Reclaim Your Life with Our Ocala Burn Injury Lawyer
Burns can be life-changing. Even the smallest burns may require significant treatment. Larger burns can be especially horrific, causing severe physical and emotional pain, not to mention disfigurement. The financial damage that happens in the aftermath of burn injuries can be significant, leaving victims and their families with a lifetime of treatment and caretaking costs.
If your burn was caused by someone else’s negligence, they may owe you compensation. Get legal help right away to protect your rights. Don’t delay. Contact an Ocala personal injury attorney today by calling our team at (352) 373-8000.
What Is the Average Payout for Burn Injury Claims in Florida?
There is no “average” payout for burn injuries since every case depends greatly on the specific severity level and circumstances involved. In general, the more severe your burns are, the higher your medical bills and other injury-related costs may be. More serious burn injuries generally lead to higher payouts.
Factors like the location of your burn, how it was caused, and the strength of your proof of negligence can also affect your claim’s value. More serious burns that result in the loss of your ability to work in the future also typically lead to a higher claim value.
How much your Ocala burn injury claim is worth will depend on your damages and how strong the evidence is. Once your Ocala personal injury lawyer examines the evidence in your case, we will be able to give you an estimate of your claim’s value.
Types of Burn Injuries Our Ocala Lawyers Represent
No matter how your burn injury happened, if it was caused by someone else’s negligence, we may be able to represent your case. Burns can be categorized by how they occur. There are four types:
- Thermal burns. These burns are caused by exposure to heat or flame. Many injuries are work-related, although these fires often happen at home as well. Thermal burns can also happen in car accidents.
- Electrical burns. These burns occur when a person suffers an electrical shock, often due to faulty wiring. They can cause significant damage to the skin, depending on current voltage and how long the victim is in contact with it.
- Scalding burns. These catastrophic burns are caused by boiling water or steam. While most of these burns are caused by water at high temperatures, burns by steam can be more severe because the temperature is actually higher. While many scalding burns are work-related, children are also commonly victims.
- Chemical burns. Chemical burns typically occur in the workplace. Common chemicals workers are exposed to are acids, lye, corrosives, and gasoline. Because chemicals can be airborne, people can suffer burns and injuries to the eyes, nose, and mouth as well.
We will spend time listening to your story and examining your evidence to understand the damages associated with your type of burn and how it has affected your life. Then, we will build a strong case for your compensation.
How Burn Severity Affects the Value of Your Ocala Burn Injury Claim
When you are pursuing financial compensation after a devastating burn injury in Ocala, the severity level significantly impacts potential claim value. Here’s an overview of how different burn classifications may affect case value:
First-Degree Burns
These are the most minor burns, in which only the top layer of skin is damaged. These burns cause redness and inflammation and can be treated at home with aloe vera gel and cool water. They tend to heal within a week. Compensation for short-term medical expenses is limited. These qualify as lower-value claims. In many cases involving first-degree burns, the injuries are not serious enough to warrant a personal injury claim.
Second-Degree Burns
These burns are a bit more intense, with the damage going beyond the top layer of skin. They cause red, blistered skin and need to be properly bandaged. These burns can take several weeks to heal. The medical expenses and other losses associated with second-degree burns can be high, depending on the burn’s placement on the body.
Third- and Fourth-Degree Burns
These are the most serious burns. These catastrophic injuries can destroy several layers of skin and tissue, leaving scarring and skin discoloration. These burns often warrant additional compensation for extensive plastic surgery, laser treatments, and psychological counseling for resulting trauma, self-consciousness. and mental health declines associated with body image issues.
Fatal Burn Injuries
Some burn injuries are fatal. Surviving family members may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost support and services, pain and suffering, and lost companionship.
While no wrongful death award can undo the damage that was done, holding the negligent parties liable can help burn victims and families cope with the emotional and practical daily burdens imposed by devastating burn trauma. An Ocala burn injury attorney’s guidance can prove invaluable when evaluating settlement offers.
Damages You Can Recover in an Ocala Burn Injuries Claim
If your or your loved one’s burn injuries resulted from another party’s provable negligence in Ocala, our legal team can help you fight for the following damages.
Economic Damages
You can recover compensation for all your monetary damages, such as:
- All past and future medical expenses
- Medications, supplies, compression garments
- Transportation to appointments
- Home/vehicle accessibility modifications
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity
- Childcare costs due to injuries
Non-Economic Damages
Burn injuries can leave a survivor with substantial trauma. Our team can help you fight for compensation for burn-related trauma and other non-economic damages, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Depression or trauma counseling
- Loss of enjoyment/quality of life
- Physical impairment, disfigurement & scarring
- Spousal loss of consortium for impact on marital relations
While money cannot undo your tragedy or erase your scars, sufficient compensation better equips innocent victims and families to meet significant financial demands while coping with devastating burn injuries. A personal injury attorney can safeguard your best interests. Call Meldon Law to learn more today: (352) 373-8000.
Our Team Will Help Determine What Type of Claim You Can File for a Burn Injury
The type of accident that caused your burn injury will determine how you proceed with your case. Here are a couple of examples:
Car Accidents
An Ocala car accident could cause serious second-, third-, or fourth-degree thermal burns. If another party caused your accident, we could file a claim with their insurer once we exhaust your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage.
Premises Liability Accidents
Not all Ocala burn injury cases fall under premises liability. If a property owner’s negligence caused your burn injury, we can file a claim through their homeowners insurance. Some types of accidents that can result in a premises liability claim include:
- No fire alarms
- Exits not well-marked
- Exposed hot pipes or wires
- Dangerous chemicals stored unsafely
- No warnings around hot surfaces
Burn victims who were injured by an owner not addressing risks can fight back. With an attorney’s help, injury claims make irresponsible owners pay for the harm they caused or enabled through carelessness.
How Long Do I Have to File a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Ocala, Florida?
According to Florida Statutes § 95.11, the statute of limitations generally provides a two-year window from the date of the accident that caused the burn injuries in which victims can file a claim against the responsible parties. After this window elapses, in most cases, you will lose your right to compensation.
In the immediate aftermath of an accident that results in serious burns, your focus will be on your recovery. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the sooner you contact an Ocala burn injury lawyer, the sooner we can begin building a strong case for your compensation.
What You Can Do to Protect the Value of Your Ocala Burn Injury Claim
Your Ocala burn injury attorneys will handle the steps of the claims process for you, including dealing with negotiations with insurance companies. However, there are some steps you can take to help make sure you are able to get the full value of your damages. These include:
- Completing initial medical treatment – Ensure that your burns are properly assessed and critical emergency wound care has started before directing energy toward a legal claim. Receiving medical care also provides documentation of injury details.
- Speaking with an attorney promptly – Although your immediate focus may not be on filing a claim, contacting a premises liability attorney for advice quickly preserves evidence, provides legal perspective on your options, and establishes representation. Being represented by a personal injury lawyer means that you won’t be hassled by insurance companies or their adjusters.
- Monitoring healing progress – Observe your medical progress to determine if your initial injury healing stalled or complications arose to help your lawyer project your longer-term needs to quantify current and future damages.
- Collecting evidence – Ask your attorney to gather police reports and incident documentation, photograph injuries, save medical records, capture witness accounts, and inspect liability factors through experts while details remain fresh.
- Organizing expenses – Track every bill, cost, lost wage stub, and itemized expense with dates relating to the burn injury itself ensuring accurate demand sums when settlement negotiating or complaints get filed.
While urgent injury issues take natural priority, contacting a lawyer immediately and compiling evidence to eventually support a timely claim protects your legal rights.
Contact an Ocala Burn Injuries Attorney Today
Burns can affect a person for life. They can lead to infection, scarring, and disfigurement. They may require skin grafts, surgeries, and other treatments. They can also cause psychological damage. If you are feeling overwhelmed, know that you do not have to face this alone. Our Ocala personal injury lawyers are here to help.
If your burn injuries were caused by another person’s negligent, reckless, or willful conduct, we can help you fight for the compensation you deserve. Schedule a consultation with an Ocala burn injuries attorney by calling (352) 373-8000.
