Houston Burn Injury Lawyer
A burn injury is among the most devastating of injuries. It can be incredibly painful, with a lengthy recovery period. And even after you recover, you may be left with the aftereffects, whether that’s scarring or more significant deformity.
Call us at (713) 500-5000, the Houston burn injury lawyers at Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers so we can help you get compensated for the tragedy you have undergone. Your first case evaluation is 100 percent free. Contact our Houston personal injury law office to get started today.
Table of Contents
How a Houston Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help If You’ve Suffered a Burn Injury
Finding your way through the legal maze is stressful and difficult. It is the last thing you need to be worrying about and takes precious time away from resting and recovering after your accident.
Our personal injury lawyers know how to hold the negligent parties responsible, and we will not rest in our efforts to get you a full financial recovery.
There is no reason you should have to deal with any of this alone. Take advantage of our experience.
Having our professional legal team on your side can dramatically improve your chances of winning your case against those responsible for the accident and your subsequent injury. We are often all that stands between getting nothing and getting a substantial award for damages.
We get the ball rolling while you take care of yourself, both physically and emotionally. At Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers we do all the legal lifting for you.
These are just a few reasons it makes sense to hire a personal injury lawyer:
- We operate on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay nothing until we secure a financial award for you.
- We are your boots on the ground, and we gather all the evidence we need to build a strong case on your behalf. This could include hospital reports, witness statements, and any security footage available.
- We have the financial resources to recruit those who are leaders in their fields of study to speak on your behalf and add credibility to your claim.
- Insurance companies know how to confuse burn injury victims and convince them their claim has no merit. We know how to skillfully negotiate so they cannot take advantage of you.
- As an attorney who is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Brian White knows how to win for you in court. He and his team will take your case to a jury if you do not get a decent settlement offer from the insurance company.
The Houston personal injury lawyers want to make you whole and our objective is to get you the justice you deserve. We are tireless in that pursuit. We overlook nothing when we examine your medical records to fully comprehend the depth and extent of your injuries.
Contact our Houston, TX law office for a free consultation today. Find out how hiring us can make a difference for you if you have been burned in an accident brought on by someone’s negligence.
Burn Injuries in the United States
Rest assured you are not alone in suffering from a burn injury. In the United States, injuries caused by first-degree and second-degree burns occur at an alarming rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 1.1 million people affected by burns require medical treatment for their injuries. Over 50,000 of these victims require hospitalization and 20,000 experience severe burn trauma. It is a more common occurrence than most would realize.
Chemicals, heat, radiation, and electricity are just a few of the more prevalent causes of serious burns. In most cases, the severity of a victim’s burn injuries determines their prognosis. Regardless of the severity, however, the overall effect of burn injuries can have a devastating impact on your physical, psychological, and financial state.
Types of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are often caused by another’s negligence. The type of burn can vary, and each category presents its own set of complications.
Serious burn injuries include the following:
Thermal Burns
Injury due to thermal burns is caused by excessive heat from scalds, flash, or flame. Scalds involve contact with hot liquids such as oil, water, or tar.
Flash Burns
Flash burns cause severe burns by producing intense heat in a short time. This typically involves an explosion of gasoline, propane, or natural gases.
Flame Burns
Burn injury due to flame is caused by an ignition from a heat source. This can occur in house fires, automobile accidents, and disasters involving open fire.
Electrical Burns
Injury due to electricity often causes internal injury to tissues and requires a thorough examination to determine severity.
In addition to the type of burn in terms of the accelerant, burn injuries are assessed and categorized based on severity.
Severity of Burns
Depending on how deeply the burn penetrates, as well as the damages caused, burn injuries are typically categorized into three distinct groups:
First-Degree Burns
This is a minor burn that injures the top layer of skin. First degree burns cause swelling, redness, and mild pain. Examples include sunburn, minor burns from liquids, or mild contact with a hot surface. These burns typically heal in 1-5 days.
Second-Degree Burns
Second-degree burns affect the first two layers of the skin, the dermis, and epidermis. These burns result in blisters, leaking at the wound site, and occasional scarring. Second-degree burns are typically caused by chemicals, scalds, or flash burns. The recovery time for second-degree burns tends to be 10-21 days.
Third-Degree Burns
Third-degree burns result in full penetration of the skin. Extending into the tissue, these burns appear white or black and result in dry skin. The severity of this degree of injury often requires skin grafts and can take months to heal. Third-degree burns can be caused by flash, flame, electricity, radiation, or chemical burns.
Regardless of severity, all burn injuries are incredibly painful and require extensive and delicate treatment.
The Consequences of a Burn Injury Can Be Severe
After the immense pain of treatment and recovery, burn injuries can leave victims suffering with:
- Psychological damage: PTSD, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem
- Physical damage: Risk of infection, permanent scarring, nerve damage, chronic pain
- Financial damage: Hospitalization, ongoing medical bills, special equipment or care needs
The long-term effects of burn injuries are devastating for the victim and their families.
What Compensation Can I Expect After a Burn Injury in Houston, TX?
The compensation you receive will depend on a variety of factors, including the extent of your injury and the need for ongoing care. Contacting a Houston burn injury attorney is the most effective way to begin calculating the many expenses associated with your trauma.
Insurance companies often take cases more seriously when they know you have an attorney who is meticulously pulling together your burn injury claim and will advocate on your behalf.
In general, compensation can be broken into economic compensation and non-economic compensation. Economic compensation refers to coverage for tangible costs associated with your injury, such as:
- Medical care and procedures
- Prescriptions
- Physical therapy
- Loss of past and future earnings
Non-economic refers to damages that are not easily calculable, such as:
- Loss of companionship and consortium
- Emotional pain
- Embarrassment
- Disfigurement
The share of blame between you and the other party or parties will also play a part in the amount of compensation you receive. In some cases, you may receive nothing. Texas has what are called modified comparative negligence rules. If you are responsible for the majority of the blame for the injury you suffered, you will likely be unable to recover any financial compensation.
Statute of Limitations for Houston Burn Injury Cases
The statute of limitations is the period of time set by law to bring a claim against the negligent parties responsible for your injury. The statute of limitations for burn injury cases in Texas is two years.
It takes time to calculate the value of your claim and often involves the need for medical opinions and expert evaluations, so you have no time to lose. The more prepared you are with a strong case that is ready to go to trial if needed, the more likely the insurance company is to want to make a fair and reasonable offer. Call us today to get started.
Contact Our Houston Burn Injury Lawyers Now
Whether your burn injury is the result of a car accident or fire or explosion at work, the experienced Houston burn injury lawyers at Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers are here to help. We know how to fight and we know how to win. Give our law firm a call or reach out to us online for a free consultation.
