If you have been injured in a fire or explosion, you may be facing a long road to recovery. Burns can be some of the most painful and debilitating injuries a person can suffer, and they often require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. If your burn injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses.
A Chicago burn injury lawyer at The Kryder Law Group, LLC, can help you understand your legal rights and options after suffering a serious burn injury. We have experience handling all types of personal injury claims, including those involving serious burn injuries, and we will fight to get you the full compensation you deserve.
If you or someone you love is a burn victim, contact an experienced catastrophic injury attorney at The Kryder Law Group, LLC, for a free consultation. We will review your case and help you understand your legal options.
Call our law firm today to get started and have us review your burn injury case.
Burns are among the most traumatic and painful injuries imaginable. Tragically, millions of Americans suffer a preventable burn injury every year. According to the CDC fact sheet on burn victims in the United States:
1.1 million burn injuries require medical attention
50,000 of these injuries require hospitalization
4,500 of these injuries are fatal in the first week
Almost 10,000 burn victims succumb to secondary infections
What Are Common Causes of Burn Injuries?
While burns are most commonly caused by open flames, burns can also be caused by a variety of other agents including thermal burns, electrical burns, radiation burns, or chemical burns.
Examples of common accidents that can cause catastrophic injuries and life altering burns include:
The severity of the burn will depend on how deep the damage goes. First-degree burns only damage the outer layer of skin and are considered to be the least serious. Second-degree burns damage the outer layer of skin and the layer of skin below it, while third-degree burns damage all layers of skin and may even damage bone and muscle.
Burn Classifications
Burns are medically classified into four “degrees” of severity. Our retained expert witnesses will help explain these types of burns to a jury:
First Degree Burns: While painful, this type of burn injury only affects the outer layer of skin and typically fully heal in a few weeks.
Second Degree Burns: This type of burn injury affects both the outer and inner layers of your skin. Your skin may blister and become swollen. These burns are very painful and can result in scarring.
Third Degree Burns: This type of severe burns fully destroy all layers of your skin and may affect your bones, muscles, and ligaments. Since your skin is fully burned, you often lose all sensation due to severe nerve damage from your burn injury.
Fourth Degree Burns: This is the most severe type of burns. This includes burns that affect both the skin and organs, muscle tissue, or bones below.
Medical Costs for Burn Injury Victims
For survivors, a burn injury often require prolonged hospitalization and rehabilitation. In some cases, burn injury victims require multiple surgeries and skin grafts if the wounds do not heal correctly following a burn accident.
Compounding this painful recovery process, they also typically suffer permanent scarring and emotional distress along with their physical pain. Some even require prosthetic devices.
The medical expenses and lost wages associated with a severe burn injury can quickly become overwhelming, especially if the burn victim is unable to return to work. If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury, you may be entitled to compensation.
A knowledgeable Chicago burn injury attorney at The Kryder Law Group, LLC can help you understand your legal options and guide you through the process of filing a personal injury claim.
Who Can I Hold Responsible for My Injuries?
You can generally hold anyone who negligently caused your burn injuries responsible in court. Some of the most common defendants are:
Landlord or property manager
House fires are commonly caused by faulty wiring, ventilation, gas leaks, and other structural defects in a home. Additionally, missing and broken smoke alarms are one of the most prevalent dangers for rentals even though landlords are REQUIRED to supply a working smoke alarm for every room! Working smoke alarms cut your chances of dying in a fire in half according to the CDC. So always contact your landlord and the Chicago Department of Buildings if your apartment has missing or broken smoke alarms!
A negligent driver
A severe car accident caused by a negligent driver can result in both severe or minor burns and permanent injuries.
Workplace accidents
Serious burn injury accidents are especially prevalent in heavy industry involving chemical processing, foundries, shipping, and construction.
Chemical exposure
Faulty containment of volatile chemicals can result in a chemical burn or conflagrations.
Farming accidents
Grain dust explosions, chemical burns, and barn fires are one of many hazards in one of America’s most hazardous industries.
Product manufacturer
If a product manufacturer assembles a device in such a way that is catches fire under products liability theory, you can hold that manufacturer liable regardless of whether they were actually negligent.
Product designer
Similarly, if a product such as a heater, electric blanket, RC car, or even vape pen was negligently designed in a way that caused it to catch fire and cause thermal burns, electrical burns, or other burn injuries, the product designer can be held liable. Designers of product warnings and instruction guides may also be sued if their warnings and guides are confusing or inadequate.
Apartment Building Fires or House Fires
Fires in high-rise apartment buildings often have catastrophic consequences. Not only do they cause extensive damage, they also often result in injuries and even death. If you have been injured or lost a loved one in an apartment fire, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses.
A seasoned burn injury lawyer in Chicago can investigate the cause of the fire and help you hold the responsible parties accountable with burn injury lawsuits or a wrongful death lawsuit. Some of the most common causes of apartment fires or house fires include:
Faulty electrical wiring
One of the most common causes of fires in apartment buildings is faulty electrical wiring. If an apartment building’s electrical system is not up to code, it can easily start a fire.
Defective appliances
Another common cause of fires in apartment buildings is defective appliances. If an appliance has a defective heating element, it can easily start a fire.
Improperly used extension cords
Extension cords are often used in apartment buildings, but they are not always used properly. If an extension cord is overloaded, it can easily start a fire.
Cooking accidents
Cooking accidents are another common cause of fires in apartment buildings. If a pan is left unattended on the stove, it can easily catch fire.
Smoking
Smoking is also a common cause of fires in apartment buildings. If a smoker carelessly discards a cigarette, it can easily start a fire.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in an apartment fire or a house fire, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. A dedicated Chicago burn injury attorney at The Kryder Law Group, LLC can investigate the cause of the fire and help you hold the responsible parties accountable.
What If I Suffered Burn Injuries at Work?
If you were working in the scope of your employment, your employer will be responsible for your lost wages and medical treatment regardless of who is at fault. To recover against your employer, you will need to file an arbitration claim with the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission (IWCC). You can also file a lawsuit in Illinois state court against any other responsible individuals if they negligently contributed to your injuries.
If you have been injured in a fire at work, it is important to seek medical attention immediately and report the accident to your employer. Burns can often be very serious, and they can lead to complications such as infection.
After you have received medical treatment, you should contact a Chicago worker’s comp lawyer at The Kryder Law Group, LLC. We can investigate the cause of the fire and help you hold the responsible parties accountable.
What Compensation Can I Receive for Burn Injuries?
Fortunately, you can recover for the physical and emotional pain caused by your injuries. Jurors usually assess the following factors when calculating damages for burn injuries in burn injury claims:
Pain and suffering. Jurors will hear your testimony as well as the testimony of your doctors and expert witnesses regarding the physical and emotional trauma you suffered. Jurors oftentimes award large damages for severe burn injuries. You are entitled to financial recovery for both past and future pain and suffering including post traumatic stress disorder.
Loss of a normal life. Since burn injuries can also be physical debilitating, you are also entitled to compensation for the loss of ability to enjoy your life as you knew it.
Scarring and disfigurement. Burns can leave serious, readily apparent scars for life. Skin grafts and other surgical procedures related to your life saving medical treatment may also leave scarring. You can recover for all scarring and surgical incisions arising out of a burn accident.
Medical bills. Burn treatment can require extended hospital stays and lengthy rehabilitation. You can recover your past and future medical bills or medical expenses in court, including any necessary home care treatment.
Lost wages. If you missed work, you can recover lost paychecks. This also applies to any future lost income if you are permanently disabled from your accident.
What Do I Need to Prove to Recover for Burn Injuries?
Most burn injury cases required that you prove negligence.
Duty of Care
To recover in a negligence case, you need to present evidence proving by a preponderance of the evidence that 1) the defendant owed you a duty of care, 2) the defendant breached that duty, and 3) the defendant’s breached caused your injuries.
Examples of Negligence in a Burn Case
For example, a landlord owes you a duty of care to maintain working smoke detectors on every floor of your apartment. If the landlord fails to do so and you a injured in a fire because no fire alarm sounded, you can hold your landlord responsible in court for negligence.
Examples of Product Liability in a Burn Case
In other instances, you are required to bring a case for product liability.
To prove product liability, you need only show that the product was unreasonably dangerous due to a design or manufacturing flaw or due to a failure to warn. If your space heater catches fire because of faulty wiring in the design process, you can hold the space heater’s designer liable in court. In some instances, you can also hold the company that sold you the space heater liable.
How Can Chicago Burn Injury Attorneys Help?
If you have been injured in a fire or explosion, The Kryder Law Group, LLC can help. Our personal injury lawyers will investigate the cause of the fire, or the reason for your severe burns, and gather evidence to support your claim. We will aggressively negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to try to reach a fair settlement. If we are unable to reach a satisfactory settlement, we will take your case to trial.
How The Kryder Law Group Will Work for You
At The Kryder Law Group, our burn injury attorneys will work tirelessly to maximize the value of your case and to get you the compensation that you deserve. We will:
Conduct a thorough investigation of your accident
Obtain all relevant medical records documenting your serious burns
Consult with experts in the field
Handle all correspondence and communication with the insurance company
Aggressively negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf
Prepare your case for trial
You should not have to worry about the financial burden caused by your accident. Our burn injury lawyers will handle all aspects of your case so that you can focus on your recovery.
What to Expect When You Hire The Kryder Law Group
When you hire us, you can expect:
A free consultation with a Chicago burn injury attorney
No upfront costs or fees – we only get paid if we recover compensation for you
Experienced and knowledgeable representation
Compassionate and caring customer service
Relentless advocacy on your behalf
If you have burn injuries caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and more. Contact The Kryder Law Group, LLC today for a free consultation to discuss your case with our skilled burn injury attorneys in Chicago.
Past Case Results
Our results speak for themselves. Our team of personal injury lawyers has recovered millions for accidents victims and their families throughout Cook County and the Chicago metropolitan area, including:
$1 million for child burned in a house fire
$1.4 million for toxic carbon monoxide exposure
Record $7.5 million for construction site injury
Record $3.2 million for fall in uncovered foundation trench
Free Consultation
We offer free case evaluations for burn victims and their families, so get in touch with The Kryder Law Group today. A Chicago burn injury lawyer from our firm works on a contingency fee basis, so we only get paid when we win your case. Call for a free consultation with one of our capable legal professionals to discuss how you sustained life altering burns in Cook County.
(312) 223-1700