Louisville Burn Injury Lawyer

Burns are serious injuries and can be extremely painful, whether the incident involves anything from a small scalding water burn, to a chemical burn from substances like car battery acid. The aftermath of a burn can include nerve and muscle damage that may require physical therapy, as well as permanent scarring that not only may require cosmetic surgery, but that can cause a person to endure a lifetime struggle with self-confidence.

Apart from the bodily harm and psychological suffering a burn victim may experience, the financial strain of healthcare costs can make it extremely difficult to recuperate after sustaining a burn injury. If the burn that occurred could have otherwise been prevented, but was caused by a person or entity’s negligence, the victim may qualify to be financially compensated.

If you have suffered burn injuries, contact a Louisville burn injury lawyer who specializes in this type of case to provide support and an element of relief to burn victims.

Our catastrophic injury lawyers help develop your case to hold the at-fault party accountable and procure compensation for the financial and psychological burdens that are still being faced after the physical injury has been suffered.

Burn Classification

Unfortunately, people suffer burns, both minor and severe, every day. There are four degrees of burn classification, and the degree of the burn in an injury claim is a significant factor regarding the outcome of a lawsuit. These types of burns which a burn injury attorney in Louisville can help with include:

• First degree burns, also called superficial burns, harm the outermost layer of skin. These burns may cause pain and reddening of the skin, and generally heal after about one week.
• Second degree burns are burns to the top two layers of skin. They generally cause blisters and take longer to recover from than first degree burns. In some cases, second degree burns may require skin grafting.
• Third degree burns reach the deepest layers of skin and the tissues beneath the skin. Third degree burns require medical care and their longer recovery time may include pain management and skin grafting.
• Fourth degree burns are an elevated form of a third degree burn, and can cause nerve, ligament, muscle, and tendon damage. Fourth degree burns are the most severe and can be fatal in some cases

While it is typically assumed that burns are caused by fire, exposure to a variety of hazards can lead to many different types of burns.

• Thermal burns are caused by contact with heat, such as fire, explosions, scalding liquid or steam, and sunburns.
• Electrical burns are caused by contact with an electrical current, which can occur when active electrical wires are exposed to water, from a charge out of an electrical socket, or lightning.
• Chemical burns occur when someone comes into contact with a corrosive chemical substance, such as car battery acid, bleach, chlorine, ammonia, solvents, acids, or thinning agents.

Determining Liability in Cases of Burn Injuries

Burns and scald injuries qualify to be injury liability claims in Kentucky, but the specific subsection of the law that a claim qualifies under depends on where and how the burn happened. The injury liability categories that these claims typically fall under include:

• Premises Liability, if an individual sustains a burn injury because of a Louisville property owner’s negligence. For example, if an individual slips and when they reach out to brace themselves for the fall they come into contact with an exposed radiator that causes them to sustain second-degree burns, the burns can be the fault of the property owner, because the radiator should not have been exposed.
• Product Liability, if an individual sustains a burn injury because of a defective product. For example, if the victim is burned because their cell phone battery, or another component of the phone is defective, the burn can be the fault of the phone manufacturer and a Louisville burn injury attorney should be contacted.
• Negligence Liability, if an individual sustains a burn injury because of the negligence of another party. For example, if a distracted individual spills a scalding liquid on the lap of a person confined to a wheelchair, the person who spilled the liquid and caused the burn can be held accountable.

Seeking Justice for Kentucky Burn Victims

A burn injury is often extremely painful and requires medical care and ongoing treatments to fully recover. Depending on the severity of the burn, a victim may have scarring and disfigurement as well as psychological trauma after the accident.

Any person who has suffered a burn as a result of the negligence of another person or company deserves compensation to offset the cost of medical bills and pain and suffering damage.

To consult a Louisville burn injury lawyer about a burn injury claim, contact our firm today.