Burns

Burn injuries damage layers of skin. When a burn is severe, it may damage tissue or extend down to bone. Burn injuries can be the result of scalding liquid, explosions, flames, electricity, hot grease, or contact with chemicals. If you were burned through the fault of another, you should hire the Syracuse serious injuries lawyers of DeFrancisco and Falgiatano. In most cases, insurers are not in a hurry to pay accident victim's claims, even when burns are serious and painful. However, most people don’t have enough saved to pay for revision surgeries or other medical treatment and time off work. Burns that are hard to cover up because they are on visible areas of your body, such as your face or hands, may be especially distressing. Our trial lawyers have strong reputations. We can take your case all the way to verdict when necessary. Our reputation for fearlessness may provide leverage in negotiations with insurers so that you can get the compensation you deserve for burns.

There are different degrees of burns. The mildest burns are first-degree burns, which only damage the first layer of skin or the epidermis. In most cases, these burns heal within a few days. Second-degree burns usually damage both the first and second layers of skin. They may present with blisters. One risk of second-degree burns is infection. If you sustain third-degree burns, you may realize these are especially serious. They affect deep tissue and may look charred and feel numb. Skin grafting may be necessary to treat third-degree burns. Fourth-degree burns can be catastrophic and may damage bone; they result in significant disfigurement.

In determining the severity of an accident victim’s burn, doctors will look at how deep the damage goes, along with the percentage of skin that's been burned. Many people do not have enough saved in case they need skin grafts such as autografts, allografts, mesh grafts, sheet grafts, or other serious medical care.

Burn injuries can be serious, catastrophic or even fatal. If you sustained burn injuries or a loved one was killed as a result of serious burns caused by another, you may need to hire a lawyer to represent you in a lawsuit for damages.

Most personal injury lawsuits are brought under a theory of negligence. You can recover damages for negligence if you can demonstrate that the defendant owed you a standard of care and failed to meet that standard, thereby causing your injuries.

In most cases, you will need to establish negligence if your burns were sustained in a car accident caused by someone else. New York has a no-fault law. This means you will need to turn to your own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage after the car accident, and you can only bring a lawsuit for damages against an at-fault driver if your burns meet the threshold for serious injuries.

Sometimes insurers try to blame the accident victim for her own injuries. You should be aware that New York follows the rule of comparative negligence, whereby your damages may be reduced in proportion to your fault.

If you were burned on somebody else's property, you may be able to bring a premises liability lawsuit for damages. Syracuse property owners owe a duty to protect guests from preventable harms. You'll need to show that it's more likely than not the property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous property condition that caused your burn injuries and failed to take reasonable steps such as warning you or repairing the condition.

Sometimes burn injuries are the result of a truck accident. These accidents are complicated. There may be multiple parties at fault. These parties could include a truck driver, trucking company, third-party loading company, and mechanic. Additionally, you may have a product liability claim against the manufacturer of a defective truck component that caused your burn injuries.

If we can establish liability, you may be able to recover damages. In most cases involving burn injuries caused by someone else, damages are compensatory. They can include both economic and noneconomic losses arising out of burns.

If you sustained burns due to another’s negligence in Upstate New York, you should call the seasoned Syracuse serious injuries attorneys of DeFrancisco & Falgiatano. We represent clients in Lowville, Rochester, Auburn, Watertown, Herkimer, Oswego, Wampsville, Canandaigua, Lyons, Ithaca, Cooperstown, Oneida, Utica, Binghamton, and Elmira. Fill out our online form or call us at 833-200-2000.