Denver Burn Injury Lawyers

According to the American Burn Association, emergency departments treated approximately 486,000 burn and fire-related injuries between 2011 and 2015 alone — which averages out to over 100,000 injuries per year. 73% of these injuries occur in the home, followed by work at 8%. The American Burn Association also provides the following statistics on burn injuries in the United States.

• 3,390 civilians died in fires in 2016.
• 24% of burn injuries occur in children under the age of 15.
• Young people aged 20 to 29 are 1.5 times more likely to sustain a burn injury than the general population.
• Although 96.7% of burn injury victims who receive treatment in a burn center will survive, they will likely have permanent scarring and lifelong disability.

Medical experts classify burns based on their severity and damage to the layers of your skin. There are four types of burns you can sustain.

• First degree burns affect the outermost or top layer of the skin and may be red, dry, and painful to the touch. These are the least severe type of burn.
• Second degree burns affect the first two layers of skin, leading to swelling, redness, and blisters.
• Third degree burns destroy the first two layers of the skin and may penetrate deeper tissue beneath the surface. These burns may look white or charred.
• Fourth degree burns are the most serious type of burn accident, damaging the deeper tissue of the skin and possibly harming your bone or muscles. These burns often lead to permanent nerve damage and loss of feeling.

Burn injuries can occur due to several types of accidents and sources. Some of the most common sources of burn injuries include the following.

• Thermal burns sustained from touching hot objects, like ovens, scalding water, or open flames
• Chemical burns from strong solvents, acids, and other corrosive substances
• Electrical burns due to contact with an electric current
• Friction burns, which occur when a hard surface scrapes off some of your skin

In severe cases, your claim may qualify for punitive damages. Unlike compensatory damages, which aim to reimburse your losses, punitive damages aim to punish the perpetrator. Courts award punitive damages in burn injury claims that involve malice, fraud, or willful and wanton misconduct.

For example, say you sustain burn injuries while in an accident with a truck driver who was drinking and driving. Alcohol is extremely dangerous while driving, which the truck driver would know, and breaking this law would be a form of willful and wanton misconduct. You may receive punitive damages in this situation.

Burn injuries can be very severe and require lifelong care. As a result, the settlement value of a burn injury claim can be quite high — and handling this type of case alone can be a challenge. Hiring a burn injury attorney from Jordan Law to handle your Colorado burn injury claim can provide several benefits that self-representation cannot.

• You can claim both past and future medical expenses in a burn injury claim, but you may not know what care you will require. Your attorney will connect you with medical experts who can create a medical treatment plan for you, allowing you to estimate your settlement, take care of your medical bills and get necessary medical attention while your lawyer handles your case.
• Your lawyer can give you legal advice and help you estimate the total value of your claim. This information will help you avoid accepting a lower settlement offer than what you need to recover, and allow you to identify damages you may not be aware of.
• The vast majority of personal injury lawsuits settle outside of the courtroom during negotiations, and negotiating a burn injury can be difficult. Your attorney will handle these conversations on your behalf, advocating for your best interests and allowing you to focus on your recovery.

Although it’s impossible to accurately gauge what your claim could be worth without talking to an attorney, you can get an idea of the types of damages you might be eligible to receive. Severe burn injuries, or those that result in permanent scarring, disfigurement, or disability, will be eligible for greater compensation awards than more minor burns. The following types of damages could be available to you in a Denver personal injury claim:

• Medical costs
  Burns can put victims in the hospital for long stretches of time due to slow healing processes, risks of infection, and possible surgeries such as skin grafts. Medical care compensation can include all past and future hospital bills involved in recovery.
• Physical pain and suffering 
  Burns can be extremely painful, causing long-lasting pain and suffering for survivors. Bad burns might require several surgeries to remedy disfigurement and prevent infection. The amount of physical pain experienced at the time of a burn injury, during a hospital stay, and even through lifelong chronic difficulties can be immense. A good lawyer can help prove physical pain and suffering with support from expert testimony.
• Psychological harms
  Burn injuries are often not just physical ones. They can leave emotional, mental, and psychological scars as well. Burn incidents involving fires, harsh chemicals, or electrocution can be highly traumatic, causing long-lasting post-traumatic stress disorder, nightmares, and other harms. Burn survivors can seek recovery for all of these damages, as well as lost quality or enjoyment of life.
• Lost wages  Burn victims often have to miss days or weeks of work during recovery. If a serious burn results in amputation or disability, the employee might never be able to earn the same salary as he or she did before the incident. Victims can recover for lost wages and lost capacity to earn if the injury interferes with work and income.

A plaintiff might also qualify for compensation for any property damage if applicable. Should the burns result in the victim’s death, a surviving spouse or other family members may be able to sue for additional damages such as funeral and burial expenses and loss of consortium. If you or a loved one have been injured in a burn injury, talk to a Denver personal injury lawyer at the law firm of Jordan Law whether the doctor classifies your burns as minor or severe.

Colorado law could entitle you to medical bill compensation, and likely many other types of damages as well. Ask for a consultation today to discuss the potential value of your burn injury claim for free.