Hiring A Burn Injury Lawyer Significantly Increases Your Chances At Recovery

If you’ve just suffered a burn injury take these steps to protect yourself and the possibilities of filing a future lawsuit.

Due to the complexity, each case is different. There is no swift yes or no answer. Each burn accident needs to be evaluated and investigated. Burn injuries can be complex and long-lasting. They have some of the most severe consequences and commonly, the most severe form of physical and emotional trauma. Treatment for burn injuries can be expensive and extensive. They can easily reach and exceed hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Attorneys that work with burn injuries will be able to listen to your story and give you feedback on how strong your case might be. Tell us your story our consultation if free – Available 24/7 – (815) 964-8303

If you feel that your burn was the cause of neglect there are a few ways our attorneys can help you obtain compensation for medical bills, missed work, and pain.

There are 4 Levels or Degrees of Burn Injuries:

First-Degree Burns: A person sustains first-degree burns when the outer layer of skin is affected. Such as a mild to moderate sunburn. The damage to one’s skin involves mild pain and redness but does not involve blistering or permanent scarring.

Second-Degree Burns: A person sustains second-degree burns when both the outer layer of skin and the dermis are damaged. Besides pain and redness, second-degree burns may lead to swelling and blistering. A second-degree burn may be superficial, whereby only a part of the dermis suffers damage. Or a second-degree burn may be deeper (“partial-thickness burn”), resulting in scarring and skin discoloration.

Third-Degree Burns: A person sustains a third-degree burn, also known as a “full-thickness burn,” when the two top layers of skin are destroyed. Rather than being red, a third-degree burn appears white, black, or yellow, and because third-degree burns damage nerve endings, a burn injury victim may not feel the extent of the burns.

Fourth-Degree Burn: A person sustains fourth-degree burns, which can be life-threatening when all layers of one’s skin are destroyed. As well as damage to one’s muscles, tendons, and even one’s bones.

Thermal Burns: These burns result when skin cells begin dying from an increase in temperature of the skin, such as a fire.

Electrical Burns: These burns are the direct result of exposure to an electrical current.

Cold Burns: Frostbite is a “cold burn” that results from the death of skin cells upon freezing. Many frostbite injuries or cold burns lead to amputation.

Friction Burns: These burns happen when an object rubs off one’s skin. Such burns are often associated with motorcycle or bicycle accidents. A person gets thrown or tossed on a roadway, and suffers what many call “road rash.”

Chemical Burns: These burns result from contact with acids, solvents, or detergents.

Radiation Burns: These burns result from exposure to the sun (sunburn), x-rays, or radiation therapy.

The statute of limitations for lawsuits involving burn injuries will vary based on the type of lawsuit at issue. Under Illinois law, most statutes of limitations involving injuries are consistent, providing an injured person two years to file a lawsuit.

Per 735 ILCS 5/13-202, a burn injury victim has two years from the date the cause of action accrues to file a personal injury lawsuit. The accrual date, in most cases, is the date the injuries are suffered. Under 735 ILCS 5/13-213, a burn injury victim has two years from the date he or she became aware that his or her burn injuries were caused by a defective product to file a product liability lawsuit. The date at issue — in most cases — is the date burn injuries are sustained.

However, with some liability lawsuits, the date one becomes aware that his or her burn injuries are linked to a defective product may come days, weeks, or even months after the injuries are sustained. In such cases, the statute of limitations begins to run at that later “discovery” date.