New York Personal Injury Lawyers / Legal Services / Burn Injuries

Burn Injury Attorneys

Burn injuries: Whether you suffer chemical burns, friction burns, electrical burns, or heat burns, the results can cause devastating consequences. Not only do burns cause substantial physical pain and suffering throughout the recovery process, but also they can leave behind heavy scarring that may leave you with permanent disfigurement or have you struggling with mobility issues, particularly if burns occur around joints.

If you suffered burn injuries due to the negligence of another party, you deserve compensation for your injuries. Contact Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, today for the help you need.

Why Use Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, as Your Burn Injury Attorneys?

At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we have substantial experience in a wide range of personal injury claims, including burn injury claims. For past clients, we have helped achieve compensation for burn injuries, including:

• $4.2 million awarded when an improperly-secured stove tipped over, causing serious burns on a toddler.
• $3.25 million awarded to the family of a victim who died of burns.
• $950,000 awarded when a child suffered serious burns due to a landlord’s negligence.
• $550,000 awarded after burn injuries from a gas leak.

The same attorneys who secured these results for prior clients can fight to help you maximize your compensation given your specific circumstances. We cannot guarantee the results of your claim, but we can work hard to ensure that the liable party considers your interest and your needs.

“I had an amazing experience with Jacoby & Meyers, LLP. I would highly recommend them for anyone needing a law firm.” -Paul T.
★★★★★

Understanding Burn Injuries

Doctors divide burn injuries according to degree:

• First-degree burns involve some reddening and sensitivity of the skin. Generally, first-degree burns do not leave scars behind.
• Second-degree burns go through the first layer of skin and into the second, usually causing blistered, reddened skin. Second-degree burns may not cause as much damage as a deeper burn, but they can still cause significant pain and suffering as well as posing a risk of complications to the victim. Victims can die of second-degree burns, especially if they cover a large portion of the body.
• Third-degree burns go below the first two layers of skin and into the tissue below. Often, third-degree burns leave behind black, charred flesh, and they almost always cause serious scarring.
• Fourth-degree burns go all the way through tissue and impact muscle and even bone. Victims with fourth-degree burns may have less pain than victims of third-degree burns due to the destruction of nerves; however, fourth-degree burns have a much higher risk of complication and even death. Victims with fourth-degree burns often require long-term hospitalization and treatment for their injuries.

Types of Burns

Many people mistakenly assume that burns only occur due to exposure to heat. In reality, burns can occur due to exposure to several different factors.

• Thermal burns occur when you suffer exposure to heat. The higher the heat, the greater the intensity of thermal burns. Continued exposure to such an extreme heat source can also cause steadily worsening burns.
• Cold burns typically occur because your skin comes into contact with something cold for a prolonged period of time. Cold burns occur more often in extreme temperatures or in laboratory environments where certain extreme temperatures help with the maintenance of specific chemicals or materials.
• Chemical burns occur when your skin faces exposure to corrosive chemicals. Failure to remove those chemicals quickly can lead to further burning. Chemical burns can occur both through direct exposure and when you face exposure in the air, especially over a prolonged period of time. Chemical burns can occur due to poor disposal methods or poor workplace safety conditions, especially on construction sites or in factory environments.
• Radiation burns typically occur when exposed to high levels of radiation. In some cases, X-rays or some types of medical treatments can cause radiation burns. Sometimes, these risks come along with the treatment; in other cases, improper application of the treatment or failure to follow appropriate safety precautions can lead to radiation burns.
• Electrical burns occur when the body faces exposure to high degrees of electricity. Often, electrical burns occur quickly, with little to no warning, and may cause significant internal damage as well as visible, external damage. If the victim does not get away from the electricity quickly or suffers contact at too high a voltage, electrical burns can quickly lead to death.
• Friction burns usually occur when an individual’s skin rubs off due to repeated friction. Friction burns, often referred to as road rash, may occur in auto accidents, especially auto accidents that involve pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcycle accidents. Friction burns can remove the top layers of the skin or dig deeper, sometimes even exposing muscle and bone.

Filing a Personal Injury Claim After Your Burns

When you face burns due to the negligence of another party, that party legally owes you financial compensation for your injuries. Many people have considerable questions about filing a personal injury claim following serious burns.

Do I need an attorney to file a burn injury claim?

Legally, you do not have to have an attorney to file a claim for your burn injury. However, many people find that working with an attorney can substantially increase the compensation that they receive for their injuries. Not only that, working with an attorney has additional benefits, as well.

• An attorney can help identify all parties who caused or contributed to your accident. In many accidents, multiple parties may share liability for the accident. For example, if you suffered burns in a construction site accident, you may need to file a claim against both the owner of the property and the construction company managing the site, or you might need to file a claim against the manufacturer or distributor of a faulty piece of equipment that caused your burns. By working with an attorney, you can more easily identify all liable parties, which can, in many cases, increase the compensation that you ultimately receive.
• An attorney knows how much compensation you deserve for your injuries. Burns can come along with a substantial price tag: $10 million or more to recover from burns with severe complications. Even minor burns can cost hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars for you to make a full recovery. A personal injury attorney knows how much you deserve for your burns, which can help you get the funds you need to pay those important medical expenses.
• An attorney can help negotiate with the insurance company—or fight for your claim, if needed. Sometimes, especially if you must deal with an insurance company or other big company to receive compensation for your burns, the insurance company may attempt to reduce the compensation you receive. Some insurance companies will send a low settlement offer soon after your burn, before you have a chance to understand how those injuries will limit your life and what your recovery will cost. By working with an attorney, you can negotiate more effectively than you can on your own.
• An attorney reduces stress and provides peace of mind. Recovering from burns takes a great deal of your energy and strength. You should not have to worry about your legal claim during your recovery. An attorney can help reduce the stress of your claim and take over many of those tasks for you, allowing you to focus on your recovery.
• An attorney can help collect the evidence you need. Often, attorneys can access information and evidence more easily than you can. An experienced personal injury attorney can help collect evidence against the party that caused your accident, allowing you to pursue your claim.

How much compensation should I expect for my burns?

Recovering from burns can carry a heavy price tag. The party legally liable for your burns should, realistically, bear responsibility for paying for your injuries, including the cost of your recovery. However, two factors contribute heavily to the amount of funds that you end up receiving in compensation: (1) who caused your injuries and (2) how high are your related expenses?

Who caused your burn injuries? Burn injuries can occur from many types of accidents, including:

• Auto accidents
• Construction accidents
• Premises liability accidents
• Medical malpractice incidents

Often, the entity that caused your burns receives coverage from an insurance company. The insurance policy may dictate the amount of compensation that you can receive for your injuries; even if your expenses exceed the limits of the policy, you generally may not receive more than the maximum coverage of the policy for your injuries without filing a personal injury claim.

How high are your expenses following the accident? To determine what expenses contribute to the cost of your injuries, talk with an experienced personal injury attorney. Expenses may include:

• Medical expenses. For burn victims, medical expenses pile up fast. Not only do you need emergency medical care immediately following your injuries, but also you may require long-term hospitalization. Burn victims with severe burns or those with burns covering a large percentage of their bodies may need to remain in a special, sterile burn unit to help reduce the risk of infection. Even once you return home, you may need regular appointments to clean and check on your burns. Burn victims may also need many materials and medications to aid in recovery. You may also need extensive therapy to help you relearn how to perform some activities, especially if scarring occurs around joints after your accident. Some victims also require psychological therapy to help cope with trauma and scarring from the accident.
• Lost wages. Following your accident, your burns may prevent you from returning to work for a long time. Burns can cause severe pain and suffering long into the recovery process. Even when bandaged, burns may prevent you from any exposure to heat or certain chemicals. Your burns may also prevent strenuous physical activities during your recovery.
• Lost earning potential. Some burns can prevent you from returning to your previous occupation, especially if you worked in a position like modeling or acting, where scarring could prevent employment opportunities.
• Pain and suffering. Burns often cause long-term physical pain for their victims. In addition, many burn victims must miss out on important activities during recovery, and may suffer from a lack of sense of purpose while recovering. Burn victims may also struggle with depression or anxiety, especially related to extensive scarring following the accident. Talking with an attorney can help you better quantify your pain and suffering to make it easier to include in your demand package.

Who bears legal liability for paying for my burns?

You will bear legal and financial responsibility for paying for your own medical expenses, regardless of who caused your injuries. You can, however, seek compensation from the entity or entities that caused your burns, making it easier for you to pay for your medical bills and cover your other expenses during your recovery. To determine who caused your burns, consider:

• Who owed you a duty of care at the time of the accident? For example, on the road, every driver owes a duty of care to everyone else who shares the road, including other drivers and pedestrians.
• Who violated that duty of care? In the case of an auto accident, for example, the driver who causes an accident, whether through distraction or reckless driving behavior, violates that duty of care. If, however, a faulty part led to the accident, the manufacturer of that part may share liability for the accident.
• Did your injuries result from that violation? To file a personal injury claim, you will need to show that your injuries resulted from the defendant’s violation of a duty of care that he or she owed to you. You cannot file a personal injury claim for an injury that could have occurred, but didn’t. You can, however, file a personal injury claim against any party that contributed to your injuries.

Our burn accident attorneys can often better identify all entities who share legal liability for your accident and, therefore, for your burns. In many cases, multiple parties may share liability for your accident. An attorney can help you find the evidence you need to file a claim against each involved party to help maximize your compensation.

Contact a Burn Injury Lawyer Today

If you suffered serious burns due to the negligence of another party, you need a burn accident attorney to represent you as you seek compensation. We can take many of the legal burdens off of you as we efficiently guide you through the claims process.

For your free case evaluation with our burn accident lawyers, contact Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, today at (877) 565-2993, begin a confidential chat session with one of our representatives, or send us a message.

Client Testimonials

“If it were not for the integral legal team of experts at Jacoby & Meyers I would not be where I am today with my recovery. I highly recommend hiring Jacoby & Meyers should you ever find yourself injured in an accident, and an individual or company needs to be held accountable for their negligence.” -C.J.
★★★★★

Check out some of our other reviews.