On top of being uniquely painful injuries, severe burns also have the potential to result in permanent disfigurement and loss of sensation. This can happen even with the benefit of immediate and comprehensive medical care. In light of that, seeking fair civil recovery for the effects of a burn injury can often be a matter of estimating future damages and valuating subjective ones like physical pain and lost quality of life.
Getting a positive result from a civil claim of this nature could be a lot easier with guidance from a Macon burn injury lawyer. An experienced catastrophic injury attorney’s support could be the key not just to maximizing available compensation, but also to establishing someone else’s fault for a serious burn. It is important to ensure that you are not unfairly blamed for your losses.
How Burn Severity Impacts a Claim’s Value
When someone violates a duty of care by acting carelessly and causes an accident to occur, anyone who sustains an injury in that accident that requires professional medical attention might have grounds for civil litigation. Importantly, the value of an ensuing civil claim is determined not by the specific type of harm a plaintiff sustained, but rather the degree to which their injury will impact their life in the short-term and the long-term.
Because first-degree burns, alone, may not justify personal injury litigation even if they stem from someone else’s negligence but they can be evidence of the severity of the injury when viewed in combination with the rest of one’s injuries. For example, it is common for air bags to cause minor burns. Conversely, a second-degree burn that penetrates multiple layers of skin may require emergency treatment to avoid permanent damage, especially if it is widespread or impacts a sensitive area like the hands or groin. The costs of that treatment, as well as other damages like missed short-term work income and physical pain from the injury, could then be factored into a settlement demand or lawsuit.
Third-degree burns may warrant even greater financial recovery because they often cause permanent damage and can even be life-threatening in some situations. A Macon burn accident attorney could offer guidance on a case-by-case basis about what losses might be recoverable and what a particular plaintiff could do to effectively pursue restitution for them.
Navigating Common Legal Obstacles to Recovery
Even if a burn is severe enough to result in lifelong scarring, nerve damage, or other physical and psychological effects, the person who suffered that burn still only has a limited period of time to take legal action against the party responsible for it. High-degree burn victims may need to file suit before the full value of future damages becomes clear.
Additionally, as per O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, anyone found partly responsible for their own burn may be subject to a proportional reduction in their recoverable compensation based on their percentage of fault. Having help from a dedicated lawyer in Macon can be essential to understanding and effectively navigating these possible roadblocks to recovering compensation for a burn injury.
Macon Personal Injury Lawyers at Childers & McCain, LLC Seek Maximum Recoveries for Victims of Burn Injuries
Serious burns can require intensive medical care to recover from, and result in extensive long-term losses even with proper treatment. If you experienced this kind of injury because another person acted negligently, you should take action to hold them financially accountable for every loss you experience because of their misconduct.
A Macon personal injury lawyer at Childers & McCain, LLC will discuss your rights and options in a private setting during an initial consultation. Call 478-254-2007 today or contact us online. We will gladly answer your questions and review your legal options.
