There are many causes of burn injuries. The most common ones are the ones we learn about when we are very young – we should never touch fire, a hot object, or objects which produce steam without some form of protection.
However, there are many other causes, such as friction (the scraping of the body against a fast-moving object, which is common in factories or road accidents), electricity, cold objects, or certain corrosive chemicals – just to name a few. If you have been a victim of a burn injury, it may be due to the negligence of others, in which case you are entitled to compensation. Here’s your essential guide to what you can claim – and how much – for a burn injury.
Causes and classifications
As stated, there are many causes and classifications. Here are just some common causes and classifications:
- Handling hot objects without proper protection
- Exposed electrical wiring
- Corrosive chemicals
- Road accidents
Burns are usually classified into three categories – first, second, and third degree burns. First degree burns damage only the upper layer of the skin; third degree burns can lead to permanent damage of nerves and muscle tissue.
What can you claim?
If you have been a victim of a burn injury through no fault of your own (when the burn injury was caused by someone else’s negligence) then you can claim for the following:
- Medical treatment (the immediate treatment as well as after-care or long-term treatment)
- Emotional pain suffered from the injury itself, as well as its lasting effects
- Other expenses, including transportation costs, making structural changes in your home and so on, as a result of the injury.
How much can you claim?
There are no quick or easy guidelines regarding how much you can claim. A lot depends on:
- The time and place and circumstances of the accident
- The severity of the injury
- Whether the injury was accidental, intentional, or due to negligence, as in the case of beauty treatment procedures, such as burns from laser hair removal
If you feel you have been a victim of a burn injury, it’s important to consult a legal professional as soon as possible. Getting the assistance of a solicitor is highly recommended because there are some legal procedures that you will have to go through – procedures the layman may forget or ignore, procedures which may turn out to be crucial in proving your case. Furthermore, the assistance of a solicitor will ensure you are guided properly when it comes to claiming your injury, and you are likely to get a fair estimation of how much the claim can or should involve. Never hesitate to consult a legal professional – they often work on a No Win, No Fee basis, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.