Understanding the Legal Process: a Guide for Burn Injury Victims

Anyone who’s been injured by a burn has a lengthy and expensive recovery ahead of them but the most important thing you have to do is understand your rights and the legal process after you’ve sustained your injury. There are burn injury lawyers that are ready to help you understand your entitlements so you don’t have to worry about covering costly medical bills while you’re out of work and trying to heal yourself. If your burn injury was sustained in a construction or industrial accident, an automobile crash, a defective product, or unsafe premises or workplace, you need to understand your rights.

Once you decide to pursue a lawsuit against the person or entity that harmed you, it’s good to understand the legal process that you have in front of you. This is something that most people will never have to deal with, so you’re going to be completely unfamiliar with the proceedings. Here is a guide for what you can expect as the legal process carries out and your compensation is worked out with the law and the offending party.

Types of Compensation

The first thing to take a look at is the type of compensation that you can choose to pursue after you’ve sustained your injuries and begun the healing and rehabilitation process. One of the major things for which you can seek compensation is the pain and suffering that you have to endure as a result of your burn injury and it shouldn’t be overlooked. Many people incorrectly assume that pain and suffering are simply things that you have to deal with, no matter who happens to be at fault for your injury.

Then there are the hospital bills, other medical bills, occupational and physical therapy, and cosmetic surgery that you deserve to be compensated for after you’ve been injured by someone else. You can also seek out compensation for counseling, emotional distress, lost wages, the loss of future earnings, loss of consortium, and vocational rehabilitation. All of these negative effects have happened through the fault of someone else and the law states that you shouldn’t be liable for it.

Initial Investigation

It’s important to realize that seeking compensation for a burn isn’t the same as seeking out workers’ compensation for a workplace accident. While that form of compensation is there to protect you while you’re at work, you can still seek out compensation for a burn injury, no matter where or when you sustained it. That’s why the first step is always going to be the initial investigation that will determine whether or not you should pursue a lawsuit against the other party.

The origin of the injury must be fully understood to decide of the other party is at fault for it and that might require some time to make happen. That’s because fires and explosions are often very destructive and figuring out where and how they started can be a challenge. However, if you’ve sustained your injury from an electrical current or hot water, it can take substantially less time to understand how it happened.

Identification of Fault

While the origin and cause of the injury are being investigated, the identification of fault must also be determined to move your case further and get you closer to your compensation. This process will identify whether or not the other party is at fault for the injury that you’ve sustained and it’s a very important part of the process. If it can be determined that the injury happened through negligence or an unsafe environment then it’s very likely the other party will be found at fault.

It’s very important to give your lawyer all information that you have about your burn at this point because it’s their job to determine if the other party is at fault. The more information you give them, the easier that will be for them. The easier it is to determine fault, the faster your lawsuit will move along.

Assessment of Damages

Once all that is complete, it will be time to assess the damages that you’ve sustained, which have now been proven to be the fault of the other party. This is when you’ll take a look at the pain and suffering you’ve had to deal with, as well as medical and recovery bills. It’s also a very good idea to figure out any lost wages and loss of future wages that your burn injuries have caused for you.

In the instance of your case moving to trial, it will be a jury’s job to decide if you’re entitled to all of the damages you’ve lain out in front of them and this is where your lawyer will be able to guide you. Listen to what they have to say and you’ll be much more likely to win your case. It’s the only way to ensure that you get everything to which you’re entitled.