Denver Burn Injury Lawyer
Burn injuries are among the most painful and debilitating injuries you can suffer in an accident. If you suffered a burn injury due to somebody else’s negligence, contact Front Range Injury Attorneys today. We help clients hold the negligent party accountable and recover maximum compensation. Contact our Denver law firm today for your free case review. Our Denver personal injury lawyers have experience pursuing negligent parties causing burn injuries across Colorado. Burn injuries can lead to severe and permanent disfigurement and disability. You need an experienced lawyer who can help make sure you receive the best care for your injury and pursue fair compensation for your accident. Clients choose Front Range Injury Attorneys to help them get compensation for our expertise and experience dealing with burn injuries.
Why Trust Front Range Injury Attorneys?
At Front Range Injury Attorneys we care about helping our clients throughout their cases. We believe clients are best served when our personal injury attorneys participate in their cases from start to finish. We help our clients get the best treatment for their injuries. By building up your case from the beginning, we build a strong case to get the best results.
No Fee Unless You Win
Our Denver law firm represents clients on a contingency fee basis. That means you don't pay us until we recover on your case.
Expertise with burn injury cases
Our Denver personal injury attorneys work from start to finish on your case to pursue maximum compensation and help you get the treatment you need for your injuries. We get proven results with a 98% success rate.
Communication is our promise
We maintain communication with you through your case. We want you to know what's going on with your case and the work we're doing for you.
How we can help you
Contact Front Range Injury Attorneys to discuss your Colorado burn injury case. We offer free case reviews for injury and accident cases across the state.
Tell us about your case
Why do you need a Denver burn injury attorney?
Severe burns are serious injuries that can have lifelong effects and require extensive medical treatment. That can include repeated surgeries, physical therapy and mental health counseling. Damages in a burn injury claim are often significant and may include lost wages, loss of future earning potential, pain and suffering, emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life.
Although severe burns often lead to visible scarring, it can be difficult for adjusters and juries to fully understand the impact your injury has and will cause on your life. You need an experienced Denver burn injury attorney on your side who can perform all the necessary tasks in your case from investigation to determining liability to presenting a compelling claim for full and fair compensation. Our Denver burn injury lawyers at Front Range Injury Attorneys are experienced and knowledgeable advocates for clients with severe burn injuries and other catastrophic injuries. We work with medical experts and other authoritative experts who can help us explain the full scope of your injuries to adjusters and juries.
Who is liable for my burn injuries?
Legal liability is a critical issue in every personal injury case. Liability addresses how a party is factually at fault for your injuries and legally responsible for compensating you for injuries. Different circumstances resulting in burn injuries can lead to one or more legal claims with differing legal liability requirements. For example:
- If your burn injuries were caused by a car accident, our Denver car accident lawyers can help identify the at-fault driver and other parties and determine their liability for your injuries.
- If you were burned on the job, your injuries are most likely covered by workers’ compensation. Other personal injury claims may also be available. You can talk to our Denver workers’ compensation attorney to learn more about your rights under workers’ compensation and other available claims.
- If a defective or dangerous product caused burns, you may have product liability claims against the manufacturer or other businesses.
- Burns caused by the negligent acts of another party in other circumstances may also lead to personal injury claims for compensation.
It is critical for our Denver burn injury lawyer to investigate the accident and determine liability early in your case. Determining who is at fault for your injuries early in your case ensures we can locate and file insurance claims against all responsible parties and attempt fair settlement of your claims.
Timeline for a burn injury lawsuit in Colorado
A common question clients have as an insurance claimant or plaintiff in a burn injury lawsuit is how long your case may take. It can be tough to wait for compensation, especially when you need money to pay for medical costs and other bills. Many clients look forward to closing their case and moving on with their lives. Without understanding the timeline to expect for a burn injury lawsuit or settlement, it can be difficult to plan and make decisions.
Each case is unique, especially with burn injuries, with different timelines under different circumstances. Some burn injury cases settle within months while others can take a year or longer, especially when it requires a personal injury trial in Denver. Your attorney can provide a specific breakdown of your burn injury timeline; however, this is a general overview of the timeline for a burn injury case in Colorado.
Investigating your burn injury case
Upon hiring Front Range Injury Attorneys, our attorneys will begin investigating the accident and gathering evidence. Often many parties involved will conduct investigations of the burn injury accident, including your attorney and insurance companies that may have to pay on a claim. Investigations will seek available evidence of who is at fault for your burns. That may include photos, videos, accident reports and eyewitness statements.
Investigations can vary in scope and length, depending upon the injuries, parties involved, disputes over liability and types of claims pursued. Your attorney may investigate for a few weeks or a few months.
Medical treatment for burns
While your Denver burn injury lawyer investigates your case, you most likely will have ongoing treatment for your burns. The length of your treatment is an important factor in determining how long it takes to settle or go to trial in your burn injury case. Generally, your case reaches its greatest financial value once your treatment ends, the complete medical records and billing is available and we can determine if any future medical care is necessary and what long term or permanent injuries may exist.
Some clients will obtain just a few months of treatment while others need long term care. Depending upon insurance coverage, the cost of medical care and severity of injuries, other factors may affect how your treatment ties into the timeline for your personal injury case.
Settlement negotiations
In most burn injury cases, once your treatment concludes it is time to attempt insurance settlement negotiations. We will present a demand for compensation of your burn injuries to give the insurance companies involved an opportunity to do the right thing and settle your claim for full and fair compensation. The insurance company will evaluate what it believes your case is worth and present an offer. Typically neither side will agree to the other’s opening position. Negotiations can go back and forth until settlement is reached. If that happens, your case will end. If we cannot agree to a settlement, we will file a personal injury lawsuit and prepare for trial.
Personal injury lawsuit for your burn injuries
If your Denver burn injury case goes into litigation, it may take several months to a year (or longer) to resolve. After filing a lawsuit there are several steps in the litigation process to prepare for trial. Many cases settle before trial in mediation or continued negotiations.
If your Denver burn injury case goes to trial and you win your case, the compensatory award could be greater than an insurance settlement. It is possible that the jury could side with the other party and award less or even nothing. Your Denver burn injury attorney will discuss the pros and cons of litigation in your case before filing a lawsuit.
The length of your burn injury lawsuit depends on many factors, such as the need for a lengthy discovery phase, when a court can schedule your trial and the complexity of the case. Our experienced burn injury lawyers pursue compensation for clients across Colorado including Denver, Lakewood, Littleton and Aurora.
Expert witnesses for burn injury cases
Expert witnesses are common sources of testimony and evidence in Denver injury cases. Experts can provide authoritative evidence about the severity of injuries, how the injury has and will affect the victim and how the defendant’s negligence caused a plaintiff’s injuries. They are unbiased third parties with expertise and experience relevant to your case. These can include physicians, burn injury specialists, surgeons, counselors and other professionals. Front Range Injury Attorneys works with experts in Denver and around the country to ensure we have the best evidence possible for your case.
Expert witnesses can help an adjuster or jury understand your injuries. Medical experts can explain the physical cause of injuries as well as the physical and intangible damages suffered. They can also give testimony about your future living with your burn injuries. Our lawyers advance the cost of hiring expert witnesses during burn injury claims in Denver. You will pay these expenses if we succeed in obtaining compensation.
Types of burn injuries
Burns can injure the skin and other tissue in different ways depending upon the type of dangerous element the burn injury victim contacted. The type of burn can determine your treatment plan and recovery timeline. Different types of burns are more common to certain types of accidents. For example, electrical burns are far more common in workplaces with electric components and power tools, such as construction sites. There are four types of burns:
- Thermal burn: the most common type of burn injury, this occurs due to contact between the skin and an element of heat such as a fire, steam, or hot metal.
- Chemical burn: contact with alkaline or acidic chemicals can burn and destroy the skin and other tissue. Toxic or corrosive chemicals can cause internal and external damage.
- Electrical burn: caused by connection between the body and a source of electricity, these burns can affect victims internally and externally.
- Radiation burns: overexposure to a source of radiation, like an x-ray machine or the sun, can cause painful radiation burns.
As part of your treatment, your doctors must accurately diagnose the type of burn or burns you suffered. The type of burn injuries sustained will determine the kind of treatment best suited for you. It can also determine how the injury will affect the victim over the long term. Many types of burns can cause extensive scarring while some burns can cause internal injuries with little external signs.
Classifications of burn injuries
Burn severity is an important factor in your Colorado injury claim or lawsuit. Generally, the more severe a burn injury, the more your claim is worth. Severe burn injuries often result in permanent scarring and disfigurement, require expensive medical care, or result in a disability. These unfortunate results of a severe burn injury are all factors typically increasing the value of a burn injury case in Colorado. It will also play a role in the type of treatment you receive and how long it may take to recover.
First degree burn
The mildest form of burn injury is a first degree burn. It affects the uppermost layer of skin without blistering. It often appears red and may not require medical care unless it is a large burn or in a vulnerable area.
Second degree burn
A second degree burn injures the second layer of skin, the dermis, and causes blistering. Second degree burns can cause thickening of the skin and can appear red and blistered. These injuries often require medical attention to reduce infections and scarring.
Third degree burn
Third degree burns impact the fatty tissue below the dermis. These are extreme burn injuries requiring immediate medical care. These full thickness burns destroy the first two layers of skin. They can appear white, yellow, black, or brown. They generally cause permanent scarring and disfigurement, as well as potentially damaging nerves. As a result of nerve damage, a victim may not feel the burn.
Fourth degree burn
Fourth degree burns are the most severe type of burn injury. They can burn as deep as muscle tissue or even bone. These burns can be fatal or require amputations. Fourth degree burns destroy all skin layers with further internal damage. They can destroy nerves and cause a wide range of other health complications.
Third and fourth degree burns often result in higher compensatory awards due to their greater impact on victims and more extensive financial losses. These burns are also more likely to result in long term or permanent effects which can lead to greater compensation than injuries that heal completely. It is important to obtain a physician’s diagnosis of the burn injury and follow through with the physician’s treatment plan.
Burn injury statistics
Burns are a leading cause of injury and death across the nation.
- Approximately 92,000 burn injuries occur annually requiring emergency medical care
- Nearly a quarter of all burn injuries occur in children under 15
- Nearly 3,400 people die from fires each year
- A fire death occurs every 2 hours and 35 minutes
- 7% of people requiring burn center treatment suffer severe scarring and long term physical disabilities
Common causes of burn injuries in Colorado
Studies indicate the following are the most common causes of burns in Colorado:
- Fires 43%
- Scalding 34%
- Contact with hot object 9%
- Electrical 4%
- Chemical 3%
- Other 7%
What is scalding?
Scalding burns can result in severe injuries to victims. There are more than 500,000 scalding burns every year across the nation. Scalds are the number one cause of burn injuries in children under the age of four and second most common cause of burns for all ages.
Scalds are thermal burns caused by a wet substance, such as hot water or steam. Hot water scalding can case pain and skin damage from moist heat or vapor. It destroys tissues and can cause the victim to go into shock. Severe scalds can be life-threatening.
Types of hot water and scalding burns
There are four categories of hot water and scalding burns:
- Superficial epidermal: affecting only the epidermis, this burn can cause pain, redness and swelling.
- Superficial dermal: reaching the inner layer of skin, this form of scalding can affect blood vessels, nerve endings and hair follicles, with symptoms of pain, blistering and pale pink skin.
- Deep dermal: this deeper burn damages the first two layers of skin, causing blistering, redness and swelling; however, it can be painless or extremely painful.
- Full thickness: affecting all three layers of skin, this scalding burn is considered a third degree burn requiring immediate medical attention. The skin will burn away and tissues may blacken. Skin texture can change to waxy or leathery after a full thickness burn.
Who is liable for scalding burns?
Liability for hot water and scalding burns, like other burn injuries, depends on the cause of burns and the circumstances of your accident. Scalding burns in a property controlled by someone else may result in a claim for damages against the property owner or operator. Our experienced Denver scalding burn injury lawyers can investigate your accident, determine liability and pursue compensation on your behalf.
Contact our Denver burn injury attorneys
If you suffered serious burns due to someone else’s negligence, we can help. Contact Front Range Injury Attorneys today for a free case review of your Colorado burn injury case. Our Denver burn injury lawyers can evaluate your case and discuss your options. If we represent you, we will aggressively pursue maximum compensation for your burn injuries. We take burn cases on a contingency fee basis so you don’t pay legal fees until our burn injury attorneys settle or win your case. Call or complete the contact form below to get in contact with an attorney today.