Los Angeles Burn Injury Lawyer

Why Hire West Coast Trial Lawyers for Your Burn Injuries?

Burn injuries are some of the most excruciating and severe injuries a person can experience. Fire accidents can be traumatic, and the recovery process can be excruciating for burn injury victims.

If you have suffered severe burn injuries caused by the negligent actions of another, you may have the right to financial compensation. 

An experienced Los Angeles burn injury lawyer at West Coast Trial Lawyers could help you get the most out of your claim. Our burn injury attorneys have over 60 years of legal experience in personal injury law. We have recovered over $1.5 billion in financial damages for our clients.

Contact our office today by calling 213-927-3700 or filling out our quick contact form to schedule a free consultation.

How To File a Burn Injury Claim in Los Angeles

Burn injury victims are entitled to file a personal injury claim to seek monetary damages for their physical injuries and financial losses.

However, if you hope to win your burn injury claim, you will need to show that someone else’s negligence or misconduct is the cause of your injuries. The type of accident that you were involved in could be a key indicator in revealing who is responsible for the accident that caused your severe burns.

Here are a few steps you need to take to file a burn injury case in Los Angeles;

• Seek medical professionals for your burn injuries.
• Identify the at-fault party and collect necessary identification from them.
• Gather evidence like pictures or videos of the accident or your burn scars.
• Get expert witnesses to testify on your behalf.
• Consult with an experienced burn injury attorney who can help you with every step of the claims process.

Statute of Limitations for a Los Angeles Burn Injury Claim

Your lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires if you hope to have your case heard in the Los Angeles civil court system.

Under the law, the statute of limitations for a burn injury claim is just two years. Failure to file your claim before the statute of limitation expires will result in losing the opportunity to be awarded compensation through the civil courts.

Two years may seem like more than enough time to move forward with your case, but the sooner you get started with help from an attorney, the more likely you will have the evidence needed to support your case.

Common Types of Accidents That Cause Severe Burns

Southern California is a desert land susceptible to wildfires, and according to the U.S. Fire Administration’s Statistics, there were 547 fires throughout the country in 2021.

There are endless types of accidents that can potentially cause burn injuries. However, some types of accidents are known for causing catastrophic injuries more frequently than others. These include:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Bus accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Premises liability accidents
• Restaurant accidents
• Construction accidents

If you or someone you love is suffering from severe scarring due to a serious burn injury, contact one of the burn injury lawyers at our firm for legal guidance.

Types of Burn Injuries

Fires aren’t the only cause of burn injuries. Sometimes burn injuries may be caused by other circumstances, such as a product, defect, a workplace injury, or because of someone’s negligence.

There are four types of burn injuries, namely;

• Electrical burns
• Thermal burns
• Radiation burns
• Scald burns
• Chemical burns

Burn injuries are medically classified into four categories, from minor burns to the most severe burns.

• First-degree burns: Burns that cause tolerable pain, affect only the outer layer, and do not leave lasting scars are classified as first-degree burns.
• Second-degree burns: These burns may produce more visible blisters, affecting both the epidermis and dermis. Second-degree burns may also cause some thickening of the surrounding skin.
• Third-degree burns: A third-degree burn can also be classified as full-thickness burns. These types of burns result in total skin damage and whitening of the skin.
• Fourth-degree burns: These are catastrophic burn injuries similar to third-degree burns. Fourth-degree burn victims will suffer burn injuries that spread to the tendons and bones. Skin grafting surgery may be needed in the treatment process.

Serious burn injuries can cause nerve damage and permanent scarring. If you suffer from serious infections due to second-degree burns, contact one of our burn injury lawyers today.

Premises Liability Burn Injury Claims

A property owner may be held liable if a burn accident happens because of a hazard on their property. According to California premises liability law, all property owners and landlords are legally required to maintain their property in reasonably safe conditions.

This means that every property owner has a duty of care to maintain their property, repair any hazardous conditions, or provide adequate warnings about any hazardous conditions on their property.

Burn Injuries Caused by Defective Products in Los Angeles

A company that produces or sells a defective product that causes a burn injury may be held liable for any losses caused. 

According to product liability law, anyone involved in the chain of distribution — including product designers, manufacturers, or sellers can be held strictly liable for injuries caused by the faulty product.

Strict liability cases typically revolve around:

• Defects in the design process
• Defects in the manufacturing process
• Lack of adequate warnings or proper instructions

In order to successfully pursue a product liability lawsuit after a burn injury, a victim must prove that the:

• The burn victim used the product in a reasonable way
• Defendant designed, manufactured or sold a defective product
• Product defect was the significant factor that caused the victim’s losses
• The product already had a design, manufacturing, or warning defect when it left the defendant

Los Angeles Burn Injuries at Work

Many workers are at risk of sustaining burn injuries at their workplaces. If you suffered burn injuries while at work, you would have to file a workers compensation claim in order to recover damages.

To file a claim, the employee must prove the accident happened on the work premises or while they were performing work-related tasks.

Severe injuries, such as construction accident burns, will limit an employee’s ability to perform their duties at work. Getting in touch with a burn injury attorney will ensure you are compensated for all the time missed at work as well as medical bills.

How to Win Your Los Angeles Burn Injury Claim

If you are hoping to bring the liable party to justice for your burn injuries, you will need to show that their negligence or misconduct is the cause of your accident.

You will need the help of experienced burn attorneys to gather evidence and prove negligence on the at-fault party.

Negligence is a wrongful act committed by an individual or organization that causes harm to someone else. For a successful personal injury lawsuit, burn victims must prove that:

• The defendant owed the victim a duty of care
• The defendant failed to comply with this duty of care
• The defendant’s failure to comply with their duty of care was the significant factor that caused the burn damages

Compensation for Burn Injury Victims in Los Angeles 

Burn injuries are among the most painful and devastating injuries anyone can possibly experience. Due to the severity of these types of injuries, victims often require extensive treatment and costly plastic surgery. These expenses can be recuperated from the negligent party at fault.

Settlements from burn injury lawsuits are meant to compensate victims of severe burns caused through no fault of their own. These could cover losses and damages such as:

• Medical expenses
• Lost income
• Diminished earning capacity
• Occupational and physical therapy expenses
• Property damages
• Diminished quality of life
• Skin scarring and disfigurement
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Mental suffering
• Loss of consortium

Settlement amounts for burn injuries are decided based on the extent of the damage suffered by the burn victim.

You may also have the opportunity to recover punitive damages after a burn accident. California law allows judges to award punitive damages when they find the defendant’s actions egregious or grossly negligent.

Get Help from a Burn Injury Lawyer in Los Angeles

With the help of a dedicated Los Angeles burn injury attorney at West Coast Trial Lawyers, you could bring the liable party responsible for your burn injuries to justice. 

The burn injury attorneys at our personal injury law firm have 60 years of experience with burn injury cases and can help ease the stress of your recovery process. With over $1.5 billion won in burn injury settlements, we can help you seek maximum compensation for your damages.

Contact our Los Angeles office today at 213-927-3700 for a free consultation. You can also complete our quick contact form to get in touch with us. Our team is available 24/7 for all your legal needs and concerns.

Burn Injury Resources from Our Los Angeles Law Firm

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