Bronx Burn Victim

Burn accidents claim up to 12,000 lives every year, and one million people will suffer from serious disfigurement from their injuries. Typically, a burn victim will have a long road to recovery, which can include plastic surgery, skin grafting, rehabilitation and emotional trauma, and severe pain and suffering. In some cases victims are burned in the workplace such as in a construction accident. In other cases burns and other serious injuries occur in an auto accident. Victims with serious burns face long, painful treatment and recovery. They miss a significant amount of work and often are unable to return to work. If you suffered a serious burn that was caused by another person's negligence you have the right to demand just compensation from the person responsible for the accident. In order to ensure that your rights are protected, it is imperative that you contact an experienced Bronx personal injury lawyer who will review the facts of your case and explain your options for pursuing a personal injury claim or a wrongful death claim.

While most people are familiar with contact burns- burns suffered when coming in contact with a flame, hot metal, hot plastic or coals—there are other types of burns.

• Inhalation: Inhalation burns are caused by inhaling chemicals. Inhalation burns cause damage to the lungs. Inhalation burns are typically caused by inhaling smoke from a fire. Many who suffer serious injuries in fires are not injured by contact burns from the flames, but by smoke inhalation.
• Chemical: Chemical burns are caused when skin comes in contact with some sort of irritant such as an acid.
• Electrical: Electrical burns are caused by the skin coming in contact with an electric source such as lightning or a household electric source.

The severity of a burn is described in degrees. With a first-degree burn, the first layer of skin is damaged. When both the first and the second layer of skin are affected, it is classified as a second-degree burn. A third degree burn is the most serious. A burn victim with a third degree burn will suffer burns and severe damage to all layers of the skin. A third degree burn can be fatal.

Victims with burn injuries have the right to file claims against the person responsible for their injuries. In some cases it may be a landlord or apartment manager who failed to address code violations. It could be your employer if your burn accorded in the workplace. It could be a reckless driver if your burn occurred in a car accident.

Regardless of who the defendant it, you can seek compensation for your losses from that person or entity. The types of damage you can see include:

• Medical expenses. The medical expenses associated with treatment and rehabilitation are generally substantial. Treatment for severe burns may involve plastic surgery, multiple skin grafts, skin replacement and physical therapy.
• Lost wages. Because it make take quite some time for you to be sufficiently healed so that you can return to work, you will also suffer from a loss of income.
• Pain and suffering. In addition burn victims are often left with scarring and other types of permanent disfigurement. Because of this the responsible party will likely be required to pay you damages for pain and suffering.
• Wrongful death. Sadly, many victims of severe burns do not survive. If a family member passes away as a result of severe burns, you may be entitled to compensation from a wrongful death claim.

Employees who are burned at work have the right to benefits through workers' compensation. Workers' compensation benefits are limited. For example, workers' compensation benefits do not offer compensation for pain and suffering, while in appropriate cases personal injury lawsuits do. It is important to understand that not all workplace injuries are subject solely to workers' compensation rules. If a third party such as a subcontractor or an equipment manufacturer caused your injury, then you may have a claim against that party that you can pursue through a personal injury claim.

If you suffered a serious burn injury it is important to take prompt action. Personal injury cases are bound by strict time deadlines, called the statute of limitations. Failure to meet these filing deadlines prohibits you from filing a case against the negligent party. Contact the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates to discuss the details of your case. Our staff is experienced in handling personal injury cases against both individuals and businesses whose negligence caused accidents that resulted in burn injuries. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County and Westchester County.