San Francisco Burn Injury Lawyers

Over Half a Billion Recovered for Burn Victims in the Bay Area

A burn injury beyond the first degree may be extremely expensive to treat correctly and is often mentally distressing to have sustained. When your injury was caused by another party, it can be all the more traumatic. The law, however, accounts for this by offering those injured the opportunity to seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more via a formal legal claim.

If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury, our San Francisco lawyers at Rouda Feder Tietjen & McGuinn are ready to help you understand your legal rights and pursue your maximum financial recovery. We will want to investigate your side of the story thoroughly to get to the bottom of what happened and build a solid case from there.

Call a San Francisco burn injury attorney at (415) 940-7176 today or request your free consultation online.

Understanding the Severity of Burn Injuries

When you are seeking compensation for a burn injury you have suffered, the severity of your burn will determine how much financial compensation you may be able to recover. Negligent parties, their insurance providers, and any other form of opposition you may encounter will surely be looking into the details of your burn. They may even request access to your medical records. By knowing more about your injury ahead of time, you could prevent them from gaining an advantage.

Burn injuries come in varying levels of severity:

• First degree: Skin will become red and sensitive but is unlikely to blister.
• Second degree: Skin will thicken in response to the burn, and blisters may be widespread.
• Third degree: Skin tends to appear white, leathery, and dead, as the damage runs through all layers of flesh.
• Fourth degree: Skin is blackened and charred; tendons, muscles, and bones may be destroyed.

There are also fifth- and sixth-degree burns, which are so severe that they are not considered survivable.

What Cases Do Burn Injury Attorneys Accept?

At Rouda Feder Tietjen & McGuinn, we have represented individuals who have suffered serious, yet preventable, burns due to:

• Hot liquids or gases
• Open flames
• Thermal sources
• Arc flashes
• Electrical faults
• Downed power lines
• Chemicals
• Construction accidents
• Motor vehicle collisions

The key factor of any burn injury case is whether the burn was the fault of another party. For example, if power lines were set up in a way that disregards safety protocols, the company that installed them can be held accountable should they fall and cause injury.

As for cases centering around defective product burns, the product manufacturer or retailer may be held liable if you prove that the product was designed defectively, a manufacturer error occurred that made it malfunction, it was marketed as safer than it is, or there was no warning of potential danger. Taking on a large company requires the skill of a trained lawyer because there is little to no chance that they will easily admit fault. A legal professional will examine the details of your case and greatly strengthen your chances of winning.

As for cases in which a burn injury arose from a vehicle accident, claimants will be required to establish that the other driver was at fault. Often, attorneys will need to investigate existing evidence and reconstruct the crash to uncover additional proof. It is not easy to do so without any previous experience. Therefore, it is advised to seek professional legal help as soon as possible.

How to Seek Compensation for Burn Injuries

If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury due to someone else's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Our experienced San Francisco burn injury lawyers are dedicated to helping victims like you recover the compensation you deserve.

When pursuing a burn injury claim, it's important to understand the types of compensation that may be available to you:

• Medical expenses: This includes the cost of hospital stays, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, and any future medical treatments related to your burn injury.
• Lost wages: If your burn injury has caused you to miss work or has affected your ability to earn a living, you may be entitled to compensation for lost wages.
• Pain and suffering: Burn injuries can be incredibly painful and can lead to long-term physical and emotional suffering. You may be eligible to seek compensation for your pain and suffering.
• Disfigurement and scarring: Severe burn injuries can result in permanent disfigurement and scarring. Compensation may be available to help cover the physical and emotional impact of these changes to your appearance.
• Loss of enjoyment of life: If your burn injury has significantly impacted your ability to enjoy life's activities, you may be able to seek compensation for the loss of enjoyment of life.

Our burn injury attorneys have a proven track record of success in obtaining significant settlements and verdicts for our clients. We understand the complexities of burn injury cases and will fight tirelessly to protect your rights and maximize your compensation.

Important Deadlines for Burn Injury Claims in California

Per the statute of limitations, California residents have two years from the date of their burn injury to file a formal legal complaint. For cases against a government agency or entity, burn victims are only given six months from the date of their injury. There are some exceptions, such as for victims without the mental capacity to bring a case forward before these deadlines.