Child & Jackson can guide you through the claims process after an accident leaves you with a burn injury in Folsom. While burn injuries may not happen as often as car accidents or slip-and-falls, they can be some of the most painful and life-changing injuries a person can suffer. When it happens to you or someone you care about, we’ll be there to help. Set up a free consultation today.
Why a Lawyer Makes Sense After a Burn Injury
When you’re in an accident and left with a burn injury, it’s pretty clear how serious the situation is both in the short-term and long-term. But one thing you’re probably not thinking about right away is your legal options. That changes quickly when you get into the details of what happened and how you can move forward. And that’s usually the point when it makes sense to talk to our lawyers. When you sit down with us, we can help you by:
- Looking into how the burn happened and who might be responsible
- Pulling together medical records, photographs, witness statements, and other evidence
- Dealing with the insurance company and protecting you from unfair settlement offers
- Tallying up the full extent of your damages
Even with something as serious as a burn injury, you’re not required to get a lawyer. But again, when you’re dealing with painful injuries, expensive treatment, and an insurance company that might be looking for ways to minimize your claim, having someone on your side can take a lot of pressure off you. This is especially true early on, when you’re probably just trying to figure out what happened.
How Burn Injuries Happen in Folsom
A lot of people are surprised by a burn injury. One second, you’re driving to work, walking through a restaurant, or even just doing chores at home. The next thing you know, you’re dealing with a painful burn. This can happen in a lot of different ways, but usually, they happen with:
- Fires and explosions in a house fire, car accident, motorcycle accident, gas leak, electrical problem, or explosion.
- Hot liquids and steam with water, coffee, cooking oil, soup, and other sources can scald and burn in seconds.
- Malfunctioning appliances, batteries, tools, grills, and other products.
- Electrical burns from exposed wiring, faulty outlets, electrical systems, or defective products.
- Chemical burns from household cleaners, pool chemicals, and other substances.
- Poor maintenance, unsafe conditions that don’t get fixed, or a lack of proper warnings on someone else’s property.
So yes, there’s actually a lot of different ways you could end up with a burn injury. But the details matter when it comes to your options. That starts with getting information that can point you in the right direction.
Information That Can Help You After a Burn Injury
Getting seriously burned can be shocking, especially when it happens unexpectedly. But one way or the other, your first priority should always be your health. Report the accident to someone in charge and ask for first aid and an ambulance. That kicks everything off, but it’s also a good opportunity to get a few basic things like:
- Pictures and videos of where the accident happened, what caused the burn, any unsafe conditions, and your injuries.
- Names and contact information for anyone who saw what happened or knows anything about the accident.
- Incident reports from the business, property owner, or whoever was responsible for the place where you were injured.
- Information about the product or equipment that caused the burn. If a defective product was involved, keep it as-is and don’t throw it away.
That gives you a good starting point. But there are a few other things you’ll want to keep track of in the days and weeks after the accident:
- Medical records and bills showing what treatment you’ve received and what it’s costing you.
- Lost income if your burn injury keeps you from working or affects how much you’re able to earn.
- Emails, letters, and other communications with the insurance company about your injury or claim.
- Photos of your injuries as they heal, especially if you’re dealing with scarring, discoloration, or other permanent changes.
- Notes about your recovery, including doctor’s appointments, pain levels, limitations, and how the injury is affecting your everyday life.
You don’t need to have all of this before talking with us. Most people don’t. If you have some basic information about what happened and medical records showing your injuries, it’s usually enough to get the ball rolling. And our team can help you fill in any gaps later. This information is important for another reason, though. Figuring out who might be responsible.
Who Can Be Responsible For My Burn Injuries?
After a burn injury, one of the first questions is usually pretty simple: Who’s responsible for what happened? Sometimes, the answer is obvious. Other times, it takes a little more work to figure out what went wrong and who should be held responsible.
For a civil claim, you generally need to show that someone was careless or failed to do something they reasonably should have done, and that this led to your injury. In other words, you’re looking at things like:
- Someone had a responsibility to keep you reasonably safe.
- They failed to do what they should have done.
- That failure played a role in causing your burn.
- You were left with real losses because of it.
And the person responsible isn’t always the person who physically caused the burn. Depending on what happened, it could be:
- A property owner who knew about a dangerous condition but failed to fix it or warn you.
- A business that allowed an unsafe condition to remain on its property.
- A manufacturer that put out a defective product that overheated, caught fire, or otherwise caused your injury.
- A property manager or maintenance company that didn’t inspect, repair, or maintain something.
- A contractor whose work created a dangerous condition that led to the accident.
- Another person or driver whose careless actions caused a fire or other accident that left you burned.
The important thing is not to assume you already know who’s at fault. Burn injuries can happen in a lot of different ways, and sometimes the reason behind the accident isn’t obvious at first. But once you have a general idea, you can start moving ahead with a claim.
What Can You Recover After a Burn Injury?
As serious as burn injuries are, the actual way you get financial help for what it’s left you with is the same as any other type of injury: you file an injury claim through either:
- An insurance claim outside of court
- A personal injury lawsuit
It’s up to you which one you want to go with initially, but the overall goal is getting “damages” that include your:
- Medical bills, including emergency care, hospitalization, surgeries, medications, and follow-up treatment
- Future medical care if you need additional surgeries, rehabilitation, or treatment for scarring and other complications
- Lost wages if your injury keeps you from working
- Loss of future earning ability if the burn affects the type of work you can do
- Pain and suffering caused by the physical pain and emotional distress of the injury
- Permanent scarring, disfigurement, or other lasting changes caused by the burn
Every case is different, so your damages might not exactly match up with someone else’s burn injury. Ultimately, it’s about what happened and how well you can show your losses. And remember, you don’t have to try to do it alone. Our team can help you from the very beginning.
Child & Jackson Can Help You After a Burn Injury in Folsom
A burn injury can change your life in ways that go well beyond the initial incident. You’re left facing painful treatment, expensive medical bills, missed work, and permanent scarring or disfigurement.
At Child & Jackson, we can help you understand your options and figure out whether someone else may be responsible for what happened. If you or someone you love suffered a burn injury in Folsom, reach out to our team for a free consultation.