A burn injury can cause both physical and psychological damage, and if you have been burned due to someone or something else, you could be entitled to compensation. Burn injuries can be costly in the long-term, and accurately measuring and proving your damages with evidence and collecting upon them will support you and your family’s financial stability now and into the future. The experienced burn injury attorneys from Tiano O’Dell PLLC are standing by to provide a cost-free assessment on your claim, and read on to learn more. The attorneys at Tiano O’Dell handle personal injury litigation in Charleston and across West Virginia.
Charleston Burn Injury Resources
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Why Choose Our Attorney?
Burn Injuries Can Cause Extensive Damages
Types of Compensation Available
Who Can Be Held Liable for Your Injuries?
Workers’ Compensation & On-the-Job Burn Injuries
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Why Choose Our Charleston, West Virginia Burn Injury Lawyer?
- We are committed to providing compassionate and effective legal representation to burn injury victims.
- Our attorneys have a proven track record of success in handling burn injury cases and are ready to fight for your rights.
- We will take the time to understand the specifics of your case, listen to your concerns, and develop a legal strategy tailored to your needs.
Burn Injuries Lead to Extensive Damages including Pain and Suffering
The National Library of Medicine notes that burn injuries are a trauma that can affect anyone, anytime, and anywhere. Burn injuries involve the destruction of tissue, and can lead to a variety of physiological and psychological responses. Burns vary in severity and type depending upon the cause of the burn, and how many layers of skin or tissue are damaged by the injury. Burn injuries are often caused by:
- Friction
- Cold
- Heat
- Radiation
- Chemical or electric sources
- Hot liquids or solids
- Fire
When you are burned, your ability to move your body in the same way as before the injury can be impacted, as well as how you appear. The medical costs associated with your burn injury should be covered in your compensation, in addition to lost wages and earnings due to the symptoms of the injury and your recovery time.
Types of Compensation Available in a Burn Injury Case
Your compensation should cover all costs and damages associated with your injury, including:
Medical Bills
Burn injuries often require extensive medical treatment, including emergency care, hospitalization, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, and long-term care. Compensation can cover current and future medical expenses related to the burn injury.
Lost Wages
If the burn injury prevents you from working or causes a temporary or permanent disability that affects your earning capacity, you may be eligible to receive compensation for lost wages, including past and future income.
Pain and Suffering
Compensation for the physical pain and any impact upon your psychological well-being (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc.) Severe burns can lead to permanent disfigurement and scarring, which can significantly affect a person’s self-esteem, body image, and overall quality of life. Therefore, compensation may be awarded to address the physical and psychological effects of disfigurement.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
If the burn injury has diminished your ability to engage in activities you once enjoyed, such as hobbies, sports, or social interactions, you may be entitled to compensation for the loss of enjoyment of life.
Loss of Consortium
If the burn injury has significantly affected your relationship with your spouse or partner, resulting in a loss of companionship, affection, or support, compensation may be available for loss of consortium.
Punitive Damages
In cases where the responsible party’s actions were particularly egregious or intentional, punitive damages may be awarded to punish the wrongdoer and deter others from engaging in similar conduct.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Your Burn Injury?
Who can be held liable for your burn injury will depend on the specific circumstances of your case. For example:
Burn Injuries in Car Accidents
The party responsible for causing the collision (e.g., at-fault driver, employer of the negligent driver, government entity) can be held liable.
Burns from Dangerous Products
If a dangerous or defective product was responsible for your burn injury, any party involved in the defective product’s chain of distribution can potentially be liable, for example, the manufacturer, distributor, retailer, etc.
Burn Injury While on Someone Else’s Property
If your burn injury occurred while on property belonging to another individual, a company, or a government entity, due to unsafe conditions, the property owner can be held responsible.
Healthcare Professionals
In some cases, burn injuries may occur due to medical malpractice, such as negligence during a surgical procedure or improper administration of heat-based treatments. Under those circumstances, the healthcare professional or medical facility may be held liable.
A burn injury attorney will investigate to determine all liable parties. Any person or entity that contributed to your accident can be held legally responsible if you prove their negligence directly or indirectly caused your harm. Should a loved one suffer fatal burns due to another party’s negligence, a wrongful death attorney in Charleston, WV can fight for justice on your family’s behalf.
Being Burned on the Job Could Entitled You to Workers’ Compensation
One of the most common locations where burn injuries occur is on the job. If you have experienced a burn injury on the job, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits generally cover your medical bills and some of your lost earnings, but psychological damages are generally not available. Working with an experienced West Virginia burn injury attorney who knows how to assess the circumstances of your injury and how the law applies to them will help support the best possible outcome in your claim.
Connect with a Charleston, West Virginia Burn Injury Lawyer
Unfortunately you do not automatically receive your damages after having been injured. Instead you must collect evidence to prove the full amount of your damages, then draft a claim, and submit it to the insurance company. The insurance company does not work for you, they work for profit, and the make more profit by denying your claim or by paying you less than you
deserve.
Working with an attorney helps to even the playing field and protect your right to collect what you deserve. To explore options on your burn injury and to determine what compensation you could be entitled to, schedule a consultation or call (304) 915-0823 to explore options on your case with Tiano O’Dell PLLC.