Every year millions of people suffer moderate to severe burn injuries. Depending on the size and severity of the burn, recovery could be a lengthy process. If another party is the cause of your burn injuries, they could be held liable in court. You may be eligible to recover compensation for your damages, including present and future medical expenses.
If you or a loved one were catastrophically injured due to the negligence of another, let an experienced Rolla burn injury lawyer help your case. Navigating, negotiating, and strategizing against insurance companies and opposing lawyers could be overwhelming without a catastrophic injury attorney guiding you along the way.
A seasoned catastrophic injury lawyer at the A.W. Smith Law Firm could review your case and help you determine your next available options. Our legal team has decades of experience helping injured individuals recover compensation for their damages.
From thermal burns to friction, electrical, or chemical, there are many different ways that people could suffer a burn injury. Sometimes burn injuries result from an accident. But there are also tragic situations where people get harmed by another intentionally.
A tort is a civil wrong and could be divided into two main categories, intentional and unintentional. An intentional tort occurs when one person causes harm to another person with purposeful intent. The defendant knowingly and purposefully intends to cause harm to the plaintiff. Common examples of intentional torts might include:
Individuals who purposefully cause burn injuries to a plaintiff could be liable for battery. Battery is an intentional tort that is committed when someone makes harmful or offensive contact with another person. Most intentional acts that cause burn injuries could also result in criminal liability. Intentional torts could be used as grounds in a personal injury lawsuit to sue a defendant for damages, while a defendant could still be prosecuted by the state for committing the same crime that gave rise to the civil lawsuit.
Unintentional torts, more commonly referred to as the law of negligence, could hold a defendant civilly liable when they negligently cause harm to another. In order to prove negligence, a Rolla burn injury attorney would have to prove that:
When someone is engaged in a potentially dangerous activity, such as driving, for example, they owe a duty of reasonable care to prevent unreasonable risk of harm to foreseeable plaintiffs. When defendants fail to take reasonable care and cause burn injuries to the plaintiff, they could be liable.
Burn injury plaintiffs in Rolla are required to file their personal injury cases within five years of their injury according to Missouri Revised Statutes §516.120. Plaintiffs could seek economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.
Punitive damages are used by the court to punish defendants whose conduct rises above ordinary negligence. Punitive damages are awarded less often, and plaintiffs usually have to meet particular criteria.
Non-economic damages might cover relief that is more difficult to estimate, such as emotional distress, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Economic damages are easily calculated and proven by documentation. These damages might include out-of-pocket expenses, lost wages, and medical bills.
A severe burn injury could cause significant physical, emotional, and financial hardships. A Rolla burn injury lawyer could help carry the weight as you move forward toward relief and recovery. You could be more informed and less stressed with the advice and counsel of a knowledgeable attorney by your side. To learn more about your recovery options, call the A.W. Smith Law Firm today for a consultation.
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