Oxnard Burn Injury Lawyer

Have you suffered a burn injury because of someone else’s negligence? Are you struggling to deal with the medical bills and other costs as a result of your injury? If so, you may be entitled to compensation for expenses related to the accident that caused your injury. We encourage you to contact the burn injury attorneys at OnderLaw for a free case evaluation.

We will review the specifics of your case and advise you of your legal options. Burn injuries can have long-term effects including physical pain and emotional suffering. In addition to your burn injuries, you might suffer from skin infections that require expensive treatment and, in some cases, might even be life-threatening. These infections often result in additional scarring and disfigurement.

Burn accidents often occur because of negligence on the part of an individual, a company, or another entity. If you have been injured because of someone else’s reckless act, the Oxnard burn injury lawyers at OnderLaw will safeguard your rights and help you seek the compensation you are entitled to.

Contact us today for a free consultation to learn how we can help you get on the road to recovery. Call us to set up your free appointment. We look forward to reviewing your case with you.

Why Do I Need a Lawyer? Why Choose OnderLaw?

Burns are among the most painful types of injuries. Many people need emergency medical treatment to help prevent infection, disability, or death. Most people are unsure of how to proceed in the immediate aftermath of a burn injury. If you’re not thinking clearly, you may find it challenging to take the necessary steps to protect your rights. That’s why it is so important to consult with a burn injury attorney as soon as you can after the accident.

The legal team at OnderLaw provides dependable and affordable services. We handle every aspect of your case on your behalf so you can focus on recovering. Our experienced legal team will thoroughly investigate the accident, document the damages you are owed, and gather the evidence needed to prove liability.

Our attorneys can also negotiate with the insurance company for you. Insurance adjusters use various tactics to try and reduce the amount they must pay you, but our attorneys know how to subvert those tactics, which may improve your chances of getting a fair settlement. If we are unable to reach a settlement agreement with the insurance company, the legal team at OnderLaw will fight your case out in court.

Our caring and compassionate team understands how burdensome the medical expenses and other costs associated with treating burn injuries can be. That’s why we work on a contingency fee basis, so you have no out-of-pocket or upfront costs. We won’t collect legal fees unless we secure compensation for you.

Causes of Burn Injuries

To effectively treat the injury, your physician must first determine the cause of the burn. Some of the common types of injuries that cause burns include:

• Thermal burns: Thermal burns are the most common type of burn. Coming into contact with a hot object or flame raises the temperature of your skin to the point where cells begin to die. Thermal burns can happen through direct contact with hot metals, scalding liquids, steam, and/or flames.
• Friction burns: Friction burns are common in a motorcycle or bike accident. When a hard object contacts the skin at high speeds, it can cause scrapes and burns.
• Chemical burns: Chemicals with a much higher or lower pH than the skin can cause chemical burns when they come into contact with a person’s skin.
• Electrical burns: When electricity runs through your cells, it can cause cell death. When the skin comes into contact with high voltage, electrical burns can occur.

Some of the different causes of burn injuries include:

• Explosions
• Exposure to radiation
• Residential or commercial fires
• Chemical spills
• Car accidents
• Faulty wiring in a defective product
• Construction accidents
• Defective products
• Workplace hazards
• Nursing home abuse
• Dangerous medical devices
• Truck accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents

Types and Severity of Burn Injuries

In addition to determining the source of the burn, the doctor will also determine the depth or severity of the injury. There are several different types of burn injuries. People can have first, second, third, or fourth-degree burns. The higher the degree, the more severe the damage to the tissue is.

• First-degree burns: First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of the skin, which can turn red and be painful. Long-term damage is rare. A mild sunburn would be considered a first-degree burn.
• Second-degree burns: Second-degree burns cause damage to the epidermis as well as the second layer of skin, called the dermis. You may develop blisters, and the burns will be painful to the touch. The skin becomes bright red, swollen, and may look shiny. You may have a superficial second-degree burn where only part of the dermis is damaged, and no disfigurement or scarring occurs.
• Third-degree burns: Third-degree burns are sometimes called “full thickness” burns because they cause cell death in two full layers of skin. Because the damage also includes nerve endings, a third-degree burn does not hurt initially. The burn area may turn black, brown, yellow, or white.
• Fourth-degree burns: Fourth-degree burns may be life-threatening. They destroy multiple layers of skin as well as the muscle and tendons beneath. Fourth-degree burns are the most severe type of burn. The skin may turn black, brown, white, or yellow, and in some cases, the burns may expose bone.

You may experience a range of complications after a burn injury. Common complications that accompany burn injuries include:

• Respiratory problems: During a fire or explosion, the smoke and toxins released can damage the lungs and respiratory tissue.
• Emotional trauma: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common after suffering a traumatic injury or accident. Advances in care have dramatically improved survival after a burn injury. However, the emotional impact can last for years after your body has healed. PTSD has a lasting effect on your emotional health and ability to function at work and home.
• Chronic pain: While third and fourth-degree burns may not initially cause pain, pain can develop as nerve endings in the skin heal. You might need prescription drugs to manage the pain until your body fully heals.
• Infections: Burns break the skin barrier and expose the body to dangerous pathogens. Bacterial infections can infect the wound site and also travel throughout the body.

Compensation for Burn Injuries

After a burn injury, you may choose to file an injury claim with the insurance company or a personal injury lawsuit if you are not offered fair compensation from the insurance company. Through a personal injury claim, you can recover compensation for your losses. There are two main types of compensation available in personal injury cases. These include economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages are the expenses that you incur that are associated with receiving the injury. For example, economic damages may include:

• Medical expenses related to your injuries
• Lost wages if you are unable to return to work
• Any property damage caused by the accident
• Loss of future income

Non-economic damages are non-financial losses. Non-economic damages may include:

• Pain and suffering, including emotional anguish, mental distress, and PTSD
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Other non-financial losses

In rare cases, you may be awarded punitive damages in a lawsuit. Punitive damages are a financial reward that is intended to punish the defendant for gross negligence or excessive recklessness. To seek punitive damages, you must provide the court with convincing evidence that the negligent party acted with malice or fraud.

State Burn Accident Statistics

The U.S. Fire Administration reported that there were 1.7 deaths and 5.0 injuries for every 1,000 fires in California in 2019, as well as 4.3 deaths and 17.6 injuries for every 1,000 fires in residential structures. American Burn Association data shows that as recently as 2016, 486,000 people were receiving medical treatment for burn injuries and 3,275 had suffered fire and smoke inhalation injuries.

Contact OnderLaw for Oxnard Burn Injury Compensation

If you have sustained a burn injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, you shouldn’t have to worry about navigating through the complex claims process while you are trying to recover from your injuries. At OnderLaw, our team will lift that burden off your shoulders by handling every aspect of your case for you.

If you’ve suffered from a burn injury in Oxnard, then don’t hesitate to reach out to our team to discuss your case. We are intimately familiar with California personal injury law and have over three decades of experience fighting for burn injury victims. We will review your case, launch a full investigation into the incident that caused your burns, gather evidence to support your claim, identify the liable party or parties, document and calculate damages, and aggressively seek the compensation you are entitled to.

Call us now to set up your free, no-risk consultation.