Burns are among the most painful and life-changing injuries you can suffer. Even small burns can result in months of pain and affect your ability to work as well as your appearance. Larger or more serious burns can leave a person hospitalized and in some cases cause lifelong injury or even death. No matter how your burn happened, if it wasn’t your fault than there’s a strong chance the law guarantees you a settlement. You need to talk to a Los Angeles burn injury lawyer.
The Simmrin Law Group knows how to help. We have worked with burn victims and their families and have seen firsthand the toll that these injuries can take—and we have dedicated ourselves to getting the victims the money they deserve. Our legal team includes some of the most respected lawyers in the state, with a proven history of winning cases. Our promise is simple: if we don’t win you money, you owe us nothing. Let us give you a free consultation. Fill out the form to the right or call us at 310-997-4688 and get your free consultation today.
How do you handle burn injury cases?
Under the law, you have a valid burn injury claim if your burn was caused by someone else’s negligence or carelessness (or if they caused it deliberately). That means the most important thing your lawyer can do for you is gather evidence, investigate what really happened and help you determine if anyone was negligent in the incident.
If so, you can recover money for all of your damages and losses.
Some of the ways we do this for our clients include:
- Pulling together all of the documentation about the incident. This can include a police report or fire department record, but it can also mean making a legal request for internal documents at a business, or past safety inspections and violations.
- Going to the scene of the incident and performing our own investigation, which may include taking photographs, making videos and documenting forensic evidence.
- Reviewing medical records and working with physicians to make sure you are being properly diagnosed and getting the full treatment you need—and documenting their recommendations to show the full cost of your injury.
- Working with experts and accident investigators where needed to determine and prove the cause of your injury.
What are the most common causes of burn accidents?
Every burn injury case is unique, and any bur can cause severe pain and long-term damage. However, we see some causes of burns over and over. These include:
- Car accidents
- Burns by scalding hot liquid—including coffee or tea
- Fires in homes, offices and apartment buildings
- Construction accidents
- Chemical spills
- Electrical fires
- Defective (or wrongly installed) smoke detectors and fire alarms
- Defective appliances such as water heaters
- Arson
- Explosions
- Thermal burns from any source
Most burn cases are complex, and they can be caused by things not listed here. It does not matter how your burn happened—the law around it is the same, and if it wasn’t your fault, you still have a right to compensation.
Who is liable for a burn injury?
Most burns are not accidents, even if we call them that. Never blame yourself or assume that the accident happened “by chance.” Most of the time, the burn could have been prevented if someone had been more careful. If so, that means they were negligent. The negligent party is always responsible for the costs of an injury, even if they did not cause the injury on purpose.
The most common parties found negligent in a burn case may include:
- A company (if the burn happened in an office or business)
- The at-fault driver in a car accident
- The person who caused a structure fire, even if it was accidental
- The manufacturer or any faulty device or equipment involved
- An arsonist if the fire was intentional
What if my burn injury happened at work?
In most cases you can file a workers compensation claim. This has the advantage of paying all your costs, with no lawsuit needed, although the insurance company may still try to minimize the payment—it helps to have a legal professional negotiate with them.
Even if you qualify for workers compensation, however, you may also have a valid lawsuit in some cases, especially where the burn was caused by someone’s carelessness or by faulty equipment. If so, you could end up with a much higher total settlement by pursuing both types of claim.
What if my loved one died from severe burns?
We’re sorry. This is one of the worst things a family can go through, and we don’t believe that any financial settlement can ever truly make it better.
When we work with families in this position, our goal is simple: make the process as pain-free as it can be, and get you all of the money you deserve so you can remain financially stable. This kind of claim is known as a wrongful death claim.
In a wrongful death claim, you can recover all of the costs of the injury itself (such as medical costs), as well as:
- The cost of any final expenses or funeral costs
- A large financial award to offset the lost income of your loved one
- In many cases, a financial recovery for “loss of companionship” (losing a spouse)
Other losses or damages may be covered as well.
How much money can I win in a burn injury case?
There are three types of losses you can recover money for:
- Financial costs. Any damage that carries a dollar value can be compensated by your claim. This includes all of your medical costs—including future care and long-term recovery. It also includes lost work time and any loss of future income if you won’t be able to work.
- Non-financial losses. Burns also have costs that you can’t put a price on. There is no exact price for the pain you suffered, for scarring or for long-term health effects. But each of these things takes something from you that cannot be replaced. The law allows you to recover additional money under these circumstances. This money is supposed to help you cope with your loss and remain financially stable afterward.
- Punitive damages. In some cases, the person (or company) that caused the burn may have been breaking the law. This includes DUI drivers, reckless drivers, arsonists and even businesses in some cases. The courts can award you additional money as a way of punishing the criminal and further compensating the victim of the crime.
The damages in your injury settlement can add up. Many burn injury claims pay out more than $1 million. In fact, we have seen an increasing number of multi-million dollar claims.
Talk to a Los Angeles Burn Injury Lawyer for Free
Burn injuries are more than just painful—they are traumatic, and they often have permanent effects. Don’t lose your chance to recover the money you deserve under the law. At the Simmrin Law Group, we make it easy to get experienced, effective legal representation:
- Your consultation is FREE
- You owe us NOTHING if we do not win you money
Let us give you your FREE consultation and answer your questions. Fill out the form to the right or call us at 310-997-4688 and get your free consultation today.
