Burn injuries can happen anywhere; some examples include factories, car accidents, restaurants or even hairdressers. If these burn injuries were caused as a result of someone else’s negligence, you may be eligible to make a claim for compensation to aid with any financial losses you may have been faced with after your injuries.

Depending on the extent of your injuries, you and your loved ones may be impacted. We understand the sheer devastation that can be caused when incidents involving burn injuries occur. Not only does the injury affect the individual who has been hurt, but it can also traumatise those around them who have had to witness the misery and pain that the accident has caused.

We think it is very important that those injured and their families are provided with compensation that is consistent with their injury, allowing them to move forward from the trauma.

Burn injuries can have very serious consequences for the person involved, such as skin damage, disfigurement, and a negative effect on their quality of life.

If you are looking to make a claim for a burn injury, contact Wildwood Legal today to speak with one of our personal injury lawyers to determine your eligibility and for more information on the legal claims process.

 

Common causes of burn injuries

 

There are a variety of causes that lead to burn injuries; the most common causes that we see associated with burn injury claims include:

 

· Road traffic accidents – Burn injuries in road traffic accidents can be caused by the car setting alight following the initial accident.

 

· Accidents at work – Burn injuries can occur in the workplace as a result of exposed wires, poorly maintained equipment or negligence from a co-worker.

 

· Restaurants – Sometimes burn injuries can happen in restaurants where hot drinks/food are dropped onto you when a member of staff is carrying too much.

 

· Chemical burns – If chemicals are spilt onto you due to a negligent worker, this can also lead to burn injuries.

 

If you have suffered from one of the causes listed above or a variety of others, you should think about making a claim. The severity of burn injuries is split into three separate classes, these are:

 

· First-degree burns – These burns only affect the first layer of skin (the epidermis). They are classed as superficial injuries.

 

· Second-degree burns – Second-degree burns damage the first two layers of skin (the epidermis and the dermis).

 

· Third-degree burns – These burns are the most serious of the three as not only are the top two layers of skin damaged, the tissue underneath the skin will also be damaged, causing permanent scarring.

 

Following a burn injury, you should seek medical attention immediately, as the injuries you have sustained may worsen if they are left untreated. A medical professional will be able to assess the extent of your injuries by examining your skin through x-rays or physical examination. Once you have been assessed, they may be able to offer you medical treatments such as medicine, ointments for more serious burns, skin grafts and surgery.

 

What is required for burn injury claims?

 

If you are thinking about claiming compensation, it is important that you are aware of how to prove negligence. Negligence cases must be built on evidence, so it is essential that you can prove what happened to you was a direct result of someone else’s actions.

 

Evidence that could help prove negligence include:

 

· Medical records, including any ultrasounds or X-rays

· Any reports from medical experts that could be used as evidence

· Photographs or any injuries or illness related symptoms

· Financial evidence

· Detailed statements from the claimant

· Witness statement (these can be from family, friends or co-workers)

 

It is in your best interest to talk to a solicitor as soon as possible as they can discuss your entitlements with you and advise you on your options going forward.

Personal injury solicitors from law firms can provide clarity on whether you have been wrongfully injured due to negligence as they are legal experts and specialise in personal injury claims.

 

What can be recovered from burn injury claims?

 

There are different types of claims that can be made following injuries from negligence that was not your fault. Here are some of the things that your compensation can be calculated with:

 

· The severity of your injury

· Loss of benefits

· Length of recovery

· Loss of projected earnings

· Impact on daily life

· Loss of earnings

 

There is no maximum amount that you can be awarded for negligence. The amount of financial compensation you receive will be based on the severity of the ongoing disability and losses due to negligence. A negligence claim is considered on a case-by-case basis as each claim has a unique set of circumstances.

If your family, friends or others have been required to provide you with additional care due to your injuries, then they may also be eligible to receive compensation for their time.

 

How will my burn injury claims compensation be calculated?

 

A burn injury compensation award is made up of two areas, general damages and special damages.

 

General damages cover physical injuries; these damages take the severity of your injuries into consideration, and the pain and suffering caused into account as the more severe your injuries are, the higher the compensation levels are likely to be. If you have been left disfigured as a direct result of negligence, this would be covered by general damages.

 

Special damages cover the financial impact the negligence had. This includes loss of earnings which will depend on the severity of your injuries. Special damages also cover any care that you may need. For example, if you lost a limb due to severe burning, the court would likely reward you with compensation to cover the financial implications of this in the future.

If the Defendant admits liability for your case, you may also be able to receive an interim payment, meaning that you could receive a part-payment of compensation during litigation. These payments are made by the other side before a case is settled in order to aid you to fund a number of vital things, such as assistance in daily living or urgent medical care.

Compensation calculators can be used in order to gain an estimation on the amount of compensation you may potentially receive if your claim is successful.

 

Time limits for making burn injury claims

 

The law on time limits for making burn injury claims is similar to most other personal injury claims. The general rule is that you have three years from the date of the accident to have either settled your claim or started court proceedings where the injury occurred.

The three-year deadline commences from the date that the injury occurred or from the date on which you realised that your injuries were associated with negligence. The three-year time limit for claiming compensation does not apply to under 18s; however, it will come into effect after their 18th birthday. There is also no time limit if you are claiming on behalf of an individual that lacks the mental capacity to make an accident claim themselves.

 

How much do burn injury claims cost?

 

We will always be 100% transparent about what our charges are; if we take on your medical negligence case, we will almost always do so on no win no fee basis (also known as a conditional agreement).

This means that if you do not win your case, you do not pay us any fees at all. If we win the case, we take a small percentage of your compensation, which we will agree with you beforehand, to cover our costs.

We will never ask you to sign anything until you are completely happy with what it is that we are proposing.

 

How can Wildwood Legal assist?

 

At Wildwood Legal, we know that the consequences of burn injury negligence can be devastating. If you have suffered from this, you need to seek legal advice – That’s where we come in.

We see all too often the significant effect that negligence can have on people’s lives. We can help on the financial side to get you on the road to recovery and help you to maximise the amount of compensation you receive. Our core strength is in personal injury claims. We are experienced in helping you with any burn injury compensation claims that you may want to make. We aim to give you not only quality aid but flexibility and clarity as we know that these qualities are just as important.

Our law firm is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority; therefore, we provide everything that is needed to meet their high standards meaning that we are a trusted law firm. We offer services to individuals located in England and Wales. To make an enquiry to start your claim, get in contact with us either email us info@winstonsolicitors.co.uk or call us 0113 320 5000.