The effects of a burn injury can be catastrophic, and the victim could experience serious pain, damages to body parts like ligaments and nerves, and lifelong disfigurement, not to mention the costs of mounting medical bills and other financial damages. Negligence is a common contributing factor to burn injuries, whether this involves a manufacturer release a defective product onto the market to an employer providing unsafe working conditions. Contact a Stamford burn injury lawyer today for compassionate, sharp counsel if you or someone you know has suffered severe burn injuries due to someone’s negligence.
A resolute personal injury attorney could work to obtain the maximum compensation for your losses and hold those negligent responsible for the damage they have caused.
Causes and Types of Burn Injuries
A variety of incidents could lead to grave burn injuries, including negligence, personal injury, premises liability, and wrongful death circumstances. Some common causes of burn injuries are as follows:
- Structural fires in buildings and homes
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Electrical fires
- Poorly-installed or defective smoke detectors and fire alarms
- Chemical spills
- Construction accidents
- Thermal burns
- Explosions, such as from gas lines
No matter how the injury happened, there are three general degrees of burn injury severity. First degree burns only impact the epidermis, or top layer of the skin. Second degree burns, on the other hand, impact the skin on a deeper level. When someone suffers a second degree burn, they not only feel more pain and could be more vulnerable to infections, but the wound typically takes longer to heal and could lead to bodily fluid loss.
Finally, third degree burns are when the skin burns away, impacting the muscles, ligaments, and tendons underneath. These types of burns are associated with considerable scarring, and in severe cases, the burn could lead to death. If a Stamford attorney could prove that the injuries the individual sustained were caused by negligence or carless conduct, burn injury victim could be eligible to obtain financial damages for their losses.
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Pursuing Compensation in a Stamford Burn Injury Case
The way in which the individual’s burn injury occurred determines the type of claim a Stamford attorney could pursue on their behalf. In many burn injury cases, the burn stemmed from a negligent act, which would require the lawyer to establish that the defendant owed a required duty of care to the plaintiff, breached that duty, and by doing so, directly caused injury to the plaintiff.
Recoverable compensation could include both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages could be calculated easily (medical bills, lost income), while non-economic damages are not quantifiable (mental anguish, pain and suffering). Compensation in a burn injury case could include the following:
- Past and future medical bills
- Physical disfigurement or disability
- Lost wages and benefits
- Emotional damages
- Strain on family relationships
- Loss of social, family, and educational experiences
- Property damage
- Punitive damages (in extraordinary circumstances to punish the defendant for particularly egregious actions)
Connecticut General Statutes §52-577 gives burn injury victims three years from the date of the accident that caused their losses to file a lawsuit for damages. If the individual delays and does not file their lawsuit by the designated statutory deadline, they could lose their right to have their case heard.
The deadline to file in Connecticut
Connecticut law generally gives you two years from the date the injury is sustained or discovered to bring a claim, and in most cases no more than three years from the act or omission complained of, even if the injury is discovered later. That deadline comes from Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584.
How shared fault affects your claim
Connecticut follows modified comparative fault under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-572h: when the victim and the defendant share fault, the court reduces recoverable compensation by the victim's percentage of fault, and a victim whose share of fault is more than 50 percent may not recover at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are common causes of burn injuries?
Common causes of burn injuries include structural fires in buildings and homes, motor vehicle accidents, electrical fires, poorly-installed or defective smoke detectors and fire alarms, chemical spills, construction accidents, thermal burns, and explosions (such as from gas lines).
What are the degrees of burn injury severity?
There are three general degrees of burn injury severity. First degree burns only impact the epidermis (top layer of skin). Second degree burns impact the skin on a deeper level and can involve more pain, vulnerability to infections, longer healing time, and bodily fluid loss. Third degree burns are when the skin burns away and can impact the muscles, ligaments, and tendons underneath; they are associated with considerable scarring and, in severe cases, can lead to death.
What must be proven in a burn injury case based on negligence?
In many burn injury cases stemming from a negligent act, a lawyer would need to establish that the defendant owed a required duty of care to the plaintiff, breached that duty, and by doing so directly caused injury to the plaintiff.
What compensation can be recovered in a Stamford burn injury case?
Recoverable compensation may include economic and non-economic damages. Examples listed include past and future medical bills, physical disfigurement or disability, lost wages and benefits, emotional damages, strain on family relationships, loss of social, family, and educational experiences, property damage, and punitive damages in extraordinary circumstances.
How long do burn injury victims have to file a lawsuit in Connecticut?
Connecticut General Statutes §52-577 gives burn injury victims three years from the date of the accident that caused their losses to file a lawsuit for damages. If they do not file by the designated deadline, they could lose their right to have their case heard.
Reach Out to a Stamford Burn Injury Attorney for Guidance
When you suffer a burn injury from an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you could be eligible for compensation for your losses incurred. A Stamford burn injury lawyer could help you navigate the legal process in its entirety and determine the type of compensation you could be eligible to receive. For assistance, contact the office today to schedule an initial consultation
