If you've suffered from a burn injury, we want you to know that you're not alone. Our Doral Burn Injury Attorneys have helped many clients recover compensation for their suffering. We can show you the steps necessary to ensure a recovery without the burden of uncompensated medical expenses.
We know that burn injuries can require a lifetime of medical care and treatment. These injuries may significantly affect your entire life and future. That is why you deserve to have a law firm on your side fighting for you.
Our Doral burn injury lawyers will review your accident and help you determine the best course of legal action. We want to take the legal burdens off of you during this difficult time so you can focus on your health and recovery. To make things easier, we offer free initial consultations and reviews. Simply call our law firm today to learn more about your legal options.
Our law firm is located at 8400 NW 36th Street in Doral, Florida.
To schedule a free case evaluation with one of our lawyers, call Dolman Law Group today at 305-930-7688
Burn Injuries in Doral
Every year, thousands of victims suffer serious repercussions from burn injuries: loss of earnings, permanent physical disabilities, and scars are just a few examples. Florida alone houses three regional burn centers where patients may endure extensive skin graft surgeries and prolonged therapy sessions along the road to recovery.
Doral is a residential community located in Miami-Dade County. Here, residents enjoy all the amenities of a big city with a small community feel. This close proximity to Miami means that Doral burn injury victims can access some of the best burn centers in the country.
In Doral, burn injury victims may seek treatment at the Burn Center at Kendall Regional Medical Center. They offer advanced burn treatment and surgical procedures.
The Three Most Common Types of Burn Injuries
- First-degree burns. Although painful, these are considered mild burns, and typically do not require hospitalization. 1st-degree burns can occur when the victim touches an electrical appliance or extremely hot water; sunburns are also classified as 1st-degree burns. Affected areas appear red and swollen, and may take several weeks to fully heal. During this period, pain management is often required.
- Second-degree burns. These burns are also known as partial thickness burns. They affect both the epidermis and dermis layers of the skin. Such burns can be sustained through chemical, electrical, or thermal means; for example, chemical burns can occur when skin comes into contact with strong acids in industrial solvents. Victims of Second degree burns often develop painful blisters. Complications are possible, and medical attention is frequently necessary.
- Third-degree burns. Also known as “full thickness” burns, these injuries are the most serious burns to treat. All layers of the skin are affected. Third-degree burns can be caused by powerful chemical, electrical, radiation, or thermal energy. Victims sustain a significant injury to the underlying tissues at and around the burn site, and typically experience extreme and chronic pain. The skin may appear leathery, and yellow, brown, white, or charred black in color. Third-degree burns can be life-threatening, especially in the event of sepsis or hypothermia, common complications as a result of serious burns.
Severe burns usually require sustained treatment at a burn center. Recovery from extensive burns is typically extensive, debilitating, and painful, and may require multiple surgical treatments during the course of recovery.
Causes of Burn Injuries in Doral
Burn injuries in Doral can occur due to faulty appliances, negligence, explosions, or improperly installed equipment. Each situation is unique, and there is little uniformity across industries.
Many victims in Doral sustain burn injuries in the workplace. OSHA reports that thermal, chemical, and electrical burns are some of the most serious burns. In the construction industry, 5.6 percent of all construction eye injuries (welder's flash) are caused by burns. The American Burn Association reports that men sustain injuries at twice the rate of women.
At a construction site, electrical burns can occur in a number of ways. Injuries can be sustained through contact with direct power lines, energized machinery, or electrical explosions. Thermal burns can be sustained through contact with scalding steam. For this reason, an important OSHA regulation, 1910.261 (k)(11), states that all exposed hot-water pipes within 7 feet of the floor or within 15 inches from stairways, ramps, or fixed ladders must be covered with insulating material.
Some of the most common causes of burn injuries in Doral include:
- Fire
- Hot liquid or steam
- Electrical currents
- Thermal burns
- Chemical burns
- Fireworks
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Workplace accidents
Filing a Doral Burn Injury Lawsuit or Claim
Who is to Blame After a Doral Burn Injury?
Regardless of the setting, workers exposed to burn hazards are at a serious risk of life-altering injury; employers, property owners, or other individuals or organizations are required to take precautions, and can be found liable if the proper cautionary steps are not observed.
- Doral Employers. Doral employers may be held liable if unsafe workplace environments lead to electrical malfunctions or chemical spills. The manufacturing and construction industries report the highest levels of burn injuries.
On welding operations, for example, OSHA requires all employees to be supplied with personal protective equipment (PPE). Goggles, hoods, protective footwear, and flame-resistant gloves must be worn by employees on the job. Welding helmets are particularly crucial, because they protect against dangerous arc radiation.
In addition, combustible material must be handled according to safety protocols. Company owners or managers who fail to follow such protocols can be held liable for injuries.
- Negligent Drivers. On the road, drivers who cause injuries can also be held liable for their negligence.
Take, for, instance a driver who fails to stop at a red light. The driver crashes into a truck carrying hazardous chemicals; an explosion occurs, and the truck operator sustains severe chemical burns. In such an instance, the automobile driver could be held liable for the injuries sustained from the explosion.
- Product Manufacturers. Manufacturers who market unsafe products can also face liability for improper labels or manufacturing defects. An example is food labels that fail to acknowledge known allergens, such as soy, peanuts, and dairy in the list of ingredients.
- Property Owners. If you are a renter, you should know that landlords who don't comply with federal and state fire codes can also be held liable for injuries you sustain in a fire.
How Much is My Doral Burn Injury Case Worth?
Burn injuries frequently result in severe suffering for victims. Additionally, if there is loss of life, the families of victims endure significant emotional distress. In many cases, compensation for these conditions may be obtained.
Potential Types of Recoverable Damages
- Medical bills for operations, physical therapy, and rehabilitative care.
- Compensation for lost wages.
- Physical and mental impairment as a result of the injury.
- Lost future earnings.
- Pain and emotional suffering.
- How Can Our Doral Burn Injury Lawyers Help?
In many instances, the guilty party may try to deny liability. Alternately, an insurance company may argue that a lack of forensic evidence absolves it of responsibility. Here, the services of our experienced Doral burn injury attorneys will prove indispensable. When and where appropriate, our personal injury attorneys will conduct an unbiased investigation to determine the next steps you should take.
Similarly, employers may argue that liability waivers hold greater weight than your claim. Understand that, in most cases, liability waivers are iron-clad, and frequently withstand judicial scrutiny. However, our Doral burn injury attorneys may be able to uncover potential weaknesses in any waiver you signed. For example, the language in which a waiver is couched is important; vague references and ambiguous statements may lead a court to decide in your favor. Our lawyers are skilled in analyzing and interpreting documents like these.
If you're wondering whether litigation is in your best interests, talk to a Doral burn injury lawyer from Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA. Don't let fear rob you of your right to justice. Many lawyers offer free, initial consultations to assist you in your decision-making process, and can help you plan a comprehensive strategy for seeking compensation after your injury.
Doral Burn Injury FAQs
Doral is a busy and fun city near Miami, just a few minutes outside the great Miami Airport. The thousands of residents who live in Doral love the busy atmosphere and sunny streets. But just like many cities in Florida, Doral is no stranger to accidents.
Burn injuries in Doral are certainly not uncommon. Burn injuries can occur for many reasons, from work accidents to car accidents or even accidents in the kitchen. The negligent acts of another cause other burn injuries, which makes them serious legal matters that require a lawyer's guidance.
If you have suffered a burn injury in Doral, we are here to help. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we get from burn injury victims and their families. If you have further questions, don't hesitate to reach out for more help.
Q: How Do Burn Injuries Usually Happen?
A: Burn injuries can happen for several reasons. While they occasionally happen innocently, such as when you forget to use a hot pad in the kitchen, big accidents more often cause them.
Some common causes of burn injuries include:
- Car accidents involving a car fire or explosion.
- Work accidents involving an electrical malfunction or faulty equipment.
- Defective products that explode when in use.
Someone's negligent actions usually cause these accidents. For example, speeding or driving distracted drivers often cause serious car accidents. Improperly designed and tested defective products can injure their owners in accidents that product manufacturers or sellers actually caused.
If you are burned in an accident that isn't your fault, you are entitled to seek compensation from those who caused your burn injury.
Q: What Are the Most Common Burn Injuries?
A: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 180,000 people die every year because of burn injuries. There are a few different kinds of burn injuries, some serious and some less so.
The main types of burn injuries that you might suffer include:
- First-degree burns. These burns are milder than other types of burns and usually don't cause serious injury. First-degree burns damage the epidermis (the top layer of skin) and usually hurt but don't blister.
- Second-degree burns. Second-degree burns damage both the epidermis and the dermis (second layer of skin). These types of burns usually cause pain, swelling, and blistering. They can lead to infection.
- Third-degree burns. Third-degree burns damage the epidermis, the dermis, and the fat below the skin. This type of burn damages sweat glands, hair follicles, and nerve endings under your skin and may turn your skin red, white, or black. You probably won't feel as much pain in your burns as adjacent to them, since your burns will destroy the nerve endings.
Many substances can cause burns.
Besides the fire you might encounter in a serious car accident, other substances could damage you in the workplace or at home:
- Chemicals
- Electricity
- Radiation
- Sun
- Hot liquids
- Steam
Any one of these substances could cause serious damage to your skin and lead to serious long-term injuries or other complications.
Q: What Serious Long-Term Issues Can Burn Injuries Cause?
A: Burn injuries can lead to all kinds of serious complications. Depending on the burn's severity, you may suffer for a few months or the rest of your life. If you decide to bring a burn injury claim against those who caused your injuries, you will bring evidence of the long-term effects your burns will have on your life.
The common long-term and serious issues burn injuries can cause include:
- Infections. Burn injuries seriously damage your skin, one of your body's main protections from infections. When an injury exposes your inner body to the air, bacteria and other pathogens can cause serious infections.
- Sepsis. One of the most common and serious kinds of infections you may suffer is sepsis. Sepsis is an infection of the blood that inflames your entire body and can lead to organ failure and death.
- Low blood volume. If the burn damages your blood vessels, your body may lose an excess of blood and fluid. If your body loses too much blood volume, it may be hard for your heart to pump enough blood to help you recover.
- Blood clots. Victims of serious burn injuries may have to spend a lot of time in bed recovering. In some cases, your blood may start to pool in your limbs and end in clots.
- Severe scarring or disfigurement. Most burns will leave you with some scars, but serious burns will leave you with large, often unfading scars. These can cause long-term emotional distress as well as other difficulties.
- Joint issues. Burns can damage your joints. Scarring on your joints may make them harder to use.
- Breathing complications. Sometimes breathing in smoke and hot air can damage your respiratory system, sometimes permanently.
- PTSD. Some victims, especially young victims, may suffer severe emotional distress and scarring in the burn accident.
As a victim of serious burn injuries, you will want to keep track of the complications you suffer after your accident. This will help you know how much compensation you will need to help you with recovery costs throughout the years.
Q: How Does A Burn Injury Case Work?
A: A burn injury case will usually be considered a personal injury case by the court. A typical injury case will involve bringing evidence of all kinds of damages together and making a claim for a certain amount of compensation in return.
You need to take these steps to build a strong burn injury case.
- The first thing you will want to do is talk to a burn injury lawyer. A lawyer will be incredibly helpful in providing you with support and guidance as you recover your strength and gather the evidence you need for your claim.
- Next, you will want to start gathering evidence of the damages you can claim. In a personal injury case, there are a few types of damages you can use in a claim:
- Medical expenses, both present and future.
- Property damage.
- Loss of income and future earning capacity.
- Pain and suffering.
- Emotional distress.
- Loss of life enjoyment.
- Loss of consortium.
- Scarring, disfigurement, and disability.
- Your lawyers will likely take some time to speak with one or more medical experts who can testify to the severity of your injury and the complications it is likely to cause for you and your loved ones.
- Your lawyers will file a complaint against the responsible party, who will then have a set time in which to answer the complaint with either a rebuttal or a settlement offer.
- Lawyers on both sides will negotiate to attempt a settlement favorable to both sides of the claim.
- If you cannot settle, the case may head to court. Lawyers will spend time gathering evidence from medical experts, bills, records, documentation, depositions (verbal interviews of key parties and witnesses), and interrogatories (written questionnaires for involved parties and witnesses).
- The case may go to court, where a judge and jury will determine the outcome.
To bring a claim against another party, you have to prove these four criteria:
- Prove that the defendant owed you a duty of care.
- Prove that the defendant breached their duty of care.
- Prove that the breach of duty was the direct cause of the accident that led to your injuries.
- Prove that the burn injuries led to serious suffering and consequences for you and your family.
Once you can prove those four things, you know that you have a strong claim against those who caused your burn injuries.
Q: What Evidence Do You Need in a Burn Injury Case?
A: Burn injuries are serious and obvious injuries, so you may think that you don't need a lot of evidence to prove your claim. However, this is often not the case. The severity of your injuries and the ongoing or future issues your injuries may lead to will not be as obvious to those looking on.
The other party in your claim is likely to dispute how much damage you actually suffered because of your injuries. To build a strong claim, you will need persuasive evidence.
A burn injury lawyer will help you gather such evidence as:
- Medical bills and records. These are important for determining how much you have already suffered and paid for your burn injuries.
- Testimony from a medical expert. Testimony from medical experts will help outline the severity of your case and how much pain and expense you will endure in the future.
- Photos or video. This type of evidence can prove the cause of the accident and provide further evidence of the severity of your injuries.
- Accident or police reports. Depending on where you were injured, the police may have been on the scene to write a report. If you were injured at work, your employer will probably have to file a report as well. You will want any filed report to help you prove who was at fault for the burn incident.
- Documentation of lost income. After most serious burn injuries, you may need time off work to recover. You may even need to quit your job if your injuries prevent you from working at the same level as before. In either case, you will need to talk to your employer to get documentation of those lost hours so that you can claim lost income in your case.
- Witness statements. In most burn injury cases, one or more witnesses will observe what led to the incident. You will need statements from each witness.
- Insurance information. To make an effective claim, your lawyers will need to see what your insurance covers as well as what the other party's insurance covers. Personal injury claims deal heavily with insurance companies.
- Personal records. You may want to journal about all the personal and financial struggles you face after an accident. This will keep things fresh in your mind when your case goes to court so that you can prove how much you lost.
Q: Should I Hire a Burn Injury Lawyer to Help My Case?
A: Hiring a burn injury lawyer is always a good idea. There are many ways burn injury lawyers can help victims, from providing support and resources to pay for medical treatment and transportation needs to building a strong and successful claim.
Most burn injury cases will settle out of court. However, if you are alone, you may settle for the first offer an insurance company makes, leaving you without enough compensation to cover all the present and future costs your injuries will cause. Burn injury lawyers can help you determine a reasonable amount of compensation you can expect and ensure that you get that much without having to settle.
Lawyers are also helpful for relieving stress after an accident. If you are recovering from severe burn injuries, you probably don't want to deal with stressful negotiations and trying to contact all kinds of agencies for evidence for your claim. Lawyers can handle all that stress for you so that you can focus on recovering as soon as possible.
If you have any more questions about your burn injury case and how to go about getting the compensation you need, don't hesitate to reach out to a burn injury lawyer for a free consultation and further guidance on your claim.
Contact Dolman Law Group Today to Schedule a Free Consultation
If you incurred significant burn injuries in Doral, you may be entitled to compensation for any material or non-material losses you have sustained. The best way to ensure you receive proper compensation is to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney. In the event of a burn injury, don't delay; call as soon as you are able; the lawyers of Dolman Law Group are available to answer any of your questions.
We have helped numerous victims earn favorable court verdicts that resulted in substantial settlements. While these past results do not necessarily guarantee similar results for everyone, we regularly fight for victims who have no other recourse, and aspire to place the best interests of our client first. In many instances, cases can be handled on a contingent fee basis; you pay nothing up front, and any legal fees you incur can be recovered out of any settlement you may receive.
To schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys, call our office today at (305) 930-7688 or write to us online.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA
8400 NW 36th St Suite 450
Doral, FL 33166
305-930-7688
What Our Clients Have to Say:
“My experience with this law firm has been extremely pleasant. After being involved in an accident where I was injured, I was able to seek treatment from the best doctors in the area. I was lucky to have a team that assisted in scheduling my appointments that worked around both my full time work schedule and my demanding grad school schedule. Even with a move out of state to New York, I was able to remain with this law firm and continue treatment in south Florida while remaining under the care of the doctors that I felt most comfortable with. Even though I suffered injuries and experienced difficulties in that aspect, the team here was able to make sure that I was able to continue work and stay on track with grad school all while I moved to a new state.”
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Anna Slough
August 2018
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