Fighting for Justice Following Serious Burn Injuries in Georgia

According to national statistics, more than 450,000 people suffer serious burn injuries. While some of these injuries will heal quickly, many others will result in long-term or permanent damage to victims’ skin, muscles, nerves, and bones. Serious burn injuries typically require extensive medical care and long-term recovery and rehabilitation. If a victim has suffered a burn injury in an accident caused by another party, they should consult with an Atlanta, Georgia burn injury lawyer to find out what legal recourse they may have against the negligent party.

Table of Contents

Pressure-Cooker Burns
Burn Injury Infographic
Atlanta Burn Injury Statistics
Understanding The Basics Of Burn Injury Laws In Georgia
Andrew R. Lynch, P.C., Atlanta Burn Injury Lawyer

There are a number of different types of accidents that can cause serious burn injuries, including vehicle accidents, work injuries, or fire incidents in the home or at a business. Victims can file personal injury lawsuits to recover damages from the injuries. An Atlanta, GA burn injury lawyer can evaluate a victim’s case to determine what type of financial compensation can be pursued.

For example, many burn injury victims need surgeries, skin grafts, and long-term physical therapy. The recovery is often long, and this means the victim is unable to work, resulting in lost wages and benefits. Our burn injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA can also pursue damages for non-economic losses and include those in the personal injury lawsuit. Some of these types of damages can include pain and suffering, emotional anguish, scarring, disfigurement, and more.

If the injury occurred because of an incident at the victim’s workplace, then the Atlanta, GA burn injury lawyer can pursue a workers’ compensation claim for the victim. There are many causes of job-related burn injuries, including exposure to hazardous substances like ammonia or chlorine. These chemical burns can happen if the employer fails to provide the right protective gear for workers. A victim can also suffer severe electric burns.

An Atlanta, GA burn injury lawyer knows that sometimes a work-related injury could be the result of negligence due to a third party and can pursue a third-party claim that often results in greater financial compensation than what is recovered in workers’ compensation cases.

Contact Our Atlanta, GA Burn Injury Lawyer for Help

If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury, contact Andrew R. Lynch, P.C. to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation with a burn injury lawyer Atlanta, GA victims recommend. Our legal team will work diligently to get you the financial compensation you deserve. We will determine who the at-fault parties are for your injuries and how much compensation you deserve and will fight to make sure you receive a fair and just award.

Pressure-Cooker Burns

A new version of the pressure cooker is the newest kitchen time-saver appliance to show up on many counters across the country, as our burn injury law firm Atlanta, GA can attest. These models are supposedly safer and easier to use. These pots, when working properly, offer a quick alternative to crockpots, cooking food in a fraction of the time it takes to prepare in a conventional manner.

What Can Go Wrong With Using a Pressure Cooker?

A great deal of pressure in the pot produces the heat that cooks the food. This heat cooks the food faster but also creates the potential for the pressure in the container to explode if the appliance is defective.

If the user opens the top of a pressure cooker that is defective, extremely hot, scalding food can splatter on the user because the pressure is released through the lid, causing serious burns to the face, hands, and upper body.

The pressure cooker has a steam valve that needs to be released before opening the lid. There is a safety mechanism that should not allow you to open the lid until the steam has been released. If that mechanism is defective and you open the lid before the pressure has been released through the steam valve, hot food can splatter everywhere.

What Can I Do if I Suffered from Burns Caused by My Pressure Cooker?

Contact a burn injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA to discuss your case. If others have been injured in the same manner from the same type of pressure cooker, there may already be a class-action lawsuit in the works. If not, your Atlanta, GA burn injury lawyer can advise you of the steps to take to recover damages for your injuries.

What Kind of Compensation Can I Ask For?

Burn injuries differ from other types of injuries in that not only are they extraordinarily painful, but that pain can also last for a very long time. In addition, the scarring, disfigurement, plastic surgeries, and emotional trauma caused by the accident can endure indefinitely. Damages your burn injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA can ask for include:

Medical expenses that occurred at the time of the accident
Ongoing medical expenses including plastic surgery
Pain and suffering — if the burns have disfigured your face, you will likely be awarded a larger settlement than someone who experienced burns on their abdomen

Damages for emotional pain and suffering result from not only the explosion causing physical damage but the fact that being permanently disfigured caused you to be depressed or embarrassed. The amount of the award will depend on the extent of the injuries, if they are lifelong, any permanent scarring, and the emotional state of the victim.

How large of a settlement can I get for my burn injury?

Depending on the nature and severity of your burn injury, you could receive hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. After a thorough review of your case, our burn injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA can determine its value. It is wholly dependent on the damages you have suffered as a result of the other party’s negligence. Without the insight of an experienced burn injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA you may not be aware of the full extent of your compensable damages. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible to receive money for the following:

The cost of your medical treatment, until now and into the future. If you should need cosmetic or remediation surgery in the future, those costs can be included in the settlement.
Your pain and suffering. Burn injuries can be so painful that the victim is unable to function or perform daily activities. Because of someone else’s negligence, they have lost their joy for life and their quality of life is severely diminished. A skilled burn injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA can determine a compensable sum for what a victim is forced to go through as a result of their injury.
The earnings you have been unable to earn, and will continue to lose until such time as you can return full-time to your job. If you lose your job while recovering from your injury, or if your injury precludes you from ever returning, those lost wages up until your expected date of retirement can be included in the settlement.
Modifications to your home. In some cases, the burns that a person suffers cause great difficulty for them to walk and they may need to use a wheelchair as a result. To accommodate wheelchair access into and throughout the home, it may be necessary to install a wheelchair ramp. An interior stairlift may also be needed as well as having the kitchen and bathroom counters lowered and many other changes made inside the home to accommodate the change in mobility.
Modifications to your vehicle. If the burn injury precludes the use of your legs in order to safely operate a motor vehicle, you may have the option of modifying your existing vehicle to work by using steering wheel controls. Alternatively, you may need to purchase a wheelchair-accessible van.

Burn Injury Infographic

Classifying Burn Injuries

There are three types of burn injuries: first-degree, second-degree, and third-degree — although the severity of the injury under each category does vary dramatically. Any compensation payment for a burn injury will obviously depend upon the severity of the injury and its impact on the victims psychological wellbeing. In some cases, a burn injury can immobilize a victim, either temporarily, or permanently, and also have a massive impact upon their standard of living. To break down each category:

First-degree burns. This type of injury includes damage to the first layer of the skin which may appear red and blotchy but does not generally create a blister. There may be considerable pain when the injury occurs; but after relatively simple medical treatment, the pain should subside fairly quickly.
Second-degree burns. These burns are more severe than first-degree burns and may have a greater impact on the victim’s well-being. A second-degree burn damages the deeper layers of the epidermis and the dermis, likely causing significant redness and blistering. Unfortunately, there may also be issues with fluid loss if more than 10% of the body is affected. Some victims have been known to go into shock, which results in their own medical challenges.
Third-degree burns. This is the most severe type of burn injury, in which all three layers of the skin are affected. These injuries may also cause issues with the layer of fat and tissue under the skin, leading to severe scarring and potentially requiring skin grafts. This type of injury will take a long time to heal and in most cases, there will be permanent scarring and other issues to consider when claiming compensation.

If you have suffered a burn injury of any degree, the first thing you need to do is seek medical attention. This will ensure prompt treatment and establish important documentation should you pursue a burn injury compensation claim.

When purchasing a pressure cooker, it is important to understand how it works and carefully read and follow instructions. Pressure cookers, by virtue of their name, cook food under extreme pressure and heat. When the product does not operate correctly, accidents can happen. Always seek medical attention as soon as possible after any burn accident. If you feel the product malfunctioned and caused the lid to release undue pressure and splatter hot food on you causing burn injuries, you should contact a burn injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA from Andrew R. Lynch, P.C. They can meet with you and discuss the details of your accident and determine the next steps to take.

Burns from Fire

According to statistics from the National Burn Repository (NBR), every two hours and 40 minutes in this country, a private citizen dies from a fire-related incident. More than 3,000 people die each year in fire-related incidents and many of these incidents could have been prevented. Another 500,000 require medical treatment for the injuries they have suffered. Victims who are fortunate enough to survive the fire face life-long medical issues because of the serious burns or respiratory damage they have suffered. The majority of these accidents occur in homes and vehicle accidents. If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury, an Atlanta, GA burn injury lawyer can help you recover the financial compensation you may be entitled to for the losses you have suffered.

How Do Severe Burns Occur?

There are a number of ways a victim can suffer a bad burn injury. There can be contact with flames, scalding injuries, electrical contact, or chemical contact. Fire contact is the cause of almost half of the reported burn injuries that happen in the United State each year. Scalding is the second common and can occur because of a hot shower or bath or even a hot beverage. While electrical and chemical burns only account for about 10 percent of all burn injuries that happen in the U.S. every year, the majority of these incidents happen on the job.

Burn Injury Law Firm Atlanta, GA

Take a moment to think about how many consumer products you touch during an average day. From shampoo to your car, pens to your smartphone, you come into contact with a lot of manufactured products every single day. Thankfully, most of these products are either safe or relatively safe and are unlikely to harm you in any way. However, there are times when contact with manufactured products can either result in an allergic reaction or can cause you harm instantly. Pressure cookers can explode. Infants can fall out of rock n’ play devices. Ladders can fail. If you are ever injured by a defective or dangerous manufactured product, you may be able to hold the manufacturer, seller, and/or another party responsible for those injuries. Contacting an experienced burn injury lawyer Atlanta, GA residents trust is important in the wake of a product-related injury. Whether you sustained minor burns, major burns, and/or other injuries as a result of contact with a dangerous or defective product, our Atlanta, GA burn injury law firm can help.

Lawsuits Stemming from Product-Related Burns and Injuries

Our Atlanta, GA burn injury law firm represents individuals who have been burned or otherwise injured in accidents. To bring a successful legal action, we work to prove that someone, a business, or other legal entity owed our clients a “duty of care” and in failing that duty, caused their injuries. When someone suffers a burn as a result of contact with a dangerous or defective product, we need to establish that the product was defective or dangerous, that the product caused the client’s injuries, and that the manufacturer, seller, or other responsible party failed their duty of care to the client who was injured. This “legal speak” is unquestionably complex and every case is different. These are just two of the reasons why it is important to speak with the team at our Atlanta, GA burn injury law firm as soon as you can in the wake of your injury. Once we evaluate the specifics of your unique situation, we can tell you whether we believe you have solid grounds for filing legal action. Once you understand your options, you can then decide whether or not to pursue a lawsuit against those responsible for the harm you have suffered.

Legal Assistance Is Available

If you’ve suffered burns and/or other injuries as a result of coming into contact with a defective or otherwise dangerous product, know that the burn injury law firm Atlanta, GA residents recommend of Andrew R. Lynch, P.C. – Attorney at Law can help you to explore your options. Contact us today so that we can learn more about your unique situation and help you to make an informed legal decision based on your personalized circumstances. We look forward to speaking with you.

The Long-Term and Lifelong Effect Burn Injuries Have on Victims

A burn injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA knows that unlike other types of injuries, serious burn injuries leave victims with chronic, long-term health and medical issues. Most victims end up with some form of scarring in the area where the burn occurred, even after skin grafts and plastic surgery. They often have thermoregulatory issues because of the damage left to their skin. There is also the chronic pain they are left to deal with day in and day out that has a significant impact on their quality of life. Other problems include sleep issues and itching.

Burn injuries can come with chronic health problems. Common long-term burn symptoms include scarring, thermoregulatory issues, itching, and inability to sleep. The chronic pain related to severe burns can be incredibly difficult to cope with, especially while trying to take part in everyday activities.

In addition to the physical impact burns have on victims, there is also the major emotional impact they can suffer. Victims of serious to severe burns often have difficulty with depression, anxiety, lack of confidence, loss of energy, and an overall decline in their quality of life.

Any victim of a burn injury that was caused by the negligence of another party should speak with an Atlanta, GA burn injury lawyer to find out what legal recourse they may have.

Can a burn injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA make a difference in my case?

Not every burn injury lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia is the same—at Andrew R. Lynch, P.C., we have years of experience pursuing justice for our clients. If you or your loved one suffered a severe burn due to the negligence of another party, either directly or indirectly, you may be eligible to receive a substantial settlement. It is well known that burns can cause extreme pain and in the worst cases, they can also be fatal. Our burn injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA can help you get the compensation you deserve. Call us today for a free consultation and learn what Andrew R. Lynch, P.C. can do for you and your family.

To learn more about how Andrew R. Lynch, P.C. burn injury lawyer Atlanta, GA residents trust can help you get the compensation you deserve for your injury, call us today for a free consultation to discuss your case.

A qualified Atlanta, GA burn injury lawyer can help you if you have been burned in an accident. The pain, distress, and long-term repercussions resulting from burns can be life-altering, and the law strives to ensure that victims receive the justice they rightfully deserve.

Atlanta Burn Injury Statistics

According to the American Burn Association, there are almost 500,000 people who receive medical treatment for burn injuries in the U.S. each year. Tragically, more than 3,000 victims die each year from fire/smoke inhalation. This total includes 2,745 deaths from residential fires, 310 from vehicle crash fires, and 220 from other sources. One civilian fire death occurs every 2 hours and 41 minutes. The odds of a U.S. resident dying from exposure to fire, flames or smoke is 1 in 1442.

Understanding The Basics Of Burn Injury Laws In Georgia

Georgia’s legal framework establishes specific provisions related to burn injuries. Whether it’s from a fire breakout, chemical spill, or electrical fault, burn victims have the right to seek compensation if someone else’s negligence or intentional act led to the injury. In Georgia, the party liable for causing the burn injury, whether directly or indirectly, can be held responsible. This can range from a landlord who failed to install appropriate safety measures, a manufacturer of a faulty product, or even an individual who acted negligently or intentionally. A skilled Atlanta burn injury lawyer can determine who is liable in the accident and take the necessary steps.

Statute Of Limitations – The Clock Is Ticking

It’s essential to be aware of the statute of limitations when it comes to burn injuries. Georgia law mandates that a burn injury claim be filed within two years from the date of the injury. This might seem like ample time, but collecting evidence, medical records, witness statements, and other documentation can be time-consuming. Therefore, initiating the legal process as soon as possible is crucial. If you miss this two-year window, the chances of securing compensation could be jeopardized. Having an experienced and qualified lawyer can assist you if you need help with your case.

Recovering Damages For Burn Injuries

In Georgia, a successful burn injury claim allows victims to recover damages based on the case’s specifics, encompassing medical expenses for present and future burn-related treatments, lost wages from missed work, compensation for physical and emotional pain, and loss of consortium to account for a spouse’s diminished companionship due to the injury. The damages you are eligible for is based on your circumstances and factors such as the severity of your burns.

Why You Need An Atlanta + Burn Injury Lawyer

Because they are full of nuances, navigating burn injury laws requires a strong understanding of them. Andrew R. Lynch, P.C. is deeply familiar with the nuances of these laws and has championed the cause of many burn victims over the years. Their expertise ensures that your rights are upheld and that you stand the best chance of securing the compensation you rightfully deserve.

Taking The Next Steps

If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury due to someone else’s negligence or intentional act, the time to act is now. Reach out to a legal professional who understands Georgia’s specific laws surrounding burn injuries. Remember, the path to justice begins with a single step, and we’re here to walk with you every step of the way. Contact a skilled Atlanta, GA burn injury lawyer if you need more information about how you can get help with your case.

Andrew R. Lynch, P.C., Atlanta Burn Injury Lawyer

125 Clairemont Ave Suite 470, Decatur, GA 30030

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