Tampa Burn Injury Lawyer
A serious burn injury can be traumatic and life-changing. Such injuries are very painful when they happen, and recovering from them can take a long time. In addition to the physical pain, the psychological and emotional suffering can last for years.
Anyone who has experienced a burn injury because of the negligence of another party should get advice from experienced lawyers immediately. One very important thing that to do is to get a complete medical exam after the injury and to contact a compassionate Tampa catastrophic burn injury lawyer as soon as they can.
It is critical for the victim to have documentation that can be offered in court to vividly illustrate the harm that has been suffered. It is also very important to keep extensive records of any rehabilitation, to demonstrate the burn injury’s costs – both financial and emotional.
Types of Burns
There are four types of burns:
- First-degree burns: cause pain, swelling and redness
- Second-degree burns: known as partial thickness burns, they involve the epidermis and part of the dermis layer of skin. The burn site typically appears red, blistered, and may be badly swollen
- Third-degree burns: extend through every layer of skin, and may cause severe scarring and even nerve damage
- Fourth-degree burns: affect all layers of the skin and structures below, such as tendons, bone, ligaments, and muscles. Body parts are charred and may even have to be amputated
Third- and fourth-degree burns frequently happen when people are trapped in a home or building that caught fire. Florida law requires each county to employ or contract with a fire inspector to conduct periodic inspections of all multi-family dwellings to ensure that there is no threat to human safety.
Homes are increasingly being built with substandard drywall materials and/or faulty electrical wires. If a family member suffers a burn injury because of this negligence, the family has the right to seek compensation from the builder.
Defective Products
Some burn injuries occur while cooking, due to defective stoves or other kitchen appliances. Poorly made containers that were marketed as being capable of holding very hot foods can also cause burn injuries.
To obtain damages, the plaintiff will need to prove the burn injury was caused by another party’s negligence – the failure to exercise the degree of care that a reasonable person would have shown under the same circumstances.
The court will consider whether the average person would have foreseen that their actions were creating a substantial risk of harm.
Under Florida law, injured parties can recover damages even if they themselves were partially at fault for the accident. Under this comparative negligence approach, damages may be reduced to account for the share of the accident that can be attributed to the plaintiff’s carelessness. But someone can still obtain compensation from the defendant.
A serious burn injury can affect a person’s entire life:
- Limbs that may never fully function again
- Serious scarring
- Significant emotional distress
The medical expenses related to a burn injury can escalate rapidly, particularly if the person needs extensive rehabilitation.
Contact a Burn Injury Attorney Today
Experienced Tampa burn injury lawyers have handled many injury cases. They will listen to your story with respect and sympathy, and then immediately get to work building the strongest possible case, so that you and your family can obtain the compensation that you are entitled to.