If you’ve been the victim of a burn injury, you might consider filing a personal injury claim. At The Law Offices of Dianne L. Sawaya LLC, our burn injury lawyers have represented many Denver, Colorado, residents through the claim process. Determining how much compensation you could receive and how it will be awarded is complicated and will depend largely on the particulars of your situation.
1. My burn injury was caused by another person.
If this is the case, you may have a claim against the individual who caused your burn injury. The amount of compensation you could expect will depend on the extent of the injuries.
2. My burn injury was caused by an unsafe product.
If you’ve sustained a burn injury specifically because of a certain product, you may be able to recover compensation from the manufacturer, distributor, or other affiliated party. As examples, your burn was caused by a hair dryer that overheated, or perhaps you used an oven mitt that didn’t shield your skin from the heat as promised.
3. My burn injury happened at work.
Many employees sustain a burn injury while working. Heavy machinery can easily overheat and burn a factory worker, or a stove can injure someone working in a restaurant. If you’ve been injured at work, you may be entitled to protection under the workers’ compensation laws. Under the workers’ compensation system, 100 percent of your medical bills would be covered as well as compensation for time spent recovering from the injury. However, it may not provide enough money to cover the full extent of your injury-related expenses and damages. A workers’ compensation lawyer can help you to identify all liable parties and therefore all possible sources of compensation.
If you’ve sustained a burn injury, you may be entitled to compensation for two primary outcomes of the injury. First, you will most likely require extensive medical treatment for your burns. Just as in other workers’ compensation and personal injury settlements, the settlement from a burn injury— if awarded at all— will take into account the amount of medical treatment you needed and may need in the future.
For a personal injury settlement, your burn injury settlement will also look at your pain and suffering, such as the severity of your burn, the overall pain it has caused, and the overall effect it will continue to have on you. Burn injuries can be excruciatingly painful, and severe burns often leave scars on the skin that cannot be removed or mitigated; although these are effects that cannot be easily measured in dollars, they should nevertheless be considered when awarding compensation for a personal injury claim.
If you’ve suffered a serious burn injury, contact the experienced attorneys at The Law Offices of Dianne L. Sawaya LLC for more information about the compensation to which you could be entitled.