Burn Injury Lawyers in Baltimore
Burn injuries are some of the most painful and consequential injuries a person can receive. Burns on the face, arms, torso, hands, and legs can lead to a lifetime of disfigurement and medical complications. However, victims are not alone, and there are options for relief. The attorneys at Greenberg Law Offices can assist burn injury victims in Baltimore and across Maryland with recovering compensation for their injuries.
As a burn victim, you might face a long road to recovery, but we can fight to secure the financial support you need to deal with these difficult circumstances. Contact us today to speak with a Baltimore burn injury lawyer from Greenberg Law Offices.
Why You Should Hire a Burn Injury Attorney in Baltimore for Your Case
With over 60 years of combined legal knowledge and experience, Greenberg Law Offices has cemented a reputation in Baltimore and throughout Maryland for our fierce advocacy for the injured. Burn injuries are some of the most complex claims to pursue due to the nature and costs of the injuries and their consequences. Our experience will allow us to approach your case from a strategic position to maximize your recoverable compensation.
As experienced litigators, we are unafraid to take big insurance companies to court if they shirk their payment obligations. Our clients’ futures are of the utmost importance to us, and it is shown in our conduct and work ethic. Because we are a family law firm, we strive to treat every client like family from the moment they walk in our door. That means fighting hard for the best outcome possible and taking your case to trial if the insurer won’t agree to a full and fair settlement.
What Compensation Can I Get for My Burn Injury?
Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to recover the following burn injury compensation:
- Medical Expenses – A settlement can cover any medical costs associated with treating your burns, including emergency care, wound treatment, skin grafts, reconstructive surgery, and continuing medical costs.
- Lost Income – You can also recover money for employment income you lost due to your burns, such as hourly pay/salary, bonuses, tips, commissions, and any other kind of employment compensation.
- Reduced Earning Capacity – Your burns may require you to stop working or switch to a lower-paying career. A settlement can compensate you for any reductions in your lifetime earning potential.
- Pain and Suffering – A settlement can include money for the physical pain and conscious suffering you experienced as a result of your burns.
- Scarring and Disfigurement – Burn victims may become scarred and impaired due to their condition, and a settlement can compensate them for the discomfort and mental anguish of their condition.
- Quality of Life Reductions – Your burns may prevent you from engaging in activities you once enjoyed or cause you to modify your life to accommodate impairment. You can recover money for this loss of quality of life in a financial settlement.
When pursuing your burn injury compensation, our attorneys will consider more than just typical burn treatment expenses to account for hidden or long-term costs. These include expenses for continuing medical care, reductions in lifetime earning potential, and scarring/disfigurement. We aim to be as comprehensive as possible so you can recover the maximum compensation for your losses.
Who Is Liable for a Burn Injury in Baltimore?
In most cases, the party liable for burn injuries is the party whose negligent actions or inactions resulted in the injuries.
Negligence in a burn injury case can manifest in many different ways. For example, a negligent driver who runs a stop sign and causes a wreck could be liable for burn injuries that result from the accident. As another example, a landlord who neglects electrical inspections could be liable for electrical burns if their tenant suffers from faulty or exposed wiring.
In some cases in Maryland, the at-fault party might be strictly liable for the burns, in which case the victims do not have to prove negligence. All they must demonstrate is that the at-fault party caused the injuries in question, regardless of whether they demonstrated a lack of care. This standard of strict liability for injuries is most apparent in product liability cases. If a defective product causes burns, the manufacturer can be liable even if they were not negligent.
In some cases, multiple parties might share liability for burn injuries. If so, the victim could pursue each individually for compensation. A burn injury lawyer in Baltimore from Greenberg Law Offices can thoroughly investigate your case to identify all liable parties to potentially take action against in Maryland.
What Are the Medical Costs for Burn Victims?
The great irony is that incredible advances in treating burn wounds have also seen increases in the cost of burn injury treatment, mostly due to vastly improved anesthesiology and surgical techniques. Exact medical costs for burn injury victims vary drastically depending on the severity and location of the burns, and complications such as wound necrosis and infections can further increase the cost.
According to one study, the average total cost of treatment for patients with burns over more than 10 percent of their body was over $180,000 per patient. This figure accounts for costs after emergency care, surgical skin grafts, and follow-up care.
How Long Do I Have to File a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Maryland?
The general statute of limitations on civil action in Maryland gives you just three years from the date you sustained your injuries to file a burn injury lawsuit. If three years elapse, the courts will reject any legal action you file, as your claim no longer exists. This is why it’s so important to contact a burn injury lawyer from Greenberg Law Offices right away to get started on your claim.
What Are the Common Causes of Burn Injuries?
The following are some of the most common causes of burn injuries that can result in a personal injury lawsuit:
The friction and force in auto accidents can superheat metal surfaces in vehicles, and large collisions may also cause fire and open flame. Additionally, hot parts of a car, such as the engine or radiator, might become exposed during accidents and cause burns after coming into contact with skin.
Defective products are a major source of burn injuries and can occur due to a manufacturing defect or inherently unsafe design. Gas grills and cooking appliances are two very common types of defective products that can cause severe burns if they malfunction.
Faulty wiring inside a home, apartment, or business can also cause extreme burns. In these cases, the entity responsible for inspecting and maintaining the property’s electrical systems would bear liability.
Harsh chemicals, such as bleach, battery acid, cleaners, and fertilizers, can cause burns when they come into contact with the skin or mucous membranes like the eyes, mouth, and nose.
High-energy radiation, such as UV rays or x-rays, ionizes the skin and can cause burns. For instance, a defective tanning bed light might cause severe radiation burns. Radiation burns can also result from medical malpractice, such as improper cancer treatments and imaging procedures.
The heat and concussive force of explosions can cause burns and abrasions, in addition to shrapnel lacerations from broken materials ejected by the explosion. Gas leaks and poor ventilation are major causes of explosion injuries.
Workers who work around open flames, hot machinery/equipment, or flammable chemicals or materials are at a higher risk of burn injuries due to lax safety standards.
In some cases, burns might be the result of insufficient fire safety equipment, such as a lack of fire escapes, fire extinguishers, or other fire suppression systems.
What Are the Types and Degrees of Burns?
Medical professionals divide burns into three degrees based on their severity and depth of penetration. Different degrees of burns require different types of treatment:
- First-Degree Burns are the least serious and only affect the topmost layer of the epidermis. They may leave slight redness, swelling, and peeling but typically do not cause lasting damage. Although superficial in damage, they can cause stinging pain and itchiness. Mild sunburns are the most common type of first-degree burn.
- Second-Degree Burns are more severe and penetrate the epidermis into the lower dermis layers of skin. Second-degree burns typically produce blisters and swelling and may have a shiny, wet appearance. Depending on the damage, second-degree burns may require medical/surgical intervention and leave permanent scarring.
- Third-Degree Burns are the most serious kind and penetrate all layers of skin as well as the muscles and tendons beneath. These types of burns leave large, open wounds and may turn affected skin black, brown, or white from tissue necrosis. Third-degree burns may also damage nerve endings, so they may be less painful than second-degree burns. Third-degree burns may require skin grafts and can leave heavy, permanent scarring without extensive reconstructive surgery.
