According to the American Burn Association,
around 486,000 people receive medical support for burn injuries every year. Hospitals admit 40,000 people for their injuries annually, and the majority of burns arise from fire-related incidents and scalding incidents.
First-degree sunburns and burns from hot beverages represent the mildest kinds of burns people experience, and even these minor burns can cause pain. More severe burns and relatively minor burns across large or sensitive areas of the body can lead to permanent scarring, chronic pain, or loss of sensation. When preventable accidents leave Fort Worth victims with disfiguring and painful burn injuries, the attorneys at
Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert are here to help.
We represent burn injury victims throughout the Fort Worth area. Our firm understands how burn injuries affect individuals and their families. We’ve seen the painful and long-term recovery process, the emotional impact, and the financial struggles of those trying to recover. When reckless and malicious people cause these injuries, we take swift and relentless action to secure fair compensation and justice for our clients.
Types of Burn Injuries
In addition to fire and scalding liquid incidents, burns can also arise from contact with electricity, prolonged exposure to the sun, and contact with dangerous chemicals. Friction burns including road rash from car accidents and cases involving sexual assault also fall under the category of burn injuries.
Medical professionals evaluate both the type and the level of burn to create a treatment plan for burn injury victims. First-degree burns cause irritation and redness. They heal quickly and rarely, if ever, cause scarring. Second-degree burns often cause blisters, skin dryness, and thickening. These burns often do leave scars and can cause immense pain. They will usually heal without invasive treatments.
Third- and fourth-degree burns are the most serious and often cause permanent scarring and disfigurement. They can result in deep tissue damage, necrosis, and loss of sensation around the burn site. Fourth-degree burns affect all layers of the derma, down to a person’s bones and tendons. Medical professionals often recommend skin grafts and plastic surgery to correct the tissue damage from these severe burn injuries.
Those who experience the most severe forms of burn injuries may spend months or years in recovery. Many will never fully heal emotionally or physically from their experiences.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries can arise from many different incidents. Some of the most common causes of preventable burn injuries include:
- Car accidents
- Leaving a boiling pot of water within a child’s reach
- Failing to put sunscreen on a child during prolonged periods in the sun
- Electrical incidents on construction sites and in homes
- Workplace explosions
- Unsafe exposure to dangerous chemicals
- Product defects
Our firm handles all kinds of burn injury claims. If someone’s reckless or malicious behavior caused your or your child’s burn injury, we can help you find adequate medial support and take action against those responsible.
Burn Injury Complications
While burn injuries cause physical pain and suffering, burn injury victims also face the risk of complications. Burn injuries leave the body exposed and vulnerable. Pathogens can enter the wounds and cause a localized infection or sepsis. Injuries that harm the lungs can leave a patient vulnerable to pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses. These complications can threaten a burn victim’s life and lead to additional permanent losses.
Compensation Available for Burn Injury Claims
Damages in a burn injury claim can include economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are relatively simple to determine; these are the direct economic costs of a personal injury.
• Medical expenses. Burn injuries require immediate medical treatment in many cases, and this can lead to painful recovery time. Severe burns may require surgical correction leading to even more extensive recovery and long-term treatment. A plaintiff can claim compensation for hospital bills, ambulance fees, surgical costs, and all other costs related to medical care of the burn injury. However, the plaintiff can also claim compensation for future medical expenses related to multiple treatments and rehabilitation.
• Property damage. If the defendant’s negligence damaged or destroyed the plaintiff’s personal property, the plaintiff can include repair and replacement costs as damages in the lawsuit. For example, a burn injury lawsuit from a car accident will also involve damage to the victim’s vehicle.
• Lost income. Plaintiffs in burn injury cases may lose income following their injuries due to necessary medical treatment. They may need to use accrued sick and vacation time and can claim the value of this time as economic damages. However, if a plaintiff’s injuries result in a permanent disability that prevents working at all in the future, or limits the victim’s earning potential, the plaintiff can claim compensation for lost future earnings.
Burn injuries are serious incidents, and not all the damages related to a burn injury are easily quantifiable. Noneconomic damages for physical pain, mental distress, and emotional suffering resulting from a burn injury usually require expert witness testimony. Medical and psychological experts can help the court understand the intangible impacts of the plaintiff’s experiences. Burns can also cause severe disfigurement and disabilities that can significantly diminish the victim’s quality of life and ability to live independently.
Punitive Damages
If a defendant committed an intentional tort that resulted in the plaintiff’s burn injury, or the defendant’s negligence far exceeded the scope of typical negligence, the jury may award punitive damages to the plaintiff in addition to economic and noneconomic damages. Texas allows up to $200,000 in punitive damages, or twice the amount of economic damages plus the total cost of noneconomic damages in the claim up to $750,000.
Why Choose Our Firm?
Burn injuries are some of the most complex personal injury cases and usually involve significant damages. Medical treatment for a burn injury requires careful immediate care and long-term treatment that may involve multiple surgeries, rehabilitation, and even disability. If you intend to pursue a personal injury lawsuit for a burn injury in the Fort Worth area, you need an attorney who has experience with difficult cases and the skill to maximize your compensation.
• The Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert, P.C. has more than a decade of experience handling difficult personal injury cases in the Fort Worth area. We understand how devastating these injuries are and can help secure a recovery on your behalf.
• Aaron A. Herbert is one of only 2% of Texas attorneys to earn board certification in personal injury law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
• Our attorneys can handle all aspects of your case so you can focus on your recovery. We have the resources to fully explore all routes to compensation in your claim.
• We take all cases on a contingency fee agreement. This allows anyone with a valid claim to secure the services of an attorney regardless of ability to pay; we only collect legal fees when we win your case.
Your choice of attorney significantly affects the outcome of your case. Burn injuries involve substantial economic and noneconomic damages, and the right attorney will know where to look to maximize the value of your claim.
Fort Worth Burn Injury Attorneys
At The Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert, we protect our clients’ rights to fair compensation after debilitating and painful burn injury experiences. Our founding attorney, Aaron A. Herbert, is a board certified personal injury trial lawyer with a reputation for success in injury claims. We will never accept a settlement that does not put your best interests first. We will do everything we can to resolve your case quickly and effectively so you can focus on healing. For a free, no obligation case evaluation or to learn more about our practice in Fort Worth,
contact our firm today at (817) 500-4878.
