Compassionate Representation After a Painful Injury
Whether due to a car accident, chemical exposure, or poor building maintenance, severe burns can go well beyond being painful. They can result in scarring, nerve damage, deadly infections, and long-lasting emotional trauma. Depending on the type of burn, you may require extensive medical treatment, including multiple surgeries and skin grafts.
The recovery process may be long, difficult, and expensive in most cases. If negligence caused your burn injuries, you may be offered compensation in the form of an insurance settlement. But these initial offers are often very low and insurance adjustors may be unwilling to budge without legal representation. At the Tengle Law Firm, LLC, our Fort Collins injury attorneys understand that tactics and methods insurance companies will utilize to deny coverage to burn victims – and we also know how to combat them. Contact us at (970) 212-4777 to ensure you receive fair and proper compensation after a burn injury.
Accidents That Cause Burn Injuries
Our Fort Collins personal injury attorneys have seen a variety of accidents result in serious burn injuries, including:
- Vehicle accidents, especially when tanker trucks are carrying flammable cargo
- Defective products with faulty wiring, dangerous materials, and hot liquids
- Building fires caused by careless proper owners or managers
- Workplace accidents that involve a lack of safety equipment or proper supervisor, especially where chemicals are involved
While many of these accidents involve fire, burn injuries can also be the result of scalding, overheated objects (contact burns), electrical current, chemicals, and other dangerous conditions. Each situation can result in a variety of injuries, from minor burns to permanent scarring.
Severity of a Burn
Burns are classified according to severity, ranging from first-degree to six-degree. Classification is based on how deeply and severely a burn injury penetrates the skin’s surface and include:
- First-degree burns: In first-degree burns, the damage is superficial, affecting only the outer layer of skin. The site of the burn is painful, red, and dry, with no blistering.
- Second-degree burns: This degree of burn injury is more serious, with damage involving multiple layers of skin. The site of the injury appears red and blistered, and may be swollen and painful.
- Third-degree burns: For victims with third-degree burns, the damage has extended through all layers of skin. The burn site may appear white or blackened and charred.
- Fourth-, Fifth-, and Sixth-degree burns: These are the most severe situations, when the damage penetrates through the skin and damages muscle (fourth-degree), bone (fifth-degree) and nerves (sixth-degree). These injuries are often extremely painful, disfiguring, and fatal.
The Cost of Recovery
Treatments for burn injuries can cover a wide range of costs, depending on the degree of the burn. A victim may require simple anti-bacterial cream to prevent infections and may recover in a short period of time, though there may be some discomfort and pain. However, in the more extreme cases, victims may suffer a total loss of skin in the affected area and require skin grafts to repair the damage. Medical surgery is necessary for most high-level burns, especially if there are near vital organs or major blood vessels.
After treatment, victims may be left with a mountain of debt, which can be difficult to pay for if they had to give up work during the recovery period. If the burns ended in a disability, then you could be out of not only a job but also any potential wages you could have earned. This is why it is vital that you pursue compensation and contact a personal injury attorney. Our legal team can compile all related bills and losses you suffered because of a burn injury, including lost wages, emotional trauma, and any equipment or medication you need to live a full life. We will not leave a single cent out of your settlement package if it is what the negligent party owes you for your injuries.
Fighting for Proper Compensation
At the Tenge Law Firm, LLC, we understand that you want to leave this tragic incident behind you and that a quick settlement offer may be tempting. But we also know that insurance companies very rarely offer fair compensation and will try to cut corners to maximize their profits. When you come to us with your case, we will not only craft a thorough, all-encompassing personal injury claim, but we will also hold insurance companies to their policies and fight for the maximum amount of compensation.
If the carelessness or negligence of another individual caused you to suffer a burn injury, reach out to the Fort Collins burn injury attorneys at the Tenge Law Firm, LLC. We are dedicated to helping victims move on after a traumatic event and have helped recover tens of millions of dollars for our clients. We offer free consultations and will not accept a dime from you unless we win your case. Call us at (970) 212-4777 to get in contact with a compassionate team of attorneys.