Have you recently sustained a burn injury in St. Louis in an accident that was not your fault? You could be eligible for financial compensation if your injuries resulted from someone else’s negligence.
A severe burn injury can cause significant pain and disfigurement. Such injuries often require medical treatment, including skin grafts and other surgeries. Burns also put patients at risk for infections and other complications. Severe burns can deprive you of the ability to work, support your loved ones, and more.
Review your case with our St. Louis burn accident lawyers for free for more information about your potential personal injury claim. At Sumner Law Group, LLC, we know you’re struggling to adapt to a dramatic change in your life circumstances. While you focus on recovering from your severe burn injuries, our St. Louis burn injury attorneys can focus on pursuing the maximum compensation you deserve.
Why You Need Our Firm for Your St. Louis Severe Burn Litigation
Our team at Sumner Law Group, LLC, offers more than half a century of combined experience in personal injury claims, including burn injury cases. That’s the type of experience you need on your side when you’re pursuing a burn injury claim in St. Louis.
We can help you pursue compensation by:
- Identifying liable parties
- Gathering evidence of negligence
- Compiling documentation of your losses
- Calculating the total value of your claim
- Building a solid claim and meeting all filing deadlines
- Negotiating with the insurance company for appropriate compensation
- Pursuing your claim in court if the insurance company won’t agree to a fair settlement
What Is a Burn Injury and How Are They Categorized?
Burn injuries can be fire-related injuries. However, they don’t have to be. According to Stanford Medicine, the types of burn injuries are:
- Thermal burns – Burns resulting from contact with or exposure to intense heat sources are thermal burns. A typical example would be a burn you sustain as a result of touching a hot stove.
- Radiation burns – A radiation burn occurs due to prolonged exposure to the sun’s UV rays or other radiation sources.
- Chemical burns – Burn victims may sustain harm as a result of exposure to harmful chemicals, like acids.
- Electrical burns – Electrocution can cause a person to sustain burn injuries.
Stanford Medicine also classifies burns based on severity:
- First-degree – A first-degree burn affects only the skin’s outer layer. Such burns may cause skin redness and mild discomfort.
- Second-degree – A second-degree burn involves at least part of the layer below the outermost layer of skin. A second-degree burn may be painful and swollen.
- Third-degree – A person sustains a third-degree burn when both the outermost layer and the layer of skin beneath it are destroyed. Because such burns destroy nerves, a person may not experience sensation in the affected area. Third-degree burns may destroy bones and other underlying tissues.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Burn Injuries in St. Louis?
The National Library of Medicine reports that thermal burns are by far the most common type of burn injuries in the U.S. Most burn injuries result from contact with hot surfaces or sources of heat.
However, a person may sustain burn injuries for numerous potential reasons. Common causes of burn injuries are:
- Burn injuries from car accidents, truck wrecks, motorcycle crashes, and other types of motor vehicle crashes
- Property owners failing to address hazards that cause burn injuries
- Product designers or manufacturers overlooking defects resulting in burn injuries
- Unsafe conditions in the workplace that lead to on-the-job burn injuries
What Can I Recover in a St. Louis Burn Injury Claim?
Many of the losses you could incur due to your injuries are economic. For example, your injuries will require costly medical treatment. They might also prevent you from earning a paycheck during your recovery. Depending on their severity, they may cause long-term financial struggles. That can happen if severe injuries leave you permanently unable to work and in need of lifelong care. Such losses have absolute dollar values. They qualify as economic losses for which you may seek compensation.
You may also be eligible to receive compensation for non-economic losses. These are intangible losses that don’t have exact dollar values but are just as real and just as compensable. An example is the physical pain and emotional trauma you must endure as you recover from your injuries. Pain and suffering may not come with a precise price tag attached, but you can still seek compensation for it.
A jury may award punitive damages if you go to trial. Punitive damages are available only in a trial and can be awarded only if the at-fault party’s actions exhibited outrageous indifference to the rights and safety of others. Punitive damages don’t compensate burn victims for losses. Instead, they punish defendants for their exceptionally bad behavior and are meant to deter them from repeating it.
How Do I Prove My Burn Injury Case?
The insurance company might reject your claim if you don’t provide thorough evidence showing the at-fault party caused your injuries. Ways to help build a case that proves you deserve compensation are:
- Seeking medical care right away after sustaining a burn
- Following the doctor’s advice
- Filing an accident report
- Getting statements from witnesses
- Taking pictures of the accident scene and your injuries if you’re able
- Determining whether any video of your accident is available
- Reviewing the liable party’s statements
It will be necessary to investigate your case thoroughly to gather sufficient evidence of negligence to prove your claim. An attorney at our firm with experience handling burn cases and fire-related injury lawsuits can investigate for you.
How Long Do I Have to File a Burn Injury Claim in Missouri?
Missouri’s personal injury statute of limitations requires you to take legal action within five years of sustaining injuries. Miss the deadline, and you won’t be eligible to pursue compensation in court.
Five years may seem like a long time to file a lawsuit. However, evidence in severe burn litigation is often stronger when it’s gathered close in time to the accident. Contact our burn lawyers now to begin building a case.
Get Help from Our St. Louis Burn Injury Lawyers Now
Sustaining burns due to someone else’s carelessness is a frightening experience. It can also cause long-term pain, financial struggles, and more.
Legal help is available in these circumstances. At Sumner Law Group, LLC, our St. Louis burn injury lawyers are ready to explain your legal options and provide dedicated representation.
Learn more by contacting us online today or calling us for a free case review.
