Florida Burn Injuries

Burns are among the most serious injuries that a person can sustain, because it takes very little time for significant, long-term damage to be done to the body. If you were burned due to someone else’s recklessness or negligence, it can seem to be even worse, because it could have been avoidable. Contacting an Orlando burn injury lawyer is a good idea if you are in this type of situation.

Multiple Types/Causes of Burns

What many do not realize is that while the most common burns are as a result of heat (fire), there are many other types, any of which can cause damage to your skin and the organs below in a relatively short timespan. Smoke inhalation is a type of burn, as your lungs are not only breathing in the chemicals in smoke, but also the superheated air. Chemical burns from industrial products or even household cleaners may occur. Electrical burns occur when a human comes in direct contact with high voltage. Any of these may cause the symptoms one associates with heat burns, and they are often equally devastating.

There are three levels of burn injuries, with first-degree burns being, counterintuitively, the least serious. Second-degree burns cover the first two layers of skin and will likely present with blistering and a potential loss of the top layer of skin itself. Third-degree burns are the most severe, causing the most damage and having the most potential to cause long-term problems. Paradoxically, they often are painless, because the burn has penetrated so deeply into the skin that the pain receptors no longer work properly.

If You Are Injured

If you have sustained serious burns due to another person’s negligent or reckless conduct, you may have a case for personal injury. Burns can be difficult to assess in terms of damages suffered, however, because while a third-degree burn might be very visible, it is difficult to estimate pain and suffering (which can be a large part of a personal injury award). It can also be hard to arrive at an appropriate estimate regarding future earning capacity, especially since the extent of burn-related damage may not become readily apparent until some time after the initial injury. Nerve damage in particular may not be evident until other injuries have healed.

In order to hold a defendant liable in Florida for this type of injury, you must be able to show four things. They are: (1) that a duty to exercise reasonable care existed between the plaintiff and the defendant; (2) that the duty of care was breached; (3) that the duty was breached directly because of the defendant’s conduct – no other cause intervened; and (4) that the conduct that breached that duty of care also caused tangible harm to the plaintiff. This formula may allow you to recover even if you are deemed to have been partially at fault for your own injuries – Florida follows a system where you are able to recover regardless, but any recovery is diminished by your percentage of fault. In other words, if you are 20 percent liable, your recovery would be lowered by 20 percent.

Contact An Orlando Burn Injury Lawyer

Burns can happen anytime and anywhere. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, you need a fighter on your side to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. The Orlando burn injury lawyers at the Hornsby Law Group are happy to sit down with you and discuss your options for your case. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Resource:

cdc.gov/masstrauma/factsheets/public/burns.pdf