Burn Injuries - St. Louis Car Wreck Lawyers
By Christohper Hoffmann
Jun. 27, 2019 3:17p
Burn injuries can have severe repercussions, both medically and financially. Depending on how critical the injury is, your entire life could effectively change because of it.
Most burn injury victims have to go through an extensive process of recovery, which also means acquiring quite a large amount of medical bills you’ll need to cover. And when the accident wasn’t even your fault, that can be very frustrating.
However, you are not without legal options.
The Nature of the Injury May Indicate the Next Steps
There are different types of burn injuries one can suffer from that are eligible for compensation:
Identifying the cause for your injury also determines the party liable. For instance, if you were in a car crash because another car bumped into you at an intersection and the vehicle exploded, causing you severe burns, then you can likely hold the other driver accountable for your injuries. You have the legal option of filing a personal injury claim against the driver because it was their responsibility to stop and give you the right of way.
Additionally, there are several different types of claims you could file against the at-fault party, depending on the nature of the accident:
Workers compensation - when the burn injury is sustained at work, or as a result of your work;
Car accident claim - if the burn injury was caused by a car accident;
Personal injury claim - the most common type of claim for burn injuries that occurred in any other context that the ones described above.
It’s also possible to file a civil lawsuit against the at-fault party in some cases. If you have real proof of negligence (meaning the other party was reckless or intentionally tried to cause you harm), you could take the matter to court. However, trials can sometimes be unpredictable, because they rely on you or your lawyer’s ability to convince the jury of the facts of the case.
Compensation in trials are also decided by the judge, so there is no possibility of negotiating a settlement unless you do it out of court.
Your Next Steps
If you are the victim of a burn injury, you are unfortunately likely to enter an extended period of medical treatment, pain, lost wages, and worsened the quality of life.
You don’t have to carry the cost of your treatment yourself. Missouri law essentially says that the party responsible for causing you harm is responsible for compensating you. To get this compensation, you should reach out to a St. Louis personal injury lawyer and discuss your case with them.
Based on your injuries and the circumstances of how you got it, they can recommend the best course of action for you, as well as represent your interests in al legal proceedings. Contact a lawyer as soon as possible. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4242 for a FREE consultation.