Colorado Springs Burn Injury Lawyers
Legal Representation for Clients with Burn Injuries in Colorado Springs
Burns are among the most painful and debilitating injuries a person can suffer. Burn injuries can leave physical and emotional scars that can last a lifetime, as well as potentially cause permanent disability. These injuries also carry a high risk of infection. Medical treatments for burns can be lengthy, painful, and expensive, making healing in a stressful environment next to impossible. However, if your burn was caused by negligence, there may be an answer to your needs.
If you've suffered a burn injury due to negligence, you are likely feeling traumatized, afraid, and hopeless. The Colorado Springs personal injury attorneys at The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. understand. Many of our clients have suffered catastrophic injuries due to an act of negligence, and we have seen just how devastating these injuries can be. If you want a law firm that can show you compassion while fighting for your right to compensation, then we may be the right fit for you. The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. has successfully represented Colorado injury victims for over 20 years and can provide thorough legal aid.
Call us today at (719) 475-2555 for a free case evaluation.
The Different Types of Burns
Not all burns are the same and knowing the type of burn you experienced helps determine both the kind of medical treatment you should receive and who is liable. For example, if you are burned by a malfunctioning socket, you will not be holding the same party accountable than if you were burned in a chemical spill.
Electrical burns: An electrical burn is exactly as it sounds. It means your body was hit with an electric current, which caused your skin to burn. Electrical burns can be particularly dangerous, as it doesn’t take a powerful charge to break the skin and damage nerves.
Thermal burns: A thermal burn is the one most people will think of when they picture a burn injury. Excessive heat can cause thermal burns, usually as a result of a fire. For example, touching an overheated household appliance can lead to a thermal burn.
Radiation burns: The term “radiation burn” may conjure up pictures of reactor cores and factory meltdowns, but the truth is radiation is all around us. Most electronic devices can produce mild radiation that has little to no effect on the body, but poorly constructed products or medical equipment can lead to serious radiation burns.
Chemical burns: When handling a dangerous chemical, whether it is a common household cleaner like bleach or something only a technician would use in a lab, chemical burns are a very real risk. Our skin is sensitive, and if the wrong materials touch it, it could very well lead to deep scars.
Categorizing Burn Injuries
When you suffer from a serious burn, one of the first things a medical professional will do is check the injury and determine the degree of the burn. Burn categories are based on the severity of the injury and can help doctors and nurses develop a proper treatment plan as quickly as possible. During your recovery, you should get documentation stating what degree of burn you had, as it will help you prove how catastrophic your injury was when it comes time to file a claim.
First-Degree: First-degree burns are very minor. They are surface-level injuries, and many of us have dealt with first-degree burns throughout our lives. Only the top layer of the skin is impacted, and the burn will usually heal on its own with no medical intervention needed.
Second-Degree: A second-degree burn goes deeper than just your surface-level skin. It usually leaves you with a red and blistered wound. While second-degree burns are not immediately life-threatening, it is still a good idea to seek medical help, as they will often require proper damaging and medicine to fully heal. An untreated infection can also lead to more serious consequences.
Third-Degree: Third-degree burns are incredibly dangerous. These burns go through all layers of the skin and damage the underlying muscles and tissue. The wound will often have a white coloring or a blackened and charred texture. Third-degree burns are life-threatening and should be treated immediately.
Fourth-Degree: Fourth-degree burns are not often talked about, which may be because such burns are almost always fatal. These burns reach the bone and are often painless because the nerves have been completely burned away.
How Do Burns Happen?
While some burns happen because you grabbed the wrong pot or stayed out in the sun too long, many others are a direct result of someone else’s blatant negligence. For example, if you came into contact with an everyday bleach that was poorly manufactured, resulting in a second-degree burn, you may be able to hold the manufacturer liable, either for not providing warnings on their product or for falsely advertising the safety of the chemicals. In a more severe case, if you were badly burned from an apartment fire that was started because of a malfunctioning socket, then the party responsible for the upkeep of the building or the electrician responsible for the wiring, would be responsible for your injuries.
Some of the more common causes of burn injuries are:
- Negligent property owners
- Defective products, such as chemical bottles and children’s toys
- Auto accidents
- Workplace fires
- Malfunctioning electrical sockets
- Poor wiring
- Gas explosions
- Faulty power tools
How ever your burn was caused, chances are you will have to seek medical treatment to recover. Unfortunately, treating a severe burn is not only costly, but potentially traumatic.
Burns: How They Are Treated
The treatment of your burn will depend largely on how severe it is. For more minor burns, such as with first-degree and less severe second-degree burns, topical medicines and bandages will be sufficient treatment. The burns may take time to heal, but so long as you keep it clean and away from any more heat, it should go away on its own.
More serious burns, however, like particularly bad second-degree and third-degree burns, will require medical intervention. You may need extensive surgeries, skin grafts, and can even lose a limb. If the burn is bad enough, the chances are the area that was burned will never fulling heal. If a medical amputation is the best option, your doctor may decide it is the only way to promote proper healing.
The treatments for your burns will likely cost you a great deal in hospital bills and time off from work. That isn’t even to mention the extreme trauma you will have to live with as a victim of such a severe injury. Thankfully, if your burn was caused by someone else’s negligence, then you may have more options than you realize.
Compensation for Burn Injuries in Colorado Springs
Sometimes burns are no one’s fault. They may be caused by a simple mistake, like accidentally touching the burner on your stove, or through a force of nature, like with a lightning strike. But often, too often for our liking, burns are caused through blatant acts of negligence. If you've suffered a burn injury at work or as the result of a faulty product, you may be entitled to compensation for any of the following damages:
- Medical bills, including medications, the cost of extended treatments, skin grafts, and physical and psychological therapy
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages for time missed from work
- Lost or damaged property
- Physical and emotional scarring
- Permanent disability
- Chronic pain
- Punitive damages
Everyone has the right to be safe in both their home and their workplace. If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury your best bet at recovering the compensation you deserve is to contact a skilled Colorado Springs burn injury attorney who will fight for you and your case.
Contact The Bussey Law Firm, P.C.
Because Colorado has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, it's important that you act quickly. The Colorado Springs injury lawyers at The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. will immediately begin building your case from the second you become our client. Most other big firms will just send you to the settlement mill, with little consideration for your or your needs. We take a personal interest in every client we represent and will stay by your side until the case ends. While we will try to get you a settlement as soon as possible, we have no problem with going to trial.
To schedule a free consultation, call our Colorado Springs offices at (719) 475-2555. Your road to recovery begins with that phone call.
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