Riverside burn injury Attorneys

Representation for Burn Injury Cases

A serious burn injury can be devastating—upending your life with physical pain, psychological trauma, a long and challenging recovery, and in some cases, permanent disability. In addition, the financial burden can be staggering.

If you’ve sustained a burn injury due to someone else’s mistakes, you may be entitled to take legal action. Through an injury claim or lawsuit, you can pursue the compensation you need to pay for the losses and suffering you have experienced as a result of your burn, including both economic and non-economic damages—Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP can help.

Our Riverside burn injury lawyers are dedicated to representing people wrongfully harmed in serious burn accidents. We have a long history of successful case results in burn injury cases, including a landmark $4.9 billion product liability verdict against General Motors after its vehicles burned several people, achieved  by Attorney Christine Spagnoli.

As a burn injury victim, you need a highly experienced and knowledgeable legal team on your side—reach out to our firm today.

Burn Injuries Caused by Negligence

If your burn injury was caused by someone else’s negligence or reckless actions, California law allows you to file a claim against the responsible party. Negligence occurs when an individual or entity fails to exercise reasonable care or uphold a required duty of care, resulting in harm to others. In burn injury cases, negligence can stem from a variety of sources, including product defects, unsafe environments, improper maintenance of equipment, and numerous other circumstances.

Common causes of negligence leading to burn injuries include:

• Unsafe household products: Manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure their products are safe for use. If a household product, such as a space heater or cooking appliance, is defectively designed or lacks appropriate safety warnings, it can lead to severe burn injuries or even start a house fire.
• Electrical appliance defects: Electrical appliances should be designed and manufactured to prevent overheating, electrical shorts, and fires. When they aren’t, users can suffer serious burns.
• Defective motor vehicles: Motor vehicles can also be a source of burn injuries if they are improperly designed or manufactured. For example, a car might have an engine prone to overheating or a poorly placed fuel tank that makes it susceptible to igniting in a crash.

Proof of Liability for Burn Injury Cases

Many factors can affect the strength of your burn injury claim, especially if strict product liability laws do not apply to your case. Our experienced burn injury lawyers know what types of evidence and documentation are critical to proving the defendant’s liability in your case. We will conduct a thorough investigation, build your claim, and prepare your case while you focus on rest and recovery.

Types of evidence that can help prove liability in a burn injury claim include:

• Photographic or video evidence: Our attorneys can collect photos or videos from the scene of the incident to help expose hazardous conditions or faulty products, and document the immediate aftermath of the event.
• Product evidence: If your burn injury was caused by an unsafe product, do not discard that product or send it back to the manufacturer right away. Instead, secure it in a safe location where it cannot be accessed by children or pets. We may want to inspect the product or send it to a product engineer to look for defects.
• Accident reports: If an accident report was filed, we will review this report for important details about the circumstances surrounding the accident and the resulting burn injury. Such reports may be available if you suffered a burn in a vehicle accident or at work.
• Expert testimony: Experts in various fields, such as engineering or product design may be able to provide testimony or reports about how the accident and burn injury occurred.
• Witness statements: Depending on when and where the burn injury occurred, witnesses may be able to provide important details about the incident that corroborate your version of what happened.
• Medical records: Your medical records may provide crucial documentation of the severity and scope of your injuries, as well as the treatment you required.

Degrees of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries are categorized into different degrees of severity in medical contexts. Typically, the higher the degree, the worse the burn injury.

Burn injury degrees include:

• 1^st-degree: A mild, superficial burn that affects only the outer layer of skin (epidermis). Typically treatable with in-home first aid.
• 2^nd-degree: A serious burn that damages several layers of skin and possibly soft tissues. Immediate medical attention should be given to the burn victim. Treatments can vary and the injury might cause scarring, even with treatment.
• 3^rd-degree: A severe burn that destroys many layers of skin, muscles, tendons, and possibly bones. Emergency medical care is necessary. Permanent disfigurement after treatment is likely. Third-degree burns can be fatal.
• 4^th-degree or higher: A catastrophic burn that is not considered medically survivable due to the depth of the burn and how much of the body it covers. If someone passes away from a 4^th-degree burn, a wrongful death claim may be possible.

The degree of your burn is important to note and understand. The defendant may try to downplay your burn injury and argue that it has not caused significant harm, pain, or complication in your life. Providing documentation of an official diagnosis of the burn degree will make it much more difficult for the defendant to understate your injury.

Long-Lasting Complications of Burn Injuries

In addition to immediate physical harm, a burn accident can cause extensive and long-lasting complications. Even with treatment, problems can persist for many years, often causing more discomfort and distress than the original burn. When building a burn injury case, it is crucial to consider not only the physical suffering but the psychological impact of a severe injury.

Long-lasting complications from serious burn injuries can include:

• Nerve damage: Severe burns can permanently damage nerves, leading to chronic pain, numbness, or tingling sensations in the affected area.
• Permanent scarring: Burn injuries often leave behind permanent scarring. Deep scars can cause disfiguration, limited mobility, and severe emotional distress due to changes in appearance.
• Hair loss: Burns can damage hair follicles, leading to hair loss in the injured areas.
• Infection: Skin damaged by a burn is vulnerable to infection, which can complicate recovery and lead to additional, ongoing health problems.
• Breathing difficulties: Inhaling smoke or hot air during a fire can damage the lungs and respiratory system.
• Psychological trauma: Beyond the physical complications, severe burns can lead to significant psychological trauma. Survivors may experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and body image issues.

Medical Treatments for Burn Injuries

Burn injuries require immediate and specialized medical attention. The most common treatments begin with hospital care, where the primary focus is on preventing infection, relieving pain, and promoting healing. During hospital care, doctors may perform skin grafts, a surgical procedure where healthy skin is taken from an unburned area of the patient’s body and transplanted to the burned area.

After hospital care, the treatment of severe burn injuries often continues for months or even years. Aftercare may include physical therapy to improve mobility and strength, especially if burns are located near joints or cover large areas of the body. Occupational therapy can help patients regain skills necessary for daily living. Psychotherapy can provide emotional support, helping patients cope with the emotional trauma and mental health issues that can accompany serious burn injuries. In addition, regular medical follow-ups are often necessary to monitor healing, manage pain, and address any ongoing health issues related to the burn.

Compensation in a Burn Injury Claim

When pursuing a burn injury claim, two main types of compensation may be available:

• Economic damages: Also called special damages, economic damages are the tangible costs related to the injury, which can be calculated or tabulated. Medical expenses such as emergency room visits, hospital stays, surgeries, medication, and rehabilitation therapies are the most common forms of economic damages. Lost wages from time taken off work for recovery and future loss of earnings can also be included.
• Non-economic damages: Also called general damages, non-economic damages are more subjective and harder to quantify, but they are just as important to your case as economic losses. Non-economic damages compensate for the very real pain and suffering experienced by the burn victim, including physical pain, emotional distress, depression, anxiety, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Greene Broillet & Wheeler’s History with Burn Injury Lawsuits

Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP has an extensive history of impressive case results won specifically for burn injury clients. While past results can’t guarantee the outcome of a future case, they demonstrate that our firm has the knowledge, resources, experience, and commitment needed to achieve extraordinary settlements and verdicts for burn victims and other injured clients with complex and challenging cases.

Two of our most impressive recent burn injury case results are:

• $4.9 billion verdict: Attorney Christine Spagnoli was part of a trial team that won a $4.9-billion verdict against General Motors (GM). A defective fuel system in GM vehicles caused severe burns in two adults and four children. At the time, it was the largest product liability verdict in U.S. judicial history.
• $58 million award: Our lawyers secured a $58 million award in a product liability case involving a serious burn injury. It is the largest single plaintiff’s personal injury verdict in California for product-related burn injuries.

Need Legal Counsel? Call Our Firm Now

U.S. News – Best Lawyers® has ranked Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP as a Tier 1 firm for outstanding legal counsel and services. Learn what our skilled and dedicated attorneys can do for your burn injury claim. Talk with our Riverside burn injury lawyers today. We’ll help you understand your legal options and how we can help you pursue justice and compensation.

If you’ve been seriously burned in an accident, call (866) 634-4525 to arrange a free consultation now. We accept calls 24/7.

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