Around 3,500 people die of burns in America each year, and another 40,000 require hospitalization, according to the American Burn Association. If you were burned because of someone else’s actions, you may be able to get compensation from them or their insurer.
John Foy & Associates is among the largest Georgia personal injury firms, and we have personal injury lawyers in Columbus who can help you with your case. Thanks to our over 25 years of service, we’re familiar with the insurers and many of the surgeons who treat burn victims. Our experience and local knowledge give us an edge few can match.
Common Reasons for Burn Injuries
There are certain situations where we see burn injuries more often, and it’s good to know what those are so you can take care. The first is vehicle crashes. Despite vast improvements in vehicle safety, car fires can still happen and can quickly kill or disfigure a person.
Scalds from hot food, drink, and household objects are another source. One of the most well-known burn injury cases in America was the McDonald’s hot coffee case, where a woman received third-degree burns after spilling drive-thru coffee on herself. The coffee was served far too hot, and McDonald’s had to pay compensation.
Last, house fires cause many deaths and smoke inhalation injuries every year. There are many reasons for house fires and some of them are because of someone else’s liability. Anything from arson, a botched electrical repair job, or someone irresponsible with an open flame can cause a fire.
What Needs to Be Proven to Win?
No matter where the source of the burn came from, we have to prove they were liable in order to win a lawsuit or file a successful insurance claim. There are three things we must prove to win your case.
- The other party had a duty of care toward you, a basic responsibility of taking care of your safety. These are things like driving safely on the road, or selling a product that won’t catch fire.
- That duty of care must be breached. This proves negligence. In rare cases, like arson, the duty of care could be breached deliberately.
- That breach of the duty of care must have led to your injuries and their consequences.
If these three things are proven, you have a winning case. The next step after that is to calculate how much damage they did to you, and what kinds of damage. When we seek compensation on your behalf, these damages are why you receive the compensation you get.
Your burn doesn’t have to be a major one in order to get compensation. It just has to meet these standards. Your burn injury lawyer in Columbus can tell you the best way to proceed with your case so that you can achieve justice and get paid for your damages.
How Much Could I Get from My Burn Lawsuit?
There are many factors that go into every personal injury case, including burn injuries. Thus, it’s hard to estimate how much you can get until we have all the facts in front of us. Some of the things we’ll examine in your case include:
- The severity of your injuries
- The expense of treating your injuries
- The prognosis of your injuries
- How your injuries have affected your ability to earn money
- How much pain and suffering you’re experiencing
- How your injury has affected your family members
- What costs are involved with accommodating your injuries
We can give you an estimate of your case’s value during your consultation based on what we learn from you and our years of experience helping other burn injury victims. To find out how much your case might be worth, speak with John Foy & Associates. We offer free consultations.
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What If I Share Responsibility?
The insurance company may try to argue that you share some responsibility for your accident. This is important to understand because it can affect the value of your case. The reason is Georgia’s modified comparative negligence rule.
If you are 50% or more responsible for your accident, you cannot collect any damages. The percentage of fault you have reduces your final compensation for your injuries. Your burn injury lawyer will work hard to make any percentage of fault as low as possible.
This is one of many reasons to have a burn injury lawyer on your side. You may think you have a slam-dunk case, but you could get a lot less than you thought because of this rule. We know how to combat these kinds of claims.
Talk to a Columbus Burn Injury Lawyer Today
John Foy & Associates has handled burn cases for over 25 years, and we know many of the best surgeons and experts in Georgia. We know how painful and difficult it is to overcome a burn injury, so we will do our utmost to get you all the compensation you deserve.
Find out what our Columbus burn injury attorneys can do for you. Contact us online or call us for a free consultation. If you are still in the hospital, we can come to you or connect via video chat for your consultation.
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