Anyone who has ever touched a hot pan without an oven mitt or taken a sip of hot coffee before it cools knows how painful and inconvenient even a minor burn can be. As you may have unfortunately learned recently, more serious burns often go far beyond physical pain and result in a host of physical, financial, and personal losses—some of which may be permanent and alter the course of your entire life.
When you suffer a high-degree burn because another person acted recklessly or carelessly, you may have a right to demand civil restitution from that person with the help of a skilled catastrophic injury attorney. These types of cases can be complex, even if you have lots of evidence on your side to prove someone else is at fault for harming you. Working with a seasoned Reno burn injury lawyer at Shook & Stone could tip the odds of getting a positive case result back in your favor.
How Negligence Can Lead to Burn Injuries
As with many other types of injuries, auto accidents are an especially common way for one person’s misconduct to lead to another person sustaining a serious burn. Even at low speeds, a vehicle collision may lead to a car’s occupants coming into contact with superheated oil or metal, or even worse, getting caught in a vehicle fire. Provided that the accident stemmed directly from someone else’s traffic violation or general carelessness behind the wheel, any ensuing burn may give rise to civil litigation.
Likewise, property owners can be held liable for burns caused by unreasonably dangerous property conditions, such as faulty wiring inside a rental property that leads to a structural fire. In other cases, it may be necessary to demand compensation from an employer over a work-related accident resulting in a burn—either through workers’ compensation, third-party litigation, or a combination of both. Our experienced Reno burn accident attorneys can examine the circumstances surrounding a particular injury, offer guidance about who may be liable for it, and help take proactive legal action over the incident.
What Kinds of Damages Could Be Recoverable?
Minor burns that someone might suffer in the kitchen or under other innocuous circumstances typically only affect the outermost layer of skin, and “first-degree” burns like this normally heal on their own without needing professional medical care. On the other hand, “second-degree” and “third-degree” burns—which damage multiple layers of skin, fat, muscle, and sometimes even bone—often result in severe pain, permanent disfigurement, and loss of sensation in the affected area. Occasionally, they may even result in serious infections and other life-threatening complications.
When it comes to recovering financially for burns like these, it can be vital to account for both past and future forms of harm the injury in question is likely to cause, including:
- Personal property damage
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Lost working capacity or income
- Emotional and psychological anguish
- Emergency medical bills and expected future care costs
- Loss of enjoyment of life and other effects of permanent disfigurement/disability
Once again, a qualified lawyer at Shook & Stone can provide custom-tailored guidance about what losses you may be able to seek recovery for following a burn injury in Reno.
Consider Working With a Reno Burn Injury Attorney at Our Firm
Burns are uniquely traumatic and potentially deadly injuries, especially when they happen in accidents caused by another person’s negligence. In a situation like this, seeking help from knowledgeable legal counsel could mean the difference between getting reimbursed fairly for all your short- and long-term losses or having no choice but to pay for those losses all by yourself.
A Reno burn injury lawyer at Shook & Stone can discuss your potential case with you in detail during a free, confidential consultation. Schedule a meeting by calling today.
