By Sheila LaCivita | 5 min read
A burn injury is an unfortunate accident that leaves many of the victims wondering what they can do. It's an incident that can affect mental, physical, and emotional health. Burn victims should know what they can do legally to help make amends to the situation. Here are some of the major legal rights that burn victims should know.
Finding Out Who's Liable
Before any damages are awarded to the victim from a burn injury, it's necessary to find out who's liable. There are three key factors in this discovery:
Was the burn due to a hazardous workplace?
Was the burn caused by a defective product?
Maybe some bad wiring at home caused a burn in the house
When the victim isn't at fault, that opens up the door for compensation. The cost of the burns also plays a role in the way the victim gets compensated. Maybe the burn caused a major infection, scarring, or something else.
Medical Bills
Depending on the severity of the burn injury, it could have a major impact on the body. When that happens, there's no telling how long it'll take to physically recover. As a result, you could wind up with huge medical bills.
Some of the things that are covered from your injuries may include:
Hospitalization
Procedures
Counseling
Rehabilitation
Future Medical Care
Remember, it can take time to rebuild things. That's why it's imperative that you know what medical expenses are covered after a terrible accident.
Compensation for Income Loss
Chances are you won't get back to work immediately after you receive a traumatic burn injury. Severity also plays a role in this because of the long-term hospitalization and physical therapy involved. This takes a long time and the healing process can be quite extensive. Due to the nature of the injury, you may miss long periods of work. You'll be compensated for the time you miss and any future wages. Why?
Well, you won't be able to go back to work because of the nature of the injury. Additionally, you may not be able to physically do the work you once could because of the long-lasting effects of the accident. The right attorney knows whether you're eligible to get compensated for current and future wages because of the severity of your injuries.
Vocational Rehabilitation
Due to the injuries sustained, a burn victim won't be able to return to work in the same capacity prior. There's a chance that you'll receive compensation and retraining for a new job that fits your current state. Some people may lose their hearing or become disfigured. This is something that just doesn't come back. They may need a hearing aid for the rest of their life. Maybe a prosthetic arm or leg. The right attorney can fight for you to get the maximum compensation allowed. Also, it'll give you more time to heal and transition back into your normal routine.
Compensation for Your Physical, Mental, and Emotional Toll
During the time you're injured, there are a lot of things that go on. You're immobile to do the simple, everyday things that you enjoy. It may be something as simple as getting up to go get a drink of coffee. Not feeling like yourself can put a damper on your mental health. These are the things that you can't visibly see, but they happen. Most juries are sympathetic to your cause and how this affects you mentally and emotionally. Sometimes, you may get much higher compensation because of the ongoing effects on your psyche. You may experience PTSD, which has a big effect on your mental state. As a result, you'll need a psychiatrist to help give you the right counseling to help you take things day-by-day.
The Effect On Your Family
Not only does it affect you, but it hurts your family as well. This could affect the compassion, intimacy, and support that your spouse needs from you. That affects the family in a number of cases. You could have kids and they'll see the behavioral change. Something as simple as a hug or playing with your children can be difficult. It alters the family dynamic over time. Your spouse can get compensated for having to deal with the tough time. Sometimes this results in the healthy spouse having to get another job because of the costs of your burn accident. If you're someone who's the breadwinner of the family, this places a lot of stress on the other spouse to step up. It'll affect your marriage and your relationship with your kids.
When it comes to the burn victim, there are different scenarios to consider. You must have the right legal representative who knows how much compensation you should receive in the short and long term. This can help lighten the load while you and your family heal.
Sheila LaCivita
Sheila LaCivita is the Founder and CEO of 4 Corners Deposition Summaries, a company built to help trial lawyers through the deposition and transcription process. For more information about depositions or her company, feel free to reach out to Sheila via email at sheila@4cornersdepo.com.
