Burn Injury Numbers

Burn Injury Lawyer GeorgiaAccording to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about 50,000 people are hospitalized with severe burns every year in the U.S., and 4,500 of these people die of their injuries. If you or a loved one has been severely burned and the injury was caused by negligent actions of another, a Georgia burn injury lawyer at The Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch can help you get compensation through insurance or a personal injury lawsuit. We know the courts and the system and will aggressively fight for a settlement that will cover your financial losses and the pain and suffering you endure.

How Do Severe Burns Happen?

 Children have an elevated risk of burn injuries, particularly those that happen at home as a result of cooking accidents, excessively hot running water, or house fires. These kinds of accidents cause two deaths and 300 emergency room visits among American children every single day.

While adults are better able to assess and avoid the danger of burns, the workplace can add a plethora of additional burn hazards, especially in the case of food-service workers. In fact, the Burn Foundation notes that the majority of workplace burns serious enough to require hospitalization are related to food preparation. Teens are at particular risk, being inexperienced and frequently employed in high-capacity fast-food restaurants with deep fryers that can reach temperatures of up to 500 degrees.

Workplace burns commonly happen when safety rules are not properly taught or enforced or when employees are tired, sick, under the influence or under pressure to work faster.

Whether your severe burns happened on the job, in an accident, or were caused by faulty equipment or wiring at home, a burn injury lawyer in Decatur, GA at The Lynch Law group can help.

Compensation a Georgia Burn Injury Lawyer Can Help You Receive

There is a wide range of settlement amounts that can be awarded in a successful burn injury case, and severe cases may be worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Your compensation award amount will depend on factors that include:

  •     The severity of the burns and whether there is scarring or disfigurement
  •     The effects on your life and whether you will be able to work
  •     Your age, earning capacity, and family circumstances
  •     Whether you will need continuing care
  •     The insurance and assets available
  •     The generosity of the jury
  •     The skill of your attorney.

 Georgia law allows you to be compensated for both your economic (monetary) losses and non-economic damages (those which do not have a specific dollar value) as follows:

Economic damages

  •     Current and future medical and rehabilitation expenses
  •     Past and future lost wages
  •     Any property-related damage

Non-economic damages

  •     pain and suffering
  •     mental and emotional anguish
  •     disfigurement
  •     loss of enjoyment of life

In some rare cases, where there was gross negligence or conscious indifference, the jury may also impose punitive damages, meant to punish a defendant and deter such behaviors in the future.

Statute of Limitations

The statute of limitations for personal injury cases in the state of Georgia is two years from the date of the injury, according to Georgia Code Section 9-3-33. Since serious burns often require extensive medical treatment and time to treat, this time period often goes quickly. This is why it is always a good idea to start the legal process as quickly as you can.

Plus, starting earlier means that you will have extra time if anything is delayed or requires more time. Even if you are unsure about whether you want to seek legal action, you can speak with a Decatur, GA burn injury lawyer from The Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch to have a better idea about the process and the time you will need to build your case.