If you or a loved one has suffered a serious burn injury, you may be eligible to pursue legal action and receive compensation. But should you contact an attorney to handle your burn injury claim? There are several factors to consider when deciding if hiring a lawyer is the right choice.
What Causes Burn Injuries?
Burns can occur in various ways, with some of the most common causes being:
- House and workplace fires
- Defective products like exploding batteries or flammable clothing
- Chemical or gasoline burns
- Scalding from excessively hot water
- Contact with exposed electrical wiring
- Intentional harm from another person
Depending on the circumstances, you may have a personal injury case if negligence or wrongdoing contributed to the burn injury. An experienced attorney can evaluate your situation during a free consultation.
Assessing Your Injuries
Not all burn injuries warrant legal action. Minor first or second-degree burns that heal relatively quickly likely do not require an attorney. But severe burns that cause ongoing medical problems or permanent scarring may deserve compensation.
Factors to consider in assessing your burn injuries include:
- Degree and depth of burns (first, second, third, fourth)
- Total body surface area burned
- Location of burns and visibility of scarring
- Need for skin grafts or reconstructive surgery
- Current pain and physical limitations
- Psychological trauma like anxiety, depression, or PTSD
- Length of hospital stay and ongoing treatments
- Interference with work, school, or everyday activities
- High medical bills and lost income
The more serious and impactful your burn injuries, the stronger your case may be. An attorney can secure medical records, bills, and expert testimony to demonstrate the extent of your damages.
Establishing Liability
In addition to severe burns, you also need to establish that some party is liable for your injuries due to negligence or intentional wrongdoing.
If another person or company carelessly caused your accident, they may owe you compensation. But you will need persuasive evidence of fault. An attorney will thoroughly investigate your burn incident to pinpoint liable parties and gather supporting evidence. This can include:
- Accident reports and witness statements
- Product defects or code violations
- Security footage or photographs
- Employer policies and training procedures
- Government inspection records
- Medical opinions on injury cause
- Other documentation that demonstrates negligence
Without adequate evidence of liability, you will struggle to win compensation for your claim. Experienced personal injury lawyers have the resources and knowledge to build a compelling liability case.
Navigating Insurance Companies
Insurance companies have teams of experienced negotiators on their side. They will look for ways to minimize your claim and their payout. Common tactics include:
- Making unreasonably low initial offers hoping you will accept
- Discounting the severity of your injuries
- Delaying negotiations to pressure you into settling
- Disputing liability, even with clear negligence
- Claiming pre-existing conditions or your own negligence contributed
- Arguing treatments recommended by your doctors are excessive or unnecessary
- Trying to negotiate directly with you to take advantage of your lack of legal expertise
Experienced personal injury attorneys are familiar with these tactics. They will not be bullied or misled. Your burn injury lawyer Los Angeles will firmly establish liability and the full extent of damages you suffered. Backed by persuasive evidence and legal arguments, they can counter unreasonable positions taken by insurers.
If negotiations reach an impasse, your attorney can file a lawsuit on your behalf. This shows the insurance company you are fully prepared to take your case to a jury if needed. Lawsuits also give your lawyer greater access to discovery and legal avenues to establish the merits of your claim.
Maximizing Compensation
Burn injuries can require months or years of expensive medical treatment and leave victims with permanent impairments. You deserve compensation sufficient to cover all present and future accident-related losses.
An attorney will fight to recover full and fair damages like:
- All past and future medical expenses
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Disability and disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Property losses
- Punitive damages in cases of malice
A seasoned lawyer understands how to calculate and negotiate for your maximum deserved compensation. They will not settle for low offers that fail to make you whole again. With strong legal advocacy, you can recover the funds needed to move forward after a devastating burn injury.
Handling the Legal Process
Burn injury cases can become complicated when multiple parties share liability. Navigating the litigation process on your own can prove challenging.
By hiring a Los Angeles burn injury lawyer, you gain an experienced guide through the legal system. Your lawyer will handle tasks like:
- Drafting pleadings, motions, and discovery
- Interviewing expert witnesses
- Preparing you for depositions
- Submitting evidence and legal arguments
- Negotiating with opposing counsel
- Advocating at arbitration or trial if a fair settlement is not reached
You can focus on healing physically and emotionally while your attorney tackles the legal complexities. With a lawyer in your corner, you do not have to weather this legal storm alone.
Weighing Attorney Fees
When deciding on legal representation, you may worry about paying attorney fees upfront. But reputable personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis.
This means you owe no fees until your lawyer secures compensation in your case. They receive an agreed-upon percentage of the final settlement or award. If they recover no damages, you pay nothing.
Contingency fee arrangements empower those injured to pursue the justice and benefits they deserve. Do not let fear of legal costs deter you from exploring your claim and rights.
Should I Contact an Attorney for My Burn Injury Claim?
After weighing these factors, your best path forward likely involves retaining legal representation, especially if you suffered severe burns due to another’s negligence or wrongdoing. An experienced personal injury attorney can fully investigate your incident, establish liability, demonstrate your losses, maximize compensation, negotiate skillfully, and relieve the legal burden.
Contact us today at 800-4THE-WIN (800-484-3946) for a free, no-obligation consultation if you or someone you love suffered burn injuries in Los Angeles or anywhere in California. Our team at Karns & Karns has successfully represented burn victims throughout the state for years. With compassion and determination, we will fight for maximized compensation as you heal from this traumatic experience.
