St. Petersburg Burn Injury Attorney

Burns are among the worst injuries someone could experience. They are painful when they occur, and it can take a long time to recover from an incident. In many cases, burns leave behind scars that can cause emotional distress and prove difficult to heal in recovery.

If you or a loved one has suffered burns because of the negligence of another party, you need the help of a St. Petersburg burn injury attorney so you can understand what your options are.

Following an Accident

One of the most important steps for you to take after an accident is to get a thorough medical examination as soon as possible so that you have documentation that you can present in court showing the harm you suffered, and then seek the help of an experienced burn injury attorney in St. Petersburg to move forward with your case.

You should also fully document any rehabilitation you must undergo, to show both the financial cost and the emotional cost of the injury.

Types of Burns

There are three types of burns:

First-degree: relatively mild
Second-degree: affecting the epidermis and the dermis (the lower layer of skin)
Third-degree: burns that go through the dermis entirely and damage deeper tissues

Third-degree burns often happen when individuals are trapped in a structure that caught fire. A searching inquiry is required into such situations in order to find the cause of the fire.

Equally important is determining whether all possible safety precautions – especially the ones required by local fire codes – were followed. That is discovering if the sprinklers and smoke detectors were functioning properly and if all the fire exits were clearly marked and accessible.

Florida law requires each county to employ or contract with a fire inspector who will conduct periodic inspections of all multi-family dwellings to ensure that there is no threat to life, safety or property. Getting access to these kinds of reports is an important part of building a case.

In the case of a single-family dwelling, it may be true that the home was built with substandard materials that were not as fire-retardant as they should have been. Faulty electrical wiring is also a leading cause of fires.

Cooking-Related Injuries

Not all burn injuries happen because of large-scale fires, however. Many people suffer burns while cooking, due to defective stoves or other kitchen appliances. Defective containers that were intended to hold extremely hot foods or beverages are also a cause of burns.

If someone was injured by a product that was sold commercially, they will be able to hold the manufacturer of that product strictly liable. A St. Petersburg burn injury lawyer can help the individual win their claim without a specific showing of negligence by the manufacturers, as long as they were using the product the way it was intended, and they followed all applicable instructions and warnings.

Long-Term Effects

The long-term impact of burn injuries can be difficult to adjust to, such as:

Limbs that may have lost functionality or partial functionality
Skin and other body parts that are permanently altered
Long-term emotional distress

The medical expenses resulting from serious burn injuries can be crushing for the average family, especially if months or years of care is required.

Even if the victim was partially at fault, they can still win compensation with the assistance of a burn injury lawyer in St. Petersburg if negligence on the part of the landlord, manufacturer, or other defendant was also partially responsible for the accident.

How a Burn Injury Attorney Can Help

A St. Petersburg burn injury attorney has substantial experience handling burn cases. Do not wait another day before getting the expert counsel you will need to get the compensation you deserve.