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Burn injuries are known to be some of the most agonizingly painful and mentally scarring injuries a person can experience. The searing pain, the damaged nerves, and the horrible scars can all lead to incapacitation, disability, PTSD, financial loss, relationship problems, and career stalling. When someone’s negligence or improper regulation results in this kind of catastrophic injury, you deserve to get reimbursed for all the financial costs and pain and suffering you endured, both now and in the future. If you want a Philadelphia burn injury lawyer on your side, call the Marrone Law Firm, LLC to get guidance on what to do next.
When negligence results in a burn injury, financial compensation may be available. The amount and type of damages varies from one case to another, so it is helpful to understand all the options.
Treating severe burn injuries can be a costly and time-consuming process. From emergency treatment to ongoing care, a civil lawsuit could cover these costs. Treatment can take years for some people, especially when there is a need for skin grafts.
Many people are forced to miss work while recovering from severe burns. They could be entitled to recoup these lost wages through a civil lawsuit.
These incidents are known for causing severe pain, and is especially true in situations where nerve damage is present. Compensation could be available based on the extent of a person’s suffering and even potential disability.
Burns are dangerous for many reasons. Not only can they lead to severe pain and disfigurement, but they also represent a threat of long-term health issues. A person living with these wounds is at an increased risk for infection, making it crucial that they follow their treatment plan closely.
Improving a person’s chance for a full recovery is only one reason to follow a care plan to the letter. By failing to seek treatment as needed, a plaintiff could harm their claim by allowing their injuries to worsen unnecessarily. Under the law, every plaintiff has an obligation to limit their damages whenever possible. This includes treating conditions so that they do not get worse.
There is an opportunity to seek justice following a burn injury, but it will not last forever. Like with any civil case, a plaintiff filing a burn injury lawsuit in Philadelphia has a limited period of time to act. This deadline is referred to as the statute of limitations.
In most cases, the statute expires two years from the date of the incident. Once this window of time has concluded, any lawsuit filed is likely to be dismissed with prejudice. When a case is dismissed in this fashion, the plaintiff is never allowed to bring it again. Even a strong claim for compensation could be lost this way.
There are some limited scenarios that can shift this deadline, but most of them do not apply in burn cases. That said, children who have been injured typically have additional time to file their lawsuit. Parents should consult legal counsel as soon as possible to better understand how this deadline impacts their children.
Burns can happen under a wide range of circumstances. It may not always be clear who was at fault, and in some cases, multiple parties might share the blame. If the person suffering from these injuries is partially responsible for causing them, they might still have a case for financial compensation.
Pennsylvania follows something known as comparative negligence. Under this standard, an injured party is not automatically barred from recovering damages if they share in the blame for the incident. A plaintiff is only prohibited from recovering anything if they are 51 percent or more at fault.
It is important to note that the amount of a plaintiff’s recovery can be reduced by their degree of fault. If a person is 25 percent liable, they have the right to file a lawsuit against the party that is 75 percent at fault. If successful, they will only be entitled to recover three-quarters of their total damages.
Huge fires are not the only causes of burn injuries in Philadelphia. Very hot tools like welding or soldering irons can also cause serious burns, as can any of the following:
Not only are burns some of the worst catastrophic injuries as far as pain, but they are especially draining on a victim’s life compared to other injuries. Scars are very intense, skin grafts often fail and require multiple expensive surgeries, and serious burns often damage nerves. Burned nerves result in desensitization of feeling and limitation on moving the body parts affected by the burn. Serious burn injuries can also easily put someone in significant financial debt, result in PTSD from the pain or fire, put someone out of work, disfigure their face, and more.
Even if a burn source does not actually cause severe burns, there are other dangers that can cause a victim serious harm. Smoke inhalation is often a bigger killer than the fire itself. Chemicals that burn can also be toxic when breathed in or ingested. Chemicals can also mix with others and become deadly. Even if you do not think that you suffered a serious enough burn for a burn injury case, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a viable personal injury case. It is important that you consult with a personal injury attorney before making any final decisions about how or whether to proceed with a legal claim.
Whether you were burned in an electrical fire or in a strong chemical spill, or ended up with brain damage from the inhalation of smoke, the legal professionals at the Marrone Law Firm, LLC can track down the evidence and get you the compensation you deserve when someone else is liable for your suffering. We have secured favorable settlements for clients in catastrophic injury cases for more than 25 years, and we don’t plan on stopping now. Let us help you achieve a positive outcome to your Philadelphia burn injury case. Call us today or fill out our online contact form.