Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer After a Burn Injury?

Legally Reviewed and Edited by: Terry L. Cochran

It’s common for burn injury victims to wonder whether they should really hire a lawyer, and the answer is a definite yes. Insurance companies often try to minimize the severity of burn injuries and offer lowball settlements that might not even cover the cost of your initial visit to the emergency room.

Burn injury lawyers know that these injuries can have major and long-term effects, and we know how insurance companies pressure victims into taking less money than they should, so we fight to secure the full compensation you’re owed.

Understanding Burn Injury Cases

Burns can happen in a lot of different ways, and Michigan law recognizes several types of burn injury cases. Workplace incidents often fall under workers’ compensation, but third parties might share liability, too. And if you got burned because property owners failed to maintain safe conditions, then you can file a premises liability claim.

How severe your burns are makes a difference in your case because first-degree burns heal quickly and don’t leave a lot of scarring, but third-degree burns destroy all your layers of skin and require extensive medical intervention. And if you’ve got fourth-degree burns, it means the burn penetrated muscle and bone, which often means permanent disability.

Why You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer After a Burn Injury

Insurance adjusters don’t work for your best interests; they work for the companies they represent, so they’ll pressure you to settle quickly before you have the chance to grasp the full scope of your injuries. That way, they can pay you less. So, what might look like a generous payout right now might not actually come close to covering your long-term medical needs or lost earning capacity.

A Michigan burn injury lawyer documents every single aspect of your case, including your medical records, to expert testimony about what future care is going to look like. That lets us calculate what you’ll actually need, and we’ll fight to get a fair payout.

If you’ve got a severe burn, you need specialized knowledge, and Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. has years of experience representing burn injury victims across Michigan, so we understand how to build strong cases that insurance companies have to take seriously.

Don’t forget that in the state of Michigan, the statute of limitations allows a timeline of three years from the date of your burn to file most personal injury claims. If you miss that deadline, you’ve got no right to compensation. Starting early gives your personal injury burn attorney time to build a strong case.

Types of Compensation You May Be Entitled To

Burn injury victims can recover multiple types of damages: Medical expenses, first of all, including emergency treatment, hospital stays, surgery, medications, plus ongoing therapy.

You can claim your lost wages, too, if you can’t work during recovery. And if your burns are so bad that you can’t go back to your previous job at all, then you can recover damages for diminished earning capacity.

Pain and suffering compensation have to do with the physical agony and emotional trauma that burns cause. Scarring and disfigurement damage recognize how visible injuries can affect your self-esteem and relationships.

Workplace burn injury claims in Michigan typically go through workers’ compensation, but if a third party caused your injuries, you might be able to make additional claims outside the workers’ comp system. Leading burn injury claims lawyers know how to pursue both at the same time.

Chemical burn injury lawyer cases often involve toxic exposure at work or due to negligent handling of dangerous substances, so the liable party might be your employer, a chemical manufacturer, or a contractor who didn’t follow safety protocols.

Steps to Take After a Burn Injury

Seek medical attention right now, no matter how insignificant you think your burns are. You need to get proper treatment to make sure you’ve got a medical record that documents the injury’s extent and cause. Follow all of the doctor’s treatment recommendations and don’t miss a single appointment.

Take pictures of the injury site and the place where the burn occurred, and get contact information from any witnesses. If some defective product caused your injury, save it, and keep copies of medical bills and any pay stubs showing missed work.

Don’t give recorded statements to insurance adjusters without talking to a lawyer first, and never sign anything or accept settlement offers until a lawyer’s had a look at them.

Report workplace burns to your employer right away, in writing. Contact Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. as soon as possible after any serious burn, since talking to a lawyer early saves you from costly mistakes.

Get the Legal Support You Deserve

Our team at Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. handles every aspect of your case, which includes dealing with insurance companies, investigating the circumstances around your injury, and gathering evidence to make sure you’ve got a strong case to get maximum compensation. We work with medical experts and economists who’ll testify about your future needs.

Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. works on contingency, which means you pay nothing up front, and we only collect fees if we win your case. That means you get top legal representation no matter what your financial situation looks like.

Our attorneys keep you informed every step of the way, and we answer all your questions quickly in layman’s terms, so you always know what’s going on.

Recovering from a burn injury takes time and resources you might not have, so don’t go it alone. Contact us at Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. for a free consultation with no obligation. Our experienced burn injury lawyers will review your case, explain your legal options, and fight for the full severe burn compensation in Michigan.

We’re available 24/7 to answer your questions. Call us now at 1-866-MICH-LAW to schedule your free case evaluation. Remember, you pay nothing unless we win.

Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.