Burn injuries can be incredibly damaging, painful, and expensive to treat. When someone in Sandy Springs suffers a serious burn, it can impact many aspects of their life, leaving them with disfigurements, scarring, and even disabilities. If you or a loved one was injured in this way, our Sand Springs burn injury lawyers are here to help you.
We are prepared to help you bring a personal injury case and pursue compensation for your medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. As one of the largest injury firms in Georgia, and with over 25 years of experience, we know what it takes to win burn injury cases.
What a “Burn Injury” Means Under Georgia Law
A burn is a type of damage to someone’s skin or deeper tissues. Burns can be caused by fire, chemicals, extreme heat, hot liquids, the sun, or electricity. According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are three types and degrees of burns:
- First-degree burns cause reddening and pain to the outer layer of your skin, which is known as the epidermis. These are the mildest forms of burns and can often be treated through first-aid.
- Second-degree burns affect the epidermis and the second layer of skin, known as the dermis. Second-degree burns can cause more severe pain and sometimes blisters and, if they are deep enough, can result in scarring.
- Third-degree burns are the most serious type of burns and go all the way down to the fat layer underneath your skin. Third-degree burns often turn the skin white or black and can lead to numbness or nerve damage.
Other symptoms from burn injuries can include peeling skin, weakness, pale and clammy skin, and heart disturbances (if the person suffered an electrical burn injury). If someone suffers burns in a fire, they can also experience smoke inhalation and breathing issues.
According to the American Burn Association (ABA)’s fact sheet, burn injuries are one of the top causes of unintentional death and injury in the United States. Even if someone doesn’t mean to cause harm, they can be responsible for your damages if their actions directly led to your burn injury.
Victims of negligence have the chance to pursue compensation for their injuries. If you’re wondering whether you have a valid claim, you can always get a free consultation with a Sandy Springs burn injury attorney who can assess your case.
How Much Compensation Will I Get for a Burn Injury?
It’s hard to nail down a certain number for your burn injury settlement. Any number of factors can affect how much you receive for your injuries. These factors include:
- The extent of your injuries
- How much you had to pay for medical treatment
- Whether you missed any work
- How much pain and mental anguish your injuries caused
- How much negligence the other party demonstrated
When you meet for your initial consultation with one of our lawyers, they will listen to your story and tell you what you might expect to receive from your claim. Our team does not take any money upfront and doesn’t get paid unless you win, so there’s no risk in filing your claim no matter how much your settlement will be.
How Fault Works in a Burn Injury Case in Sandy Springs
In Georgia, you have the right to seek recovery for your damages from the at-fault party. If someone caused your burns, you may be entitled to compensation. However, in any personal injury case, the burden is on the injured party to prove fault and negligence.
You will need to show that the at-fault person was negligent (or careless) and that their negligence led to your burn injuries. While your burn injury attorney will investigate your case to prove negligence, there are some steps that you can take to help before we even get to work. These include:
- Taking pictures of the scene of the accident
- Getting the contact information of anyone who saw what happened
- Writing down your account of events before, during, and after the accident
- Keeping any medical documents and bills you receive
These steps can help, but proving fault is difficult – if not impossible – to do alone, so it’s best to work with an experienced Sandy Springs burn injury lawyer who can help. Plus, your lawyer can help calculate your damages and determine the full value of your case.
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Comparative Negligence for Burn Injury Cases
Unfortunately, the other person’s fault isn’t all that matters in your burn injury case. Georgia is a comparative fault state, which means that your compensation can be reduced if you had any fault in your accident.
According to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) §51-12-33, the percentage of fault that you had for your injuries can proportionally affect your compensation. For example, if you stand to receive $10,000 but had just 20% of the fault for your accident, then your settlement will be reduced by $2,000.
The other party’s lawyer will try to say that you were also at fault for your accident even if you weren’t. A skilled burn injury attorney in Sandy Springs will be able to prove that you had no hand in your accident.
Seeking a Settlement After Your Burn Injury in Sandy Springs
To pursue compensation for your burn injury in Sandy Springs, you may file a personal injury claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. Also, you’ll want to be wary of any interaction with the insurance company. Insurers do not like to pay much on injury claims, so they may use tactics like:
- Offering you a lowball settlement
- Calling you and expressing concern, while really trying to get you to say something that can be used against you
- Downplaying the severity of your burn injuries
- Asking you to give a recorded statement or
- Intimidating you into accepting a lower settlement
Before accepting any settlement or signing anything from the insurance company, you need to know what your case is worth. That’s why it’s so advised to speak with an experienced burn injury lawyer before coming into any contact with the insurance company.
Your lawyer can evaluate every way in which the accident has affected you—physically, financially, and emotionally. Then, they can determine what settlement you should receive based on your total damages (including future medical treatment). If the insurance company tries to offer you a lowball amount, your lawyer will be prepared to negotiate and fight for your rights.
Pain and suffering damages are often higher in burn injury claims, since scarring, disfigurement, and other permanent effects of a burn can greatly impact your life. To learn more, reach out to a trusted personal injury lawyer in Sandy Springs as soon as possible.
What If You Suffered a Burn Injury at Work?
Burn injuries are common in dangerous work settings. If you suffered a burn at work, your first step will typically be filing a workers’ compensation claim with your employer. Although there are exceptions, most injuries that happen at work must go through a workers’ comp claim, and our workers’ comp lawyers can help you with that.
Sometimes, insurance companies will try to reject your initial claim or lowball you. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what to do for your claim. In any event, our workers’ comp attorneys in Sandy Springs can help make sure you get what you need.
Wrongful Death Cases for Burn Injuries in Sandy Springs
Burn injuries can be fatal. If a loved one died from their burn injuries in Sandy Springs, you may be able to bring a wrongful death case for the full value of the deceased’s life. We understand there are special expenses involved when a family member dies, and we know how to get you the compensation that can help you move on from your loved one’s accident.
Wrongful death claims are complicated and must consider several factors, so it’s best to work with a lawyer who can help. Our wrongful death lawyers will work to help you recover the damages that someone else’s negligence caused.
Talk to a Sandy Springs Burn Injury Lawyer for Free Today
Don’t get left paying for the costs of a burn injury that was not your fault. Let the Sandy Springs burn injury lawyers at John Foy & Associates help you build a strong case to pursue the compensation you deserve. We do not get paid unless we win you money, and the consultation is always FREE.
To schedule your FREE consultation today, call us at (404) 400-4000 or contact us online. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take your call.
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