Hampton Burn Injury Lawyer
Severe burns caused by a serious accident can be extremely painful and debilitating. In addition to long-term disfigurement and scarring, particularly serious burns may cause permanent nerve damage and put individuals at risk of bacterial infection, breathing problems, and issues with mobility.
Pursuing comprehensive compensation for this kind of injury can be made a lot easier by hiring a seasoned Hampton burn injury lawyer. With guidance and support from a qualified catastrophic injury attorney, you could greatly increase your odds of recovering for all your burn-related losses and achieving a positive resolution to your civil claim.
How Burn Injuries Are Classified
To file a personal injury lawsuit, an individual must have suffered an injury that required at least some degree of professional medical treatment. Accordingly, most burn injury cases that Hampton attorneys litigate do not involve first-degree burns, as these are surface-level injuries that usually heal on their own over the course of a few days.
Second-degree burns, on the other hand, can be extremely painful and may require medical intervention to ensure they do not worsen over time. These burns typically have a splotchy red-and-white coloration and are characterized by swelling and blistering in the affected area. Deep partial-thickness second-degree burns often result in permanent scarring.
Third-degree burns involve damage to several layers of skin as well as to nerve endings, so while they are not always painful, they can be extremely severe injuries that require immediate emergency care. The impacted area may be white, brown, or black in color, and permanent disfigurement typically occurs. Finally, fourth-degree burns are those that completely destroy the skin in the affected area and cause catastrophic—and sometimes deadly—harm to bones, muscles, and tendons.
Recoverable Damages in Hampton Burn Accident Claims
Like many civil claims, a typical burn injury case may focus primarily on economic damages, which are losses that can be given a quantifiable financial value. These may include but are not necessarily limited to:
- Medical expenses, both for emergency care and rehabilitative and physical therapy services in the future
- Lost work income
- Lost capacity to earn income in the future
- Damage done to personal property
Particularly with third- and fourth-degree burns, the totality of harm that these injuries cause may be more subjective. Non-economic damages such as loss of enjoyment of life, physical pain, and the impact of any permanent disability or disfigurement should be incorporated into a settlement demand by a local burn accident attorney.
In some situations, a claimant may be able to pursue punitive damages as well. Courts only award these damages when the defendant’s misconduct was particularly egregious. For instance, if an individual suffered burn injuries in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, this person may be eligible to receive punitive damages.
Speak with a Hampton Burn Injury Attorney
Recovering compensation in the wake of a burn injury can be tough under any circumstances, but it can be particularly difficult to do so without a skilled legal professional by your side.
A knowledgeable Hampton burn injury lawyer can go over your legal options and work tirelessly to help pursue fair compensation. To set up an initial consultation, call today.
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