Gomez Trial Attorneys’ Results in Burn Injury Claims

The award-winning legal team at Gomez Trial Attorneys has extensive experience with negotiating, settling, and litigating personal injury claims, including those involving severe burn injuries. The firm’s continued commitment to client service and seeking justice has led to the recovery of tens of millions of dollars in compensation for clients. Recently we have achieved settlements and jury awards in the amounts of $3,000,000, $5,819,605, and $9,500,000 for burn injury victims.

These examples of our significant successes do not guarantee a specific financial outcome in your burn injury case, of course. Each claim has underlying facts and events that can add to or detract from its value. However, the experienced El Centro burn injury lawyers at Gomez Trial Attorneys investigate the circumstances of each claim and aggressively pursue the best possible result for their clients.

Most Common Sources for Burns

According to the American Burn Association, more than 485,000 people receive treatment for burn injuries each year across the United States. These treatments result in 40,000 hospitalizations, 30,000 of which involve admissions to specialty burn centers. Different types of burns require different treatments, so you, or someone on your behalf, should always tell emergency responders and doctors about the source of a burn, to ensure that you receive the proper care.

The most common sources of severe burns requiring medical treatment include:

Hot Liquids

A scald is a name for a burn from hot liquid. Many different locales and situations lead to scalds, such as:

• Bar and restaurant workers who make hot coffee, hot tea, or tend to soups and other hot liquids face the risk of a scald while on-the-job. Diners and patrons also face the risk of a scald if a worker accidentally spills hot liquid on them.
• Boiling and braising food in the kitchen and grilling outdoors as well as cooking soups and making hot beverages at home sometimes lead to scalds. Young children are especially vulnerable when left to cook alone, but a simple bump of a pan or pot, or dropping a mug of hot coffee can lead to serious burns. Parents who leave their children at in-home daycares should remain aware of the possibility of their children suffering a scald.
• Young children, toddlers, and infants risk severe scalds from a bath when a landlord fails to maintain or adjust a hot water heater or other building system.

Fires

Fire is the most obvious common cause of a severe burn, but fires occur through many different mechanisms. Gas leaks, unattended indoor and outdoor fires, and even the failure to put out lit cigarettes can all cause fires that lead to severe burns. Electrical malfunctions that throw sparks can also cause severe fires that put people in danger. And, of course, a person who purposely starts fires also puts others at risk for dangerous burns.

A purposeful fire does not always mean arson. Sometimes people start controlled fires to burn brush or trash, or they start bonfires for recreational purposes. When controlled fires go wrong, burns can happen. Flammable liquids increase the intensity of a fire and sometimes cause explosions, especially when highly flammable liquids or gases like gasoline, ammonia, hydrogen, or propane are involved. Burn victims who suffered their injuries in a fire, and are lucky enough to survive, often have severe or catastrophic burns.

Corrosive Substances

Hazardous and toxic chemicals with corrosive qualities cause chemical burns. Chemical exposure often occurs in the workplace, but can happen elsewhere, too. Cleaning products are the most common source of chemical burns. Corrosive chemicals do more than burn skin, as they also damage lungs when inhaled. In the most extreme cases, chemical burns expose bone or burn through bone. Examples of chemicals with corrosive qualities that cause burns include ammonia, bleach, battery acid, chlorine, teeth whitening products, and denture cleaning products.

Radiation

Radiation therapy is one of the go-to treatment options for some types of cancer. When a patient’s cancer is responsive, radiation treatment shrinks or eliminates tumors. Some doctors also use radiation to treat other types of tumors, blood disorders, and thyroid disorders. Even with the good that radiation does, patients risk burns. Those who have diagnostic imaging such as CT scans, X-rays, and MRIs are also vulnerable to radiation burns that cause skin, tissues, and internal damage, leading to lifelong complications. Sunburns also constitute a common, usually mild, type of radiation burn.

Electricity

Electrical currents are dangerous and deadly, and they lead to multiple types of burn injuries. Unprotected outlets and circuits, loose wires, and worn wires all have the potential to lead to a burn injury.

The National Institutes of Health reports that electricity causes four types of burn injuries:

• Flash injuries are mild, superficial burns that heal quickly and often do not require medical attention. Additionally, no electrical current goes through the body in a flash injury.
• Flame injuries occur when an electrical current throws a spark and ignites clothing or any other nearby flammable substance. In some flame injuries, electricity travels through the skin, but the biggest burn hazard comes from flammable items.
• Lightning injuries occur when short bursts of high voltage electricity flow through someone’s body. Lightning injuries mostly cause internal burns, but sometimes cause external burns.
• True injuries occur when someone’s body becomes part of an electrical circuit, so the electricity flows through their body. True injuries are typically fatal, requiring surviving family members to consider filing a wrongful death suit depending on the circumstances of their fatal burn injury.

Burn Degrees

The amount of compensation an El Centro burn victim might recover for an injury caused by another party’s wrongful actions can depend, in part, on the degree of burn the victim has suffered.

Doctors assess burns a tiered scale, with each level of burn representing a distinct increase in its severity:

• First-degree burns are those that only impact the very top layer of skin, formally called the epidermis. Treatment for a first-degree burn most often includes first aid, but those who suffer first-degree burns on a large part of their body must seek medical treatment.
• Second-degree burns are more severe than first-degree burns and extend through the epidermis, into the dermis. Sometimes burn victims with second-degree burns need a skin graft, but they always need extra time to heal.
• Third-degree burns extend through each layer of skin and often require reconstructive surgery with one or more skin grafts. Third-degree burns are painful for burn victims, who need to stay in the hospital and must follow a strict pain management regimen to cope with pain during recovery. Burn victims typically have permanent scars when they suffer third-degree burns.
• Catastrophic burns encompass so-called fourth, fifth, and sixth-degree burns. Catastrophic burns extend through all the skin, muscle, and fat layers. The most severe catastrophic burns expose bone. Catastrophic burn victims often go into shock because of the pain and physicians must induce a coma until a certain amount of healing occurs. Burns that are this severe also impact many other body processes and open the body to infection, frequently making them fatal.

At Gomez Trial Attorneys, we want our potential clients in El Centro to know that any degree of burn caused by someone else’s dangerous, careless, wrongful conduct may entitle them to compensation under California law. No one has the right to take actions that burn you, no matter how “minor” the burn seems. If you have suffered any kind of preventable burn through no fault of your own, then contact us today to learn about your legal rights.

Recovering Damages After an El Centro Burn Injury

Here at Gomez Trial Attorneys, we represent El Centro burn victims in seeking compensation for their injuries from the individuals or entities who did them harm.

Every case has its own unique circumstances, of course, but some of the most common categories of damages burn victims may seek to recover include:

Medical Expenses

Severe burns are costly because they often require a long hospital stay. Other medical expenses that add to the cost include ambulance and emergency services, and diagnostic imaging to evaluate severe burns. If a burn victim suffers so much pain that a doctor has to put them in a coma, the treatment drastically increases the length of hospitalization to weeks or months in a burn unit. Severe burns also cause some burn victims to undergo one or more skin grafts and reconstructive surgeries. Burn victims with extensive internal damage sometimes need ongoing care at a costly long-term nursing care facility.

Lost Wages

Severe burns cause burn victims to miss large chunks of time from work for hospitalization, treatment, and recovery. Missing weeks or months of work has a sizable economic impact on most households, especially when the burn victim contributed to a household’s income. Some burn victims cannot return to their jobs at all. In these cases, a burn injury attorney may seek the value of lost future wages in a burn injury claim.

Scarring and Disfigurement

In some cases, courts award damages to an El Centro burn injury victim to compensate for scarring and disfigurement. The amount a person receives for scarring and disfigurement depends on the location and the size of the scar, of course. For example, a burn scar on the cheek is likely “worth” more in a legal claim than the same size scar on the ankle. Similarly, a small burn on the leg does not merit as much compensation as a burn that extends the length of a person’s leg. Lawyers and courts also often consider the embarrassment and humiliation a burn victim can suffer from living with a burn injury when calculating the appropriate amount of damages the person should receive.

An El Centro Burn Injury Lawyer Answers Your Questions

Burn injuries occur for a multitude of reasons. Sometimes they happen in a workplace accident. Other times, they happen in a car accident or building fire. No matter what, burn injuries often cause extreme pain and sometimes alter a victim’s life forever.

When a burn injury happens, victims usually want nothing more than to get better and get back to their regular life. Unfortunately for some, that may never happen. And for those who return to normal, they may find normal to look different. Almost always, a burn injury victim will suffer physically and financially. Medical treatment for burn injuries is extremely expensive.

If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury because of someone else’s negligence, carelessness, or recklessness, speak with an experienced El Centro burn injury lawyer as soon as possible. You might recover compensation under the law, and an experienced El Centro burn injury lawyer can help you go after every dollar you deserve.

How do burn injuries happen?

In the United States, you have a one in 1,498 chance of dying from exposure to fire. For comparison, your chances of dying in a plane crash are about one in 60 million. Fires are extremely prevalent but are not the only cause of burn injuries.

Other common causes of burn injuries include:

• Radiation;
• Heat;
• Electricity;
• Chemicals; and
• Friction.

All of these burns hurt. Making matters worse, if your burn needs cleaning, that can make the pain excruciating. In fact, many people pass out because the pain becomes so unbearable.

Burn injuries often occur as a result of:

• Car accidents;
• Motorcycle accidents;
• Truck accidents;
• Workplace accidents;
• Bicycle accidents.

When you have suffered burn injuries, your pain may be so excruciating that you cannot focus on anything else. Your doctor may give you medication that helps ease your pain but, even then, you will likely experience severe discomfort. Getting through this challenging time in your life will not only require determination and grit on your part, it will also require a great deal of money.

Depending on the severity of your burns, you could end up with a life that is forever altered. You and your family may have questions about what comes next and how you will pay your bills. That’s where the knowledge and skill of an El Centro burn injury lawyer can benefit you. While you focus on your well being, your legal representative will work hard to maximize your financial recovery.

What are the different degrees of burns?

Burns fall into three different categories: first; second; and third degree.

With each degree comes increased burn coverage, more pain, and longer recovery times.

• First degree burns. These are relatively minor burns that damage the outermost layer of skin. These burns often involve redness and pain around the affected area. You may also experience swelling. First degree burns do not usually require medical attention but, if you have not healed within a week after the injury, seek medical care.
• Second degree burns. When the first layer of skin is burned all the way through and the second layer of skin is damaged, you have suffered second degree burns. You will notice blisters, along with acute pain. You may also see swelling in the affected area. Second degree burns should receive prompt medical attention. These burns may heal on their own after several weeks but could cause permanent loss of feeling or other damage if not properly treated by a medical professional.
• Third degree burns. The damage caused by the most serious level of burns may prevent you from feeling any pain. The reason for this is that third degree burns damage so much of your body that the nerve endings are also damaged, keeping you from feeling pain in the burned area. Third degree burns usually look more charred than red. Skin grafts are commonly necessary with third degree burns and all third degree burn injuries should receive immediate medical attention.

Even with minor burn injuries, you may require medical treatment to help you recover. Especially with more severe burn injuries, the effects may negatively impact your life to the point where your life is forever changed. Living with burn injuries is possible when you have the right medical treatment guiding you on your path to recovery. Regardless, you will experience pain and discomfort.

All the more reason why you should let a lawyer work hard for you to collect damages for your injuries. The person who caused your injuries should be the one to bear the burden of your medical expenses and other financial losses.

How are burns treated?

While victims can treat most minor burns at home, more serious burns require medical attention to ensure there is not any more damage to your body. Most often, burn injuries happen because of an accident, after which you may automatically receive medical attention. But even if your burn injuries happen in some other situation, make sure you seek medical attention to promptly treat your injuries.

More than 45,000 persons visit the hospital to treat burn injuries every year. Children under that age of five account for about 20 percent of those hospital visits. Treatments for burn injuries vary, depending on the degree of burn you have suffered. In the worst cases, you will need to receive treatment at a specialized burn injury center.

Your doctor will likely provide you with one or more of the following treatments:

• Misting water on the burns to help them heal and keep them cool;
• Fluid to prevent dehydration;
• Pain medication;
• Anxiety medication;
• Cream and ointment; and
• Antibiotics.

Aside from medical treatment for your burn injury, you may also need physical therapy. If your burn injury covers any joints, especially, physical therapy. This treatment will help keep your skin flexible so that as your burn injury heals the scarring does not prevent you from moving your joint.

How do I get compensation?

While your health and well being are important and should be your primary focus, it’s important to remember how much medical procedures cost.

Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may face:

• Multiple surgeries;
• Long hospital stays;
• Rehabilitation;
• Multiple doctor’s visits;
• Prescription drug costs; and
• Extended periods of time out of work.

All of these place a financial burden on your and your family. Your recourse is to file a claim for damages against the person who caused your burn injuries. To do that, you need to work with a skilled burn injury lawyer in El Centro.

Your lawyer may try to get you compensation for:

• Pain and suffering;
• Emotional distress;
• Lost wages;
• Lost earning potential;
• Loss of companionship;
• Loss of life enjoyment;
• Present and future medical bills; and
• Rehabilitation costs.

Each of these increases the amount you can recover. But it’s not as simple as saying the other person caused your accident and injuries. You have to prove what happened was their fault.

That’s why working with a trusted burn injury lawyer in El Centro can give you the leg up you need to help you collect every dollar you deserve. Your ability to recover maximum compensation for your injuries can depend on the lawyer you choose.

Do not delay in speaking with a lawyer. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that evidence of your accident will get lost. Documents can disappear. Witnesses can forget. Hiring a lawyer as soon as possible after your accident can ensure that your El Centro brain injury claim is timely filed and you can even increase your chances of a speedy physical recovery.

When you let go of the legal stress and worry surrounding your El Centro brain injury claim, you can put all of your effort and energy into your medical treatment. Your lawyer will handle the legal complexities, giving you the best chance of getting back to your regular life as quickly as possible.

What if I was offered a settlement for my El Centro burn injury claim?

One of the most important aspects of working with an El Centro burn injury attorney is their ability to negotiate on your behalf with the insurance company representing the at-fault party. If you have received a settlement offer but do not have a lawyer, now is the time to get one.

Many people mistakenly believe that they can get a larger settlement without a lawyer at their side since they will not have to pay the lawyer. Unfortunately, this can be a costly mistake for burn injury victims. When the insurance company offers you a quick settlement, they do so because it is in their best interests—not yours.

Your goal is to collect enough compensation that you do not have to pay a dime out of your own pocket for injuries you did not cause. The insurance company simply wants to make you go away for as little as possible. When they offer you a quick settlement, it is rarely their best offer, and accepting it without a knowledgeable attorney advising you about your claim is certainly not in your best interests.

If you choose to hire an experienced El Centro burn injury attorney, you can work together to create an accurate estimate of your future medical needs. This will include your present medical bills but also your future medical bills. Working with your doctor can help you and your lawyer estimate this amount. The estimate should include your lost income, too.

You can mitigate the financial hardship you face by collecting the full value of your claim. Your best chance to do that is to work with a seasoned El Centro burn injury attorney.

Do I have to file an El Centro burn injury claim soon?

Yes, you only have two years from the date of your burn injury to file a brain injury claim against the negligent party. You might think two years is a long time but with all of the struggles you will face during that time, it will go by quickly.

You may endure extreme pain, long periods of time in the hospital, and time out of work. Two years will go by before you know it. That’s why you need to speak with a burn injury lawyer in El Centro as soon as possible after your burn injury happens. Your lawyer will get started on your El Centro brain injury claim while you focus on your recovery.

While most El Centro brain injury claims settle out of court, sometimes a trial is necessary to get you every dollar you deserve. We know you want to put this traumatic experience behind you as quickly as possible. But we also do not want to see you end up in financial hardship because your settlement did not include enough money to cover all of your financial needs. When you sign the settlement offer, you will waive your right to bring any future claims against the insurance company for your injuries.

That’s why you need to work with a lawyer from the beginning, to make sure your best interests are protected. When you choose a lawyer with burn injury trial experience, you ensure that if the unlikely happens and your case goes to trial, your legal team is prepared to help you collect every dollar you deserve.

How can an El Centro burn injury lawyer help me?

The right lawyer can make all the difference in your burn injury claim. Your ability to recover maximum damages from the negligent party can depend on the legal representation you choose. That’s why this decision is so important. Your lawyer holds an awesome responsibility to help you recover.

Your lawyer may investigate your claim, speak with witnesses, review police and medical records, review photos of the accident and your injuries, hire experts, negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf, and represent your best interests at trial. Working with the right lawyer can give you the help you need to make sure you do not end up getting stuck paying your medical expenses or dealing with financial hardship because of your burn injuries.

Contact an El Centro Burn Injury Lawyer Today

Severe burn injuries cause victims great physical and emotional pain and substantial economic loss. You deserve compensation when another person or business caused your burns, and you shouldn’t have to cope with financial stress in the wake of a serious injury that you suffered through no fault of your own.

The team at Gomez Trial Attorneys understands the challenges you face as an El Centro burn injury victim. We have the experience and know-how to help burn victims like you obtain the compensation you need and deserve for your injuries and losses.

If you have suffered burn injuries because of another person’s or business’s careless actions, and you live or work in the El Centro area, contact Gomez Trial Attorneys today online or at (619) 237-3490 for a free case evaluation. We can discuss the details of your burn injury and how we might assist you in seeking the compensation you deserve. We represent clients on contingency, which means we only get paid if we obtain compensation for you.

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“I know firsthand that Gomez Trial Attorneys is a professional and compassionate law firm. The entire office is a family and they treat their clients like family as well – these people truly care. Not only that, but they strive to make a positive difference in the community through their outreach efforts. Highly recommend.

Gomez Trial Attorneys
2299 West Adams Avenue, Suite 102
El Centro, CA 92243
(760)-259-2166