A burn injury can have a life-altering effect on the victim. Therefore, compensation for losses not caused by the victim is essential. Although burn injuries are considered personal injury claims, there are special circumstances that apply to these cases.

Medical Diagnosis

Most burns are visible on the surface and may not require a medical degree to spot. However, your word is not enough to file a claim. You must visit a medical professional to obtain a diagnosis. Generally, the degree of the burn, such as first, second, or third, will have an impact on the value of the claim, and a medical professional is the only one who can determine the burn degree. Visit a healthcare professional as soon as possible to protect your claim and your health.

Burn Source

Claims for burn injuries will also often typically require documentation that outlines what type of burn the victim suffered. The most common type of burn is a thermal burn, which originates from fire or hot water. However, burn injuries can result from several other scenarios, including chemical burns, electrical burns, and inhalation burns, such as from inhaling toxic gases. Identifying the source of the burn is critical in establishing how the victim was burned.

Negligence

Another element that burn injury claims must include is negligence. More specifically, they must prove that there was a breach in the duty of care on the other party's part, which serves as negligence. For example, mislabeling a dangerous chemical solution or storing it in an area that is easily accessible could both be considered a breach. With a hot solution, failing to warn the public that the solution was dangerous would also be a breach. Ultimately, negligence is the result of careless actions on the other party that lead to someone else being hurt.

Damages

Again, a severe burn injury can be life-changing. For this reason, there are multiple types of damages that a victim can pursue when filing their injury claim. There are standard claims, such as medical expenses and missed time from work. However, victims can also seek damages for any necessary home modifications needed to accommodate their injury, pain, and suffering, and for claims of gross negligence, in which the actions of the other party were especially dangerous or cruel.

Speak with a personal injury lawyer about your burn injuries and the incident to determine how you should best move forward.