Boston Burn Injury Lawyer
Burn injury victims are often left with substantial medical bills, lost wages, and intense pain. If the injury happened in an accident that wasn’t your fault, call an experienced Boston burn injury lawyer at Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP for help getting the compensation you deserve.
Since we were founded over a decade ago, our attorneys have dedicated our practice to aggressively defending the rights of accident victims across Boston, MA. We’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars in compensation and are prepared to fight for your family.
Interested in learning more? Call our law offices in Boston today to schedule a free consultation.
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How Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP Can Help After Suffering a Burn Injury in Boston, Massachusetts
At Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP, we’re focused on getting financial results for accident victims. Our primary goal is to maximize the amount of compensation you take home. After suffering a serious burn, your focus should be on healing. Our attorneys can tackle the financial aspects of your case so you can work on recovering.
With over 100 years of combined experience, we know how to successfully negotiate with insurance companies and defense lawyers who will try to pay less than you deserve.
When you hire us, our Boston personal injury lawyers will:
- Conduct a detailed investigation into your accident to identify the cause
- Demand compensation from all parties who caused your injuries
- Stand up for you if the insurance company tries to blame you for causing your own injuries
- Consult experts in medicine, finance, and psychology to make sure your insurance demand accounts for all costs – both past and future
Serious injuries leave victims struggling with new and ongoing challenges. Our Boston personal injury attorneys will fight to win the money you need to navigate those challenges. If you or a loved one suffered burn injuries in Boston, Massachusetts, reach out to our law firm today. We’ll do everything we can to recover the maximum compensation available in your case.
How Common Are Burn Injuries?
According to the American Burn Association, as many as 1.1 million people suffer burn injuries that require medical attention every single year.
About 10,000 Americans die of burn-related infections every year.
Most burn injuries occur in the home, followed by accidents that occurred at work. In 2016, the last year for which data was available, 3,390 civilians died in fires across the U.S.
Overview of Burn Injuries
From a medical perspective, burn injuries are extremely complex. Some are merely superficial and impact only the outer layer of skin. However, burn injuries have the potential to extend through the layers of the skin and damage the muscles, nerves, bones, and even internal organs.
Types of Burn Injury
Most burn injuries are caused by exposure to extreme heat, flames, chemicals, electricity, or radiation.
Our personal injury attorneys handle all types of burn injury claims, including those involving:
- Thermal burns, which are caused by exposure to extreme heat, flames, or even scalding hot liquid
- Chemical burns, which can be caused by exposure to toxic substances in an industrial accident, exposure to extremely acidic substances, or through inhaling toxic fumes
- Electrical burns, which can be caused by exposure to defective electrical wiring, live power lines, or electrical outlets
- Radiation burns, which can result from overexposure to radiation when receiving medical treatment or on a jobsite
- Cold burns, which can be caused by exposure to extremely cold temperatures or surfaces
Medical treatment for a burn injury will depend on the severity of the injury. However, any burn can cause lasting, painful damage. If you were hurt and it wasn’t your fault, call our law offices to set up a time to tell us what happened.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Burn Injuries?
Medical professionals classify burn injuries by degree. The signs and symptoms of a burn injury will vary depending upon the severity, or degree, of the burn.
Most burn injuries fall into one of the following categories:
First-Degree Burns
First-degree burns impact only the epidermis, which is the outer layer of skin. These burns are usually superficial, impact only the outer layer of skin, and don’t require medical attention.
Signs of a first-degree burn usually include redness, swelling, and some pain.
Second-Degree Burns
Second-degree burns are more serious because they extend through the epidermis to the dermis, which is the layer underneath. Most second-degree burn victims experience swelling and blisters–and are often left with permanent scarring and skin discoloration.
Third-Degree Burns
Although much more serious than a first or second-degree burn, third-degree burns aren’t usually painful at first. A third-degree burn extends through both the epidermis and dermis to damage the nerves.
Often called “full thickness” burns, third-degree burns damage the fatty layer beneath the skin. If the skin is yellow, white, black, or brown, rather than red, it’s likely that you’ve suffered a third-degree burn.
Third-degree burn victims often require painful skin grafting procedures to repair the damage.
Fourth-Degree Burns
Fourth-degree burn victims may notice that the skin is charred-looking. Sometimes the bone is even exposed. The skin, tendons, nerves, and even muscle can be damaged by a fourth-degree burn. Amputation may even become necessary.
Fifth and Sixth-Degree Burns
Fifth and sixth-degree burns are the most serious possible. These burns extend through the skin and soft tissue beneath, down to the bone. The skin may look charred or white–and the bone will likely be visible.
What are the Long-Term Consequences of Burn Injuries?
Superficial burns usually heal on their own. However, burn injuries can have significant long-term consequences.
Some of those consequences might include:
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Extreme pain
- Nerve damage
- Infection
- Soft tissue damage
- Organ damage
- Bone damage
- Amputations
- Death
Treatment for a burn injury can last anywhere between a few days to a few years. Painful skin grafting surgeries might be necessary to repair the damage. If your burn injuries were severe, you could be faced with thousands of dollars in medical bills.
Our personal injury attorneys in Boston are here to help you get the money you need for medical care and more. We’re ready to get started, so give us a call today.
What Causes Burn Injuries?
Most burn injuries happen because of some type of traumatic accident. Often, serious accidents can lead to an explosion or fire.
At Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP, we handle all types of burn injury claims, including those caused by:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bus accidents
- Maritime accidents
- Uber or Lyft accidents
- Taxi accidents
- Defective products
- Dangerous or hazardous conditions in an apartment
- Unsafe premises caused by a negligent property owner
- Defective electrical wiring
- Radiation accidents
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Welding accidents
If someone else was responsible for your accident, you deserve fair compensation. We know how important it is to recover full compensation for your losses. Whether you were hurt in an explosion at work, house fire or auto accident, give us a call today to learn more about how an attorney-client relationship can help in your case.
What is My Boston Burn Injury Case Worth?
The value of your injury claim depends on the facts and circumstances of your unique case. Insurance companies look at several factors in arriving at the value of your injury claim.
Those might include:
- The cost of your past, current, and future medical care
- The amount of time you missed from work
- Whether the burn will impact your future job prospects
- The mental trauma of the accident
- How the burn will impact your quality of life
The insurance company handles cases like yours every day. They know what your case is worth–and will go to great lengths to minimize your settlement. You deserve to have someone experienced in your corner to help you understand what you really deserve.
What Compensation Can I Recover for My Burn Injury in Boston, Massachusetts?
Burn injury victims are entitled to compensation for economic and non-economic losses.
Generally, your compensation award might include money for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Future medical care
- Lost future earning potential
- Rehabilitative care
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Damages for wrongful death
If you were hurt on the job, as a construction worker or otherwise, you might also be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
How Long Do I Have to File a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Massachusetts?
Burn injury victims usually have only three years to file a personal injury lawsuit under the Massachusetts statute of limitations. The three-year limit is a firm deadline. There might be rare exceptions, but you generally lose your right to compensation if you wait too long.
If you were hurt, we highly recommend speaking with an experienced lawyer who can help secure compensation for your injuries today.
Contact a Boston Burn Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today
If you were injured because of someone else’s negligence, you deserve to be compensated for your losses. Contact an experienced Boston burn injury lawyer at Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP to learn more about your options. As always, your initial consultation is 100% free of charge.
You can get in touch by submitting a contact form, sending a text message, or calling our law offices today.