Almost half a million burn victims require medical attention every year. Burn injury can be among one of the most devastating and painful injuries. It can take months, if not years, to fully heal.
If you suffered from a burn injury as a result of an accident or while you were on the job, you may want to consider hiring burn injury attorneys to help get you a settlement.
But hiring a lawyer can seem intimidating. You may wonder how you can be sure that you hire the best, most qualified burn injury attorney to take your case.
If you or a loved one have been in an accident resulting in a serious burn injury, here are the five most important questions you need to ask a burn injury lawyer.
1. How Realistic Is My Case?
The first question you must ask any burn injury attorney is how realistic is your burn injury case actually is. People may think that any sort of burn they receive automatically warrants a settlement. That is not true.
A burn injury attorney will assess two things to see if your burn injury case is realistic.
First, they will determine the severity of the burn. You will need to assist in providing important information and documentation, such as medical records and doctor consultations.
Second, they will determine if the burn injury was due to negligence or other reckless behavior. Did it occur while you were on the job and your employer did not take necessary precautions to avoid the injury?
If the burn injury occurred outside of work, was it due to another’s gross negligence? Do you have any way of proving that negligence?
Once assessing these two factors, your burn injury lawyer will be better prepared to determine how realistic your case is.
2. Have You Handled Burn Injury Cases in the Past?
You then want to find out which area your attorney specializes in. Knowing this can mean the difference in either recovering damages to pay your medical bills and ease your pain and suffering or not winning any type of settlement.
For example, a lawyer or attorney may agree to represent you in a burn injury case. But then when it comes time to try to recover damages, they actually do not know anything about representing personal injury or other catastrophic injuries cases.
You want someone who has experience representing burn injuries and other catastrophic personal injuries.
3. What Type of Settlement Can I Expect?
Every personal injury case is different, and burn injuries are the same way. Your potential settlement will ultimately come down to the specifics of your case.
However, there are certain types of damages you can expect to get from a burn injury case.
You will most likely have medical and hospital bills relating to the care and treatment of your burn injury. Depending on the severity, this may be months worth of medical bills.
Medical bills and related physical therapy expenses are often one of the first things covered in a personal injury case.
If you had to miss any time at work due to your burn injury, you could be eligible to win lost wages in your settlement. If you are no longer able to work due to your burn injury, you could also receive future lost income in your settlement.
Burn injuries can cause an extreme amount of pain to an individual. In addition to medical bills and lost wages, you could also be eligible to receive a monetary settlement for your pain and suffering.
A settlement for pain and suffering is an example of compensatory damages. Ask your burn injury lawyer what your chances are to recoup any punitive damages if there was any gross negligence in your case.
4. How Long Will a Case Like This Take?
There is never a set time for how long representing a burn injury case will take. There are deadlines for filings, hearings, and other proceedings. Investigations will also have to be conducted.
This can all equate to a very lengthy process.
Consulting with an experienced burn injury lawyer will best inform you on how long your particular burn injury case could take. It is good to be prepared for the long haul when it comes to any personal injury case.
5. What Are Your Fees?
As with any legal agreement or contract you go into, you want to make sure you are aware of any fees related to hiring a burn injury lawyer.
Some law firms will only charge you their fees once they win your case while some will charge hourly rates throughout the process.
Most personal injury attorneys charge the former, or what is called a contingency fee. They will take a percentage of your settlement only if you win.
Ask your burn injury lawyer what their fees are or if they would agree to a contingency fee.
Connect With Us for Experienced Burn Injury Attorneys
Suffering from a burn injury can be an incredibly painful experience. It can lead to costly medical bills and expensive physical therapy in some cases.
In these cases, you should definitely consider hiring burn injury attorneys to hear your case.
If you or a loved one have been the victim of a burn injury and would like to know if you have a good case, contact the law firm of Roberts Markland. Our legal team has deep experience in representing victims of burn injuries and other catastrophic injuries.
We can help you or a loved one recover a settlement for your burn injury.