you to accept a settlement and waive your right to sue, they are no longer concerned with your well-being or your needs. You are then on your own when it comes to paying your bills, recuperating, and covering your lost wages.
When you have an attorney, the entire process is different. The insurance company knows that you aren’t willing to accept an unfair settlement, and so your attorney will likely reach a fair compromise far earlier than you would on your own. Instead of worrying about stressful calls with insurance adjusters and trying to handle paperwork, you can simply focus on healing.
Burn recovery is a long and painful process. Save yourself additional stress by entrusting your legal concerns to a personal injury attorney.
Causes of Burn Injuries
Burns are caused by a wide range of accidents. Common causes include:
Types of Burns
Burns are typically defined by their severity. First degree burns are the mildest. While they do cause redness of the skin and swelling of the affected area, they often do not require medical attention and have a low risk of infection. Most people heal from this type of burn in a matter of days.
Second-degree burns are fairly severe. They leave the skin blistered and sensitive. Blisters are at risk of popping, causing infection and severe pain. Second-degree burns generally need more care than first degree burns, and the healing process may take up to three weeks. Burns lasting longer than this may require medical intervention.
The worst outcome is a third-degree burn. This type of burn damages every layer of the skin, and in many cases, the damage extends to bones and organs. Third-degree burns may not cause pain; this often comforts patients but is actually a very bad sign. Non-painful burns often mean that the burn is severe enough to cause nerve damage. Third-degree burns require
extensive medical care, both on an emergency basis and on an ongoing basis.
Compensation for Burn Injuries
Since burn injuries can leave you injured and unable to work for weeks or months, you may be entitled to compensation if you can prove that the other party is responsible for your injuries. Your attorney might help you pursue compensation for:
Staver is Here to Help
We understand how much pain you must be in and how confused you may be about your next step. Perhaps you’ve even been contacted by the insurance company and you aren’t sure how you can protect your rights. Before you do anything else, contact the team at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. now.
We will fight aggressively on your behalf to get the compensation you’re owed. Get started now by calling (312) 236-2900 or reach out online.
