Burn Injury

Serious burn injuries are among the most painful and costly of all kinds of human injuries. Minor burns usually heal on their own, while severe burns usually necessitate at least one reconstructive surgery for disfigurement requiring skin grafts, as well as chronic pain. If you were burned as a result of someone else’s irresponsible actions, Iowa law allows you to sue for damages for your injuries in a personal injury lawsuit with the help of an experienced burn injury lawyer.

Schedule a free initial consultation with one of our Des Moines personal injury attorneys at Mueller, Schmidt, Mulholland & Cooling. We can help file a personal injury claim, including a wrongful death lawsuit, if necessary. We can get you the compensation you need to cover your medical bills and related medical expenses.

Why You Need a Burn Injury Attorney?

You will need the assistance of an expert personal injury lawyer if you have sustained a burn injury as a result of someone else’s negligence. A skilled burn injury attorney will fight for the reimbursement you deserve for your burn injuries.

If the burn victim decides to pursue the case, the next step is to acquire evidence to support the claims against the individual or persons who caused the injury. The type of burn-related injuries, the origin of the accident, and the sufficiency of any safety equipment in place to prevent burns are all common sources of factual disputes. The resolution of these arguments in favor of the burn accident victim is critical to the claim’s success.

Typically, a team of lawyers will fight on your behalf alongside medical providers, insurance companies, and other important parties to protect your legal rights and secure fair and just financial compensation.

An expert burn injury lawyer understands how to provide the strongest arguments in order to obtain a favorable outcome for the victim. In order to get you the compensation you deserve, they will use the most aggressive measures possible.

Common Causes of Burn Injuries

According to the American Burn Association, almost 500,000 people suffer serious burn injuries that necessitate medical attention each year. Approximately 40,000 people who are injured, including 30,000 at burn centers, require at least short-term hospitalization.

To receive proper burn treatment, the burn victim, or someone acting on his or her behalf, must inform the doctor about the source of the burn. Sunlight, heat, radiation, chemicals, and electricity are the five main causes of burns. The following are some of the most common causes of serious burns:

• Fires: Electrical shorts, cigars and cigarettes, catastrophic automobile crashes, daily car accidents, unattended campfires, and spontaneous combustion all have the potential to ignite a deadly fire. Flammable liquids, like gasoline, provide fuel to the fire and can result in explosive and hazardous explosions. When people become trapped and are unable to safely flee a building fire, a car fire, or a wildfire, the result is frequently severe and catastrophic burns—if they survive the calamity at all.
• Inadequately entering into traffic, which necessitates a truck’s quick maneuvering or braking.
• Chemicals: Many people come into touch with harsh chemicals every day, whether cleaning or doing tasks at home or at work. Abrasive and poisonous chemicals are not only harmful to a person’s lungs, but they can also inflict painful chemical burns when they come into contact with the skin. Bleach, chlorine, ammonia, denture cleaners, teeth whitening treatments, and battery acid are all typical culprits that erode the skin and produce burns.
• Medical Treatment: Radiation is used in the medical field to treat cancer patients; it can decrease or remove some cancers. Radiation is also used to treat thyroid disease, blood abnormalities, and other forms of malignancies, albeit it is less prevalent. Radiation is also a risk for those who need x-rays or other diagnostic imaging. When a person’s body is exposed to too much radiation, the skin and other tissues inside the body might be damaged.
• Electrocution: For many people, electricity poses a risk of burns. A fire can be started by careless electrical work or loose wires, and electrocution can also be caused by direct contact. Young children can potentially be harmed by unprotected outlets. Electrical injuries can be classified into four categories, according to the National Institutes of Health: (1) flash injuries, (2) flame injuries, (3) lightning injuries, and (4) electricity flowing through the body.

Compensation for Burn Injuries

It’s difficult to predict how much a burn injury may settle for, just as it is with any other personal injury case. The degree of the injury, the motives of the person who caused the burns (the defendant), and the degree to which a defendant can pay a settlement are the most important elements. Due to the pain and permanent scarring, burn injuries have a greater settlement value.

Both sides will negotiate a settlement based on what they estimate the plaintiff will be awarded at trial. The manner in which the burn injury develops is significant because the extent of the defendant’s guilt might influence the amount of damages a jury is willing to award at trial.

Punitive damages may be awarded to the burn victim if the defendant acted purposefully or extremely negligently (known as “gross negligence” in legal language).

Punitive damages are intended to penalize a defendant who has committed a heinous act, essentially making them pay more in order to “feel the sting.” Punitive damages are often awarded to a defendant who maliciously burns a plaintiff.

Burn Injury Statistics

Burns are a global public health danger, according to the World Health Organization, which states that an estimated 180, 000 burn deaths occur each year. Non-fatal burns are a leading cause of morbidity, resulting in prolonged hospitalization, deformity, and disability, as well as stigma and rejection.

Additionally, nearly 11 million people worldwide suffer from burns that necessitate medical attention on a regular basis. Females are also more likely than males to suffer life-threatening burns, according to WHO data.

Every year, fires claim the lives of residents in communities across Iowa in a variety of ways. The majority of fatalities occur in the home. According to the most recent data from the United States, a house fire occurs every 88 seconds. Fire departments responded to 357,000 residential fires in the most recent year reported, resulting in 2,630 deaths, 10,600 injuries, and $7.7 billion in property loss.

Contact the Burn Injury Attorneys at Mueller, Schmidt, Mulholland & Cooling

The personal injury lawyers at Mueller, Schmidt, Mulholland & Cooling are dedicated to representing individuals and the family of loved ones who have suffered burns due to the fault of another. Our attorneys are well-versed in personal injury law and are ready to create an attorney-client relationship to get you the compensation you deserve.

If you or a loved one has sustained serious injuries or fatal burn wounds, contact the Des Moines car accident lawyer at the law firm of Mueller, Schmidt, Mulholland & Cooling today to discuss your case. We can provide sound legal advice through a free initial case evaluation with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys. You can reach us online
or by phone at (515) 444-4000 Our offices are located in Des Moines, Iowa.