What Is a Burn Injury?
On its most basic level, a burn is tissue damage caused by one of several agents, like fire, thermal heat, or harmful chemicals. The prognosis for injured individuals depends on the extent of the burn and the victim’s age, among many other factors.
The most severe burn injuries require lengthy medical attention, and there is a high risk of infection and other complications. Many burn victims who survive the initial accident require months of treatment and reconstructive surgery.
The American Burn Association estimates that there are about 30 thousand burn injuries in the United States annually. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services says 369 burn injury victims were treated in Massachusetts hospitals in 2020.
If your burns were caused by someone else’s legal negligence, you may be eligible for compensation for your burn injuries and related losses. The attorneys at Michael Kelly Injury Lawyers can help you pursue a personal injury claim for the financial restitution you deserve.
- What Is a Burn Injury?
- Classification of Burn Injuries
- Causes of Burn Injuries
- Responsible Parties in Boston Burn Injury Cases
- 30-Day, Risk-Free Guarantee
- Time Limits for Filing a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Massachusetts
- Meet our team!
- What Losses Can Be Compensated in Your Burn Injury Case?
- We Pursue Burn Injury Cases
- Client Reviews
- Contact a Boston Burn Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
- Get a Free Case Evaluation
- 30-Day, Risk-Free Guarantee
Classification of Burn Injuries
Serious burn injuries are classified by their severity or the amount of damage done.
- First-degree burns indicate damage to the epidermis or outer layer of skin that does not include blistering.
- Second-degree burns, including blistering, indicate damage to the epidermis and the underlying layer. Deep second-degree burns can cause scarring.
- Third-degree burns destroy both layers of skin and underlying tissue and can cause nerve damage. Victims usually require skin grafts to repair the damage.
- Fourth-degree burns damage muscles, tendons, and even bones and are usually fatal. The remaining skin may be blackened or charred, and extensive nerve damage may occur.
Causes of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are typically caused by:
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Hot liquids or vapors
This includes vapors from cooking liquids and grease, tap water (particularly in baths), food, beverages, and steam.
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Fire
Including campfires, bonfires, house fires, motor vehicle fires, brush fires, and structure fires.
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Open flame
Including stoves, wood stoves, grills, candles, smoking, fireworks, welding, and cutting torches.
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Explosions
Gas explosions, such as natural gas from a gas fireplace or gas grill, ignitable liquids, welding, cooking with pressure cookers, chemical or demolition explosions at work sites, and fireworks.
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Contact burns
Caused by touching hot objects, including stoves, pots, pans and cooking utensils, heaters and heating equipment, car radiators, clothes irons, machinery, hot metal, hot wax, and asphalt.
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Electricity and electrical currents
Appliances, electrical outlets, frayed cords, or power lines, which cause electrical burns.
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Chemicals
Substances like gasoline, acids, lye, paint thinner, etc., can cause chemical burns.
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Radiation
Including infrared radiation from the sun (sunburn) and x-rays or other medical or workplace machinery.
Responsible Parties in Boston Burn Injury Cases
Determining who is responsible for your burn injury can be complicated, but this is the key step in recovering compensation. Both individuals and organizations may be responsible for burn injuries, depending on the situation. If there’s a fire or a scalding incident at a property, the property owner could be held responsible if they did not follow fire safety regulations. Employers may also bear responsibility for an injured worker in case of workplace burns.
Manufacturers can be held accountable for producing defective items that lead to severe burns, such as broken electrical gadgets or flammable clothing. Besides, if someone else’s negligent actions directly resulted in your burn injuries, that individual could be liable.
Our burn injury attorneys take a thorough approach to determining liability. We gather and analyze evidence like workplace accident reports and witness statements, consult with fire safety and medical experts, and evaluate relevant laws. Your dedicated Boston burn injury lawyer will discover every detail so we can identify all the liable parties and build a strong case for your compensation.
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Time Limits for Filing a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Massachusetts
There is a specific time limit known as the statute of limitations that applies to burn injury cases. Typically, you have three years from the date of the accident to file a burn injury lawsuit. This time limit is common for most personal injury cases.
However, certain factors can influence this timeline. For example, if you did not realize you were injured right away, the time limit may begin from the date you should have reasonably become aware of the injury. In cases involving minors, the statute of limitations could be extended, generally allowing the injured party to file negligence claims within three years after reaching the age of 18.
If your burns were caused by defective products, you may have additional time under what is called the statute of repose. This law allows you up to seven years from the date the product was originally purchased to file burn injury claims, even if your injury occurred at a later date. It is important to not delay starting your case until the last possible moment, as it takes time for your burn injury lawyer to develop a strong claim.
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What Losses Can Be Compensated in Your Burn Injury Case?
In burn injury claims, you may be eligible for compensation for both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages include:
- Medical expenses: This covers the costs associated with immediate medical treatment, surgeries, medications, hospital stays, and ongoing medical care.
- Lost wages: If your injury has lowered your earning potential, you may seek compensation for lost wages.
- Future earnings: If your injury has permanently impacted your ability to earn, you might be entitled to compensation for future lost earnings.
- Property damage: If the incident also resulted in damage to your property, you might be able to recover for the expenses related to repairs or replacements.
Non-economic damages cover:
- Pain and suffering: This refers to physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
- Disfigurement: If the burns have led to permanent scarring or disfigurement, you may be eligible for compensation for its physical and emotional effects.
Your Boston burn injury lawyer will help you understand your legal rights and assess the full extent of your potential damages.
We Pursue Burn Injury Cases
The medical costs of a severe burn injury can be significant, and for some, the treatment costs are ongoing. The injured person may also suffer a loss of income during their recovery. You may be facing a lifetime of reduced earnings if a severe injury prevents you from returning to work. It’s important to maximize the compensation that you are entitled to receive.
Our burn injury lawyers are focused on recovering full compensation for our clients’ medical bills, lost wages, future earning capacity, and pain and suffering. If you or a loved one has suffered serious burns, you will need an aggressive burn injury lawyer on your side. To get appropriate compensation, you will need an investigation that identifies who or what organization should be held liable and that accounts for all current and future losses.
Typically, burns occur in home settings, daycare centers, nursing homes, and similar residential institutions, and at workplaces. Burn injuries can also happen at businesses, stores, or offices. Responsible parties at any such location may be held liable and compelled to compensate you if evidence shows that their negligence caused the accident that led to your burn injury.
You don’t have to handle all these details alone. Our Boston burn injury lawyers are ready to help you recover damages and achieve justice.
Client Reviews
I really liked that I was always able to reach my lawyers and it wasnt extremely difficult to do so. They kept me informed and were always readily available to answer any of the questions I did have. I had a great experience and felt very personable with my lawyers and as though they represented me very well!
Gabby Santucci
Contact a Boston Burn Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one of yours has been severely burned in an accident in Boston or anywhere in Massachusetts that you believe was someone else’s fault, let our burn injury attorney investigate a potential claim for you. Our attorneys will do everything in their power to ensure that insurers involved in your Boston burn injury case do what’s right for you.
To speak with one of our experienced Boston burn injury lawyers today, call (617) 444-4444. If you would like to be contacted by one of our attorneys within 24 hours, please fill out the free consultation form.
