Burn Injury Lawyer in Raleigh, NC

Serious burns are among the most painful injuries. But they often cause more than pain. Severe burns can lead to potentially fatal infections and often require skin grafts and other forms of reconstructive surgery. They can also leave disfiguring scars that last a lifetime.

Treatments for serious burns usually last a long time and cost a great deal of money. If your burn injury happened at work or resulted from an accident that was someone else’s fault, you shouldn’t be left to pay the costs.

The burn injury attorneys at Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A., help victims seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other losses. We are ready to help you pursue compensation. Here are a few reasons why you should get help from our firm:

We make attentive client service our priority.

Our attorneys and staff take pride in treating clients like family.

We have extensive legal experience standing up for injured people in North Carolina.

Stability is the hallmark of our firm, with many staff members who have been with the firm for a long time.

Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys also includes two Board Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation Law — Chip Younce and David E. Vtipil.

Our team of professionals is committed to helping victims of burn injuries.

Members of the staff speak both English and Spanish.

It costs you absolutely nothing to talk with us about your situation and your legal options. Even if you don’t hire us, you will know your rights.

To learn more about how we can help you with your burn injury, contact us today for a free claim review and advice about your legal options.

Burn Injuries in Car Crashes, Workplace Accidents and Other Accidents

Accidental burn injuries can happen in a number of circumstances. Some of the most common include:

Workplace accidents, particularly in construction and heavy industry where hot substances, steam, electrical current, and other sources of intense heat are present.

Car crashes, especially severe collisions that result in fire or explosions. Contact with hot metal surfaces or steam can also cause burns even if there is no fire in a crash.

Premises liability cases such as those in which the property owner’s negligence is responsible for a fire or, for example, when a water heater is set too high, resulting in scalding hot water.

Defective products that create fire, explosion or heat due to a flawed design or error in manufacturing – for example, a cell phone battery that explodes.

Types and Severity of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries typically result from one of three different sources:

Heat burns – These occur when fire, hot surfaces, steam, hot liquids or other heat sources contact the skin.

Chemical burns – Strong caustic chemicals, many of which are common in workplaces, can cause severe burns when contact is made with unprotected skin.

Electrical burns – Electricity has the potential to cause severe burns – as well as other injuries – when it passes through the human body.

Burns are also classified by degree. A first-degree burn is the least serious and a third-degree burn is generally the most serious, though some in the medical field describe the most severe burns as fourth-degree.

Here are the signs and symptoms of the different degrees of burn injuries:

First-degree burn

Affects just the epidermis (outer layer of skin).
Makes the skin red and painful.
Causes a dry burned area.
Often heals in 3-5 days.
Examples include a sunburn with no blisters or a minor burn caused by exposure to steam.

Second-degree burn

Affects all of the epidermis and most of the dermis.
Often causes blisters.
Usually pink, red or white in color.
The burned area may be wet or dry.
Causes pain in the burned area.
May blanch (turn white) when pressure is applied.
The burned area remains sensitive, but feelings may be reduced.
Usually requires weeks to heal.
Skin grafts may be required.

Third-degree burn

Affects all layers of skin and even some subcutaneous tissue.
Appears black or white in color.
The burned area is dry and leathery.
There is no blanching under pressure.
There is no pain due to complete loss of sensation in the burned area.
Usually takes months to heal and skin grafts are often necessary.
Results in permanent scarring.
Carries a high risk of infection.

A fourth-degree burn, which is included in some classification systems, is essentially a third-degree burn that has reached the subcutaneous tissue below the skin and has damaged the muscles, nerves, and bones.

Compensation for Burn Injuries in North Carolina

If you suffered a serious burn injury while on the job, you are probably covered by North Carolina workers’ compensation. However, while these benefits are supposed to be paid without regard to fault, many claimants still face problems recovering the compensation they deserve. You need a strong legal advocate on your side to fight for the full benefits the law says you are entitled to.

Experienced legal representation is also critically important if you suffered a burn in another type of accident, such as a car crash, an accident caused by a dangerous condition on someone else’s property, or due to a defective product, for example.

The bottom line is this: If you’ve suffered a burn injury at work or in a car crash or other type of accident, you need an experienced personal injury and workers’ compensation attorney on your side.

Get Help With Your Burn Injury Claim Now

If you or a loved one suffered a serious burn in a workplace accident or in an accident that was caused by someone else’s carelessness, an insurance company may try to approach you with a quick settlement offer in hopes of making your case go away quickly and cheaply.

Don’t let them get away paying you less than you deserve. Insurance companies try to pay out as little as possible, and the settlement they offer may not come close to covering your expenses.

At Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A., our skilled Raleigh injury attorneys understand exactly how insurance companies operate. We will negotiate aggressively on your behalf and be prepared to present a strong case to a judge and jury if that’s what it takes.

You need full and fair compensation for the pain and suffering a serious burn has caused you and your family. Let our attorneys fight for you. Schedule a free consultation now.