Burn Injury Lawyer in Corona
A burn injury occurs when heat or friction damages the skin and other tissue. A person can get burns from accidents, such as a car collision on Interstate-15 in Corona. Workplaces and tourist areas in Corona pose a danger for burn injuries; an employee could experience an accident at a Corona manufacturing company. Someone could receive thermal burns at local spas and resorts.
Yarian Accident & Injury Lawyers are ready to fight the liable party’s insurers no matter where your burn injury happened. Our Corona burn injury lawyers helps people with burn injuries get the compensation they deserve.
The Cost of Burn Injuries
Hospital emergency departments treat roughly 1.1 million burn injuries every year. Treatment depends on the location and severity of the tissue damage. Without health insurance, the cost to treat a severe burn will run a minimum of $4,000 in a local hospital. Time in a burn ward can escalate the cost to $50,000 or more.
Don’t let cost deter you from seeking treatment. Burn injuries can kill, either immediately or through infections. Call emergency medical services at 911 right away if you or someone you love sustains a burn injury.
Causes of Burn Injuries
Fire
Burns can come from a variety of sources. One of the most common causes is contact with a flame. An estimated 43 percent of admissions to burn centers are due to fires. Fires can occur outdoors. For instance, someone could sustain a burn from an uncontrolled campfire. Many fires, however, start in the home. A fire could break out due to an electrical malfunction, a kitchen grease fire, or a fire that sparks out of the workplace.
Hot Liquid
Another 34 percent of burn center admissions are due to scalding injuries. Usually, scalding injuries are the result of hot liquid or steam. Household appliances cause about 376,950 scalding burn injuries. Some people contact hot bath water, and others deal with spilled coffee.
An estimated 21 percent of cases involved minors under the age of 4. Young children have a high risk of burns because of their developing motor functions and tendency to spill liquids.
Hot Metal
Hot metal, glass, and other objects can lead to thermal burns, where excessive heat damages the tissue. Most reported cases involve incidents in the home. Ovens, stovetops, and irons can cause thermal burns.
Incidents could occur in the workplace as well. People who work in the kitchen of a restaurant might touch scorching surfaces. If someone works with machinery, the metal could be dangerously hot.
Electricity
Another cause of burns is electricity. You could sustain tissue damage if your skin comes into contact with an electrical current. Most electrical burns happen on the arms and legs of injured people.
Wires are a common source of electrical burns. People who perform household repairs, like electricians, have an increased chance of a wire-related injury. Lightning strikes and stun guns cause electrical burns as well.
Chemicals
If someone handles dangerous chemicals, they have a chance of being burned. Chemicals can burn the eyes, mouth, or skin. Some chemicals can even cause internal burns. Injuries typically occur at home, work, or school.
Chemical burns usually happen by accident. For example, a child could access household cleaning products, or an employee could spill chemicals while working.
Depending on the cause of your chemical burns, you could be entitled to compensation. Yarian Accident & Injury Lawyers may be able to help you bring the liable party to justice.
How Long Do You Have to File a Burn Injury Claim?
Hiring a lawyer as quickly as possible will help you timely file your claim. A critical deadline for burn injury claims is the statute of limitations
Victims of negligent burn accidents have two years to bring their case to court under California law. If you miss this deadline, you usually will be unable to get compensation. You have a limit of six months to file a Notice of Claim if a government agency caused your burn. It’s important to note that the legislature sets the time limits for filing claims; you should consult with an attorney to ensure that the statute of limitations has not changed.
In a few circumstances, special situations could delay the deadline. For example, if the at-fault party left California before you could file a lawsuit, you might have additional time for your claim. Another exception to the statute of limitations can be if the victim was under 18 or legally incompetent. In this situation, the deadline usually pauses until the victim because 18 or is no longer legally incompetent. You can ask a burn injury lawyer if an exception applies to your case.
Evidence for a Burn Injury Case
Documents and other proof are necessary to show the defendant caused your burn injury. Yarian Accident & Injury Lawyers work with you to gather the evidence you need. To build your case, you should document your injuries.
Pictures
Take pictures soon after the burn occurs, and you should capture photos as the wound heals. The images show how severe the damage is and how long it took for you to recover. Photographs like this can help maximize the compensation you may seek.
Medical Records
Many people have to see a doctor for burn treatment and to ensure the burn site does not worsen. Another reason to seek medical attention is to get records. Medical records can prove the existence of your burn injuries. Additionally, medical records help show the severity and cause of the burn. Your attorney will use your records to calculate economic and non-economic damages when putting together your burn injury claim.
Witnesses
Lawyers sometimes use witness statements to help prove negligence as well. A witness’s words could confirm the other side breached their duty of care. If you can collect witness names and phone numbers at the accident scene, do so. Later, your attorney can also reach out to potential witnesses if doing so will help your claim.
Your burn injury attorney may hire an expert witness if your claim goes to court. Usually, the expert witness is a credible doctor. The expert can testify about how your burn caused physical damage.
Damages for a Burn Injury
If an injured person wins a burn injury lawsuit, they can recover economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include any medical bills accumulated during recovery. The negligent party would have to pay for hospital visits, medication, surgeries, and ongoing physical therapy.
Burn victims can also seek compensation for lost wages. Severe injuries can cause a victim to miss weeks of work. In a few cases, the plaintiff cannot return to their job at all due to the defendant’s negligence. In that scenario, the defendant would have to compensate the victim.
Victims can also seek compensation for property damage if the cause of their burns also damaged their property. Compensation could cover the expenses for repairs.
Some people experience disfigurement due to their burn injuries. Compensation for this loss falls into the category of non-economic damages. Other non-economic damages could include pain and suffering or loss of companionship.
The value of each case is different. Discussing your case with a burn injury attorney will help you determine how much compensation to seek.
Corona Burn Injury Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Lasting Effects of Burns?
Severe burn injuries can have long-term consequences. The acute trauma of burns can result in prolonged healing. Often, people have life-long scars and disfigurement that hurts their mental health. Victims are at risk of developing anxiety and depression.
Research has linked burn injuries to several physical conditions as well. The damage can increase a person’s chances of cardiovascular disease. Specifically, major blood vessels could narrow and cause ischemic heart disease.
Another long-term concern is the effect burns might have on bone health. A person could become more vulnerable to fractures, feel joint pain and stiffness, or have issues with walking or running.
Nerve damage to burned tissue can be permanent. Burn injuries can also cause weakness from muscle damage, a higher risk of infections, and impaired motor functions or senses.
Could You Represent Yourself in a Burn Injury Case?
No. Choosing to represent yourself in court would put your interests at risk. The legal process involves deadlines, formalities, paperwork, and a deep understanding of timelines that take lawyers years of school and practice to understand. People who represent themselves have a much lower chance of success in court than those who hire lawyers.
Hiring a burn injury lawyer will take some of the stress out of filing your claim. Your attorney knows how to fill out legal documents correctly, file them on time, and in the appropriate place. Your attorney can also help gather and present admissible evidence in court.
Additionally, an attorney can negotiate with the other party’s insurance company and lawyer. A part of the negotiations involves how much to ask for in a settlement. The attorney will use their experience and skills to help you get any compensation that you deserve.
A burn injury lawyer helps you navigate the legal process. Reach out to Yarian Accident & Injury Lawyers to see how we can assist you.
How Do You Prove the Defendant’s Negligence?
Burn injury victims and their attorneys have to meet the burden of proof to obtain compensation. To prove negligence, you need to show the defendant owed you a legal duty of care. For example, an employer owes a duty to create safe working conditions.
Another element of negligence is that the at-fault party failed to meet their duty of care. A company might not have put an adequate warning label on a cleaning product.
Next, you must establish that the defendant’s action or inaction directly caused your burn injuries.
Finally, you must show that your burn injuries led to recoverable damages. If you establish these four elements, the defendant is liable for the harm they caused you and your loved ones. The defendant may also have a defense argument ready to prove that you caused your injuries. Having a lawyer by your side will help you navigate this legal process.
Who Is Liable?
More than one party may be liable for your burn injuries.
Some parties whom you might hold liable include:
- In a car accident, the other driver could be accountable.
- The law holds product manufacturers strictly liable for any chemical burns a product induces.
- Owners of hazardous public or private property might bear liability for accidents on their property.
- Companies can be liable if management did not provide proper training or equipment to employees, which resulted in injury.
- In a few cases, multiple entities are responsible for an accident.
Yarian Accident & Injury Lawyers can help you identify the at-fault parties and where to file your claim.
Contact a Burn Injury Lawyer Today
A burn injury can impact your life in multiple ways. Even if you know another party is responsible for your injuries, you might still have legal questions. Yarian Accident & Injury Lawyers understand the stress you face when dealing with both a lawsuit and your injury.
We show each of our clients the care and compassion they need while fighting for their rights. If you have a significant burn injury, you should not have to take on a claim by yourself. Contact our office in Corona today at (951) 523-0000 for a free case evaluation.
Yarian Bedsore and Pressure Sore Lawyer Corona, CA Office Location
1611 Pomona Rd #222Corona, CA 92878
Phone: +1 951-523-0000
