Settling A Burn Injury Claim
Sustaining a burn injury is considered a catastrophic event. Serious burns can be life-threatening and require significant hospitalization and rehabilitation to recover from.
Both chemical and heat-induced burns can be caused by the negligent actions of another. If you have sustained a burn injury due to the recklessness and negligence of someone else, you should consider pursuing a personal injury lawsuit.
These lawsuits are often settled out of court, and they can provide you with the financial resources needed to help offset the costs of coping with your burn injuries. Consider the following damages when calculating how much your burn injury is worth.
Hospitalization Costs
A burn that removes several layers of skin will often require an extended stay in the hospital. The skin is the body's largest organ, and it is responsible for keeping bacteria and other contaminants away from the delicate tissues within the body.
When a burn removes the skin barrier, a victim is susceptible to serious infections that could result in death. Admittance to a hospital allows doctors to administer preventative antibiotics and monitor a burn victim for signs of infection. You should include all the costs associated with your hospitalization in a burn injury lawsuit.
Rehabilitation Costs
Many victims of severe burns report feeling very little pain at the site of the burn. This lack of pain is usually caused by nerve cells that have been permanently damaged by the burn. Extensive rehabilitation will be required to restore function to the part of the body affected by the burn.
Nerve cells take a long time to heal, and some may never become functional again. This can leave you with mobility issues and an inability to perform certain tasks. Work with your doctor to determine how much rehabilitation will be needed as you recover from a burn and include these costs in your personal injury lawsuit.
Pain and Suffering
Although you might not experience physical pain when sustaining a burn, you will likely experience emotional pain and suffering as you recover from your injuries. Burns can leave the body disfigured, lowering your self-esteem and confidence levels. Enduring months of grueling skin grafts and rehabilitation can also take a toll on your emotional wellbeing.
An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to help you identify the ways your burn injury has caused pain and suffering in your life. The attorney will be able to assign a dollar value to your pain and suffering so that you can be reimbursed for your discomfort when settling your personal injury lawsuit.
For more information, contact a law office like Palmetto Injury Lawyers.