Bonita Springs Burn Injury Lawyer

A severe burn injury causes terrible physical pain, a long recovery process, and the potential for permanent mobility issues. Burn injuries that leave visible scars can create the additional burden of insecurities that significantly impact the victim’s quality of life.

If you or someone you love is facing the challenges of these devastating injuries due to someone else’s negligence, such as a landlord, reckless driver, or defective product manufacturer, you have rights. Under Florida law, you may seek compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other expenses that resulted from getting hurt.

At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, we’ve seen first-hand the wide-ranging impact burn injuries can have on an individual’s life. Our Bonita Springs burn injury attorneys are here to guide you through the process of pursuing compensation every step of the way. We’ll work closely with you to evaluate your case, discuss the best legal options available, and help you navigate the legal process. With us by your side, you can focus on recovering and getting your life back on track.

About The Firm: Compassionate Burn Injury Lawyers in Bonita Springs

At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, we founded our firm to provide compassionate, client-focused legal representation to those in our community who got hurt due to negligence. We know the stakes are incredibly high for burn injury victims, who may face astronomical medical expenses, difficulty earning a living, and major health complications.

Our team of experienced Bonita Springs personal injury attorneys has a long history of recovering fair compensation for clients who have suffered severe burns due to someone else’s irresponsible behavior. While no law firm can guarantee the outcome of a case, you can trust that we will work tirelessly to protect your rights and ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.

What Makes Serious Burns Catastrophic Injuries

Whether they stem from direct contact with flames, hot liquids, chemical exposure, or electrical shock, serious burns are among the most excruciating injuries a person can endure. Severe burns are generally categorized as “catastrophic” because they have a devastating and far-reaching impact on the victim’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being, both in the short and long term.

Third and Fourth Degrees Burns Can Kill

Doctors use a classification system to determine the severity, or degree, of burn injuries. Third and fourth-degree burns are the most dangerous because they go beyond the skin’s surface layers, penetrating deep into underlying tissues like muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

The extreme damage caused by these severe burns leads to excruciating pain that many victims describe as agony, permanent disfigurement, and even loss of function in the affected areas. In some cases, amputation will be necessary to prevent the spread of infection.

Serious Burns Require Extensive Medical Treatment

The road to recovery after severe burns is difficult and may include extended inpatient care at a burn center. Victims often require multiple skin grafts, an invasive procedure where healthy skin is used to replace damaged tissue that’s unlikely ever to heal.

They may also need reconstructive surgeries, water-based wound cleaning, antibiotics to fight infection, and pain medication. This specialized care is a major physical challenge and a huge financial burden due to astronomically high medical bills.

The Long-Term Complications of Serious Burns

Severe burn injuries will have a profound and long-lasting impact, with a range of complications that can affect the victim’s quality of life and ability to earn a living, such as amputation, fragile skin that’s prone to infections, disfigurement from permanent scars, chronic pain, and mental health struggles. Burn injuries affecting the tendons and ligaments can also cause debilitating mobility problems. Physical therapy can help restore flexibility and range of motion, but the damage is often irreversible.

Who Can I Hold Legally Responsible for Burn Injuries?

The aftermath of severe burn injuries is an incredibly difficult time, so it’s not easy for victims and their families to begin thinking about the steps involved in taking legal action. However, it’s essential to understand your legal rights to get fairly compensated, especially in cases of catastrophic injuries with very significant damages.

At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, our injury lawyers begin working on every case by closely evaluating the specific circumstances that caused our client’s injuries and analyzing all the best legal options available. Most importantly, we want to identify everyone who can be held responsible, sometimes including multiple parties, so we can begin gathering and preserving crucial evidence.

Under Florida law, individuals or entities are liable for negligent behavior that leads to preventable injuries. In the legal sense, negligence refers to failing to exercise reasonable care, especially when there’s an implicit responsibility to avoid causing harm. Some examples that often apply to burn injuries include:

Workplace Burn Injuries

Workplaces that use heat, fire, chemicals, or radiation exposure can place their employees at a much higher risk for serious burn injuries, especially without the proper safety procedures.

Whether it’s molten lead at a foundry or hot grease in an industrial kitchen, the consequences of an accident can be dire. Employers are legally responsible for creating a safe working environment by conducting regular safety inspections, providing protective gear, and having risk mitigation strategies in place.

Residential Fires Caused By Landlord Neglect

House and apartment building fires are a tragic reality in Bonita Springs. They’re almost always rooted in preventable violations of state and local fire codes, such as faulty electrical wiring. Landlords are also required to adopt crucial safety measures to prevent fire fatalities, such as providing tenants with working fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. When these forms of negligence lead to burn injuries, the landlord may be held liable for the tenant’s resulting damages.

Vehicle Accident Burns

Florida motorists have a legal duty to operate their vehicles safely by both common sense and traffic laws. That means they can be held liable for injuries that result from reckless driving, such as running a red light or driving under the influence of substances. Car and motorcycle accidents can cause horrific burn injuries due to contact with the hot surfaces of an engine or from fires that can ignite during a violent crash, especially if the victim is pinned or trapped inside a vehicle.

Dangerous Product Defects

Whether it’s kitchen appliances, cars, or power tools, many products can come with defects that make using them unreasonably and unexpectedly dangerous for consumers, leading to serious burn injuries.

Even in cases where the product is already known to generate a significant amount of heat, manufacturers are still legally required to provide clear, unambiguous warnings that will help consumers take the proper precautions.

In scenarios where harmful products cause burn injuries due to some form of preventable negligence, manufacturers, designers, and even retailers can potentially be held liable in court.

The Types of Damages Burn Injury Victims Can Pursue

The economic consequences of severe burns are enormous, and victims may need extended rehabilitation and therapy to recover functionality and learn to navigate daily life.

At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, we’re dedicated to helping our clients better understand their legal rights and the types of compensation available through a personal injury claim. We work with life care planners to identify the costs associated with adjusting to a burn injury and forecast them into the future to help our clients secure the maximum compensation available. Depending on the details of your case, the types of damages you may be able to claim include:

Economic Damages

Economic damages are meant to reimburse the measurable, out-of-pocket expenses that burn injury victims incur as a direct result of the at-fault party’s negligence.

These damages can include:

• Medical expenses: The cost of medical care for serious burn injuries can add up quickly, especially if the victim requires emergency treatment, has a long stay at a burn unit, or needs ongoing physical therapy. These economic damages can also cover assistive medical devices or home health aides.
• Lost income: Burn injuries often prevent victims from working for a significant amount of time during their initial recovery. A personal injury claim will typically include compensation for these lost wages, but it can also go much further. In catastrophic burn injuries with long-term consequences that make it harder for the victim to ever return to work, economic damages can also include future lost earning capacity.
• Home and vehicle modifications: Burn injuries can sometimes require the victim to make modifications to accommodate their new disability, such as installing wheelchair ramps or railings.

Non-economic damages

Non-economic damages are intended to account for the emotional, physical, and psychological harm that resulted from the at-fault party’s negligence. While intangible losses can’t be quantified, an experienced personal injury lawyer can identify and substantiate these costs to ensure that the victim is properly compensated.

Non-economic losses include:

• Pain and suffering: Restitution for the sheer physical pain and discomfort burn victims experience immediately following the burn and long-term.
• Loss of enjoyment: The limitations of burn injuries can prevent victims from returning to hobbies and other activities they once enjoyed.
• Mental anguish: Burn victims will often experience emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges due to the trauma, stress, and reduced quality of life that result from getting hurt.
• Disfigurement or scarring: One of the greatest difficulties of third and fourth-degree burns is the visible changes they leave behind, which tend to have a major impact on the person’s self-esteem and confidence.
• Loss of consortium: Burn injuries can affect the victim’s relationship with their spouse, which is a real loss that can be legally compensated under non-economic damages.

How Long Do I Have To Pursue Compensation for My Burn Injuries?

As a victim of preventable burn injuries, you’re well within your legal rights to be made whole by pursuing financial compensation from the negligent at-fault party. However, the statute of limitations in Florida is just four years from when the incident happened. This places a strict deadline for how long victims have to begin the legal process.

If you don’t pursue the claim in time, you will lose the ability to use the court system to get compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages caused by this disruptive and difficult experience.

Remember that preparing a successful burn injury case takes a lot of time and effort, especially in cases where the victim suffered significant damages. Also, waiting to file a claim will only hurt the overall strength of your case, especially the ability to prove negligence. For example, eyewitness statements and important physical evidence can become a lot harder to obtain as time goes on.

At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, we understand that going through a legal battle can be incredibly overwhelming, especially while recovering from your injuries. However, it’s best to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as early in the process to get started gathering evidence and placing your case in a strong position to get the compensation you deserve. With the right team, you can file your claim with confidence and peace of mind.

How We Make a Difference for Burn Injury Victims in Bonita Springs

At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, we know the consequences of suffering serious burn injuries are devastating. Along with the overwhelming medical bills, you may be dealing with severe scarring, chronic pain, and uncertainty about your future job prospects. We will work tirelessly to investigate the cause of your injuries, demonstrate the at-fault party’s negligence and negotiate with insurance companies to reach a fair settlement.

If negotiations fail, we’re also well prepared to take the case to court, if necessary, and argue for your best interest before a judge or jury. Don’t hesitate to contact our Bonita Springs office today and ask for a free consultation. You can call us 24/7/365 at (239) 307-2634, or contact us through our website.