High-degree burns are both uniquely painful and exceptionally debilitating injuries, especially given how likely they are to leave behind physical and emotional scars on anyone affected by them. When you sustain an injury of this nature because of someone else’s misconduct, you may have grounds to demand compensation from that person for all your injury-related losses.
However, it can be tricky to know for sure whether you have legal standing to file this kind of lawsuit—let alone achieve a favorable final result—without an experienced catastrophic injury attorney’s guidance. After seeking necessary medical care, contacting a compassionate Brentwood burn injury lawyer at OnderLaw should be your top priority in the aftermath of a serious burn.
Understanding the “degrees” that burn injuries are categorized into can be helpful, not just for getting the proper medical treatment for a particular injury but also for understanding your rights in pursuing a burn injury lawsuit. For example, while first-degree burns that only damage the outermost skin layer can certainly be uncomfortable, they generally clear up on their own without any medical treatment beyond basic first aid, which means they are usually not considered severe enough to serve as the basis for a civil lawsuit.
On the other hand, second-degree burns—which penetrate deep enough to cause damage to multiple skin layers—generally require professional medical attention and may cause permanent scarring even with prompt diagnosis and treatment. Because of that, our skilled Brentwood burn injury attorneys can often help pursue civil litigation over a second-degree burn stemming directly from another person’s reckless or careless misconduct.
Third-degree burns are even worse, as they destroy multiple skin layers and penetrate deep enough to cause damage to underlying muscle tissue, fat layers, tendons, and sometimes even bones. Even with immediate emergency treatment—which may include skin grafts—these kinds of burns can still cause permanent loss of sensation and even life-threatening complications in affected areas of the body.
The amount of monetary damages a person can demand when they sustain severe burns due to someone else’s negligence varies substantially from case to case, depending on exactly what type of burn the injured party sustained and what negative effects that injury has had, and will have, on their life. That said, a typical burn injury claim in Missouri can incorporate both economic and non-economic forms of harm, such as:
When you are burned by chemicals, an explosion, or a fire, legally speaking, there is a ticking time clock on the amount of time you have to file a claim. Every state has what’s called a statute of limitations that dictates the amount of time someone has to file a lawsuit after they have been injured. Missouri Revised Statutes § 516.120 generally allows a maximum of five years after someone sustains a personal injury for that person to file suit.
Contacting a proactive lawyer at OnderLaw sooner rather than later after a burn injury in Brentwood can be vital to building a compelling and comprehensive case within this deceptively small window of time.
Being burned because another person was careless or reckless can be an aggravating experience, regardless of how severe your burn was. Even worse, you may have no choice but to deal with the consequences of your injury by yourself if you fail to enforce your legal rights and ensure the person who caused you harm is held accountable.
A Brentwood burn injury lawyer at OnderLaw will stand by your side throughout your legal proceedings, working tirelessly to achieve the favorable final result you deserve. Call today to learn more about how our dedicated team of attorneys can help you.
