Columbia Burn Injury Lawyers

Burn injuries are all too common today. In fact, no fewer than 40,000 people have been hospitalized to injuries suffered from burns, and roughly three-quarters of those victims have required treatment at hospital burn centers. These injuries can be caused by anything from a car accident to radiation, to working near electricity to chemicals. They might just have come from someone being careless with a fire. When your burn injury—or that of your child’s—is the result of someone else acting negligently, you have the right to compensation. A Columbia, SC burn injury lawyer from our office can help you develop, negotiate and—if necessary—litigate your case. 

Mann Blake & Jackson takes on hard cases and we’ve won big verdicts. Our settlement figures have reached the $50 million threshold and beyond. While past results never guarantee future ones, our track record can make clients feel confident they’re with attorneys who fight hard and never back down. From our Columbia office, we serve all of South Carolina. Call today at (803) 525-1645 or contact us online to set up a consultation. 

Types of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries are divided into three categories, the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd degree, and they are in escalating order of severity…

1^st Degree Burns 

These will be treated as a minor burn, as they impact only the outer layer of the skin. An example might be putting one’s hand on a hot stove, pulling it away in time to avoid serious injury, but not so quickly as to prevent reddening of the skin and pain. 

Is there a lawsuit to be filed in cases involving 1^st degree burns? Every circumstance is different, but we can say that a common roadblock that injured plaintiffs may run into is on proving damages. If a victim didn’t have to go to the hospital and their daily life was not substantially impacted, then getting a financial settlement becomes a longshot.

Courts don’t award settlements purely on principle. What that means in cases like these is that even if the owner of the property could be proven negligent in leaving a heat source on and not warning anyone, if no significant financial damages resulted, there is no basis for a lawsuit. It never hurts to call a lawyer and check on your specific situation, but measured expectations are appropriate. 

2^nd Degree Burns

These burns reach to the second level of the skin, which is often indicated by the appearance of blisters. It is possible that nerve damage might have also resulted. These can result in more substantial medical treatment, which can be recouped in a lawsuit. An experienced Columbia, SC burn injury attorney should also be alert to the costs of any rehabilitation, especially in situations where there is nerve damage, as a part of a settlement. 

An injured plaintiff who works with the part of the body that is injured (e.g., the hands) can also recover lost wages in a personal injury settlement. It should be noted that missed time at work is also an area that could make a 1^st degree burn lawsuit more viable than might initially appear. Testimony from a doctor about missed time can validate this claim, with evidence such as previous W-2 and 1099 forms providing the proof of how much income is being lost. 

3^rd Degree Burns

These are the most serious burn injuries, and they often cause permanent tissue damage. Furthermore, the damage to the skin can be so extensive that it leaves a permanent deformity. It’s common for a 3^rd degree burn to require some type of skin graft or even plastic surgery. The nerve damage that comes with these burns may have, among other consequences, the loss of feeling in the burned area. 

All of this adds up to the potential for substantial damages on the treatment side alone. Then there’s the cost of rehabilitation. Rehabilitation can include physiotherapy, which aims to restore normal range of motion. This can be a unique challenge in burn cases because skin, even as it heals from a burn, can pull together. 

Occupational therapy is aimed to helping the injured plaintiff return to as much daily living as possible. Basic tasks that we all take for granted, from bathing to eating, might be more difficult now because of the injuries. 

Finally, 3^rd degree burns can carry a terrible mental toll that does not go away quickly. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common in victims. Depression and anxiety can certainly increase, especially if the injured plaintiff is no longer able to perform hobbies or other fulfilling activities. The simple ability to reintegrate into a social life can present a heavy mental challenge. 

All of that requires ongoing therapy, which costs money. But more than that, the victim deserves some type of compensation for all that they lost because of the negligence of another. These are the non-economic damages part of a settlement—the pain and suffering—that can be negotiated by an experienced Columbia, SC burn injury lawyer.