Fire & Burn Injuries
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, in 2018 there were 1,318,500 fires in the United States. These fires resulted in 3,655 deaths, and 15,200 injuries. These fires were in many different settings and circumstances.
Physical harm caused by fire can lead to a wide range of injuries. As well, these burn injuries can vary significantly by severity.
Burn injuries are classified in three degrees. The three degrees of burn injury severity are first, second, and third degree burns. The most serious type of burn is the third-degree burns.
Descriptions of these burn severity classifications, as well as medical treatment recommendations, can be seen on the Mayo Clinic's "Burns" page. As discussed on the "Treatments" section, burn injury treatment will be dictated by the type and severity of the burn.
Extensive medical care may be required for serious burn injuries. These injuries can be very painful, and recovery time can be extensive. Severe burns may require various types of specialized medical treatment at a burn center. Various operations may be needed, including one or more skin grafts. There are many other treatments that may be required, including physical therapy and plastic surgery.
Fires can occur in many settings, leading to burn injuries. These fires are often caused due to negligence, such as defective products, improper handling of materials, reckless actions, and failure to follow proper safety procedures. Many materials and liquids, such as gasoline, are highly flammable, and as such any improper handling of flammable materials can result in combustion and an accompanying blaze.
Common settings for fire injuries include house fires; building fires; construction accidents; explosions; areas using heating equipment; and vehicle accidents. As well, vehicle fires can occur without the vehicle being involved in an accident. For instance, there may be electrical fires, or fires caused by leaking gasoline or other fluids.
As seen in the blog, various vehicle accidents have led to the car or other vehicle catching on fire. In many of these serious accidents, critical injuries or fatalities occur.
One post which summarized a fatal car crash that involved the car catching fire was the June 24, 2019 post titled "Chicago Near West Side Crash Leads To Three Fatalities." As discussed in that post, a Chevy Malibu caught fire after hitting a light pole.
For those fires that lead to fatalities, if the loss of life was due to the negligence or intentional actions of others, a wrongful death lawsuit may be filed by relevant parties.
One example of a death that occurred during a fire, which led to a wrongful death lawsuit, is a case settled by the Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC in March 2020. Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC settled the case for $975,000. The case involved a man who died during an apartment fire on Chicago's South Side. This wrongful death lawsuit and subsequent settlement is further discussed in the "Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC Settles Chicago Wrongful Death Lawsuit For $975, 000" post.
For those fires that don't lead to a fatality, serious burn injuries typically cause substantial medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other additional hardships and expenses.
The Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC handles personal injury lawsuits that involve people who have been injured due to fire. As discussed above, burn injuries can cause significant, if not substantial, trauma. Treatment of this trauma can be extremely expensive and very physically traumatic. Many people who have been burned due to the fault of others seek to get injury compensation. This injury compensation is often needed to pay for medical costs, as well as cover lost income and other issues. As well, the lawsuit proceeds are meant as recompense for other hardships such as pain & suffering and other non-financial issues.
Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC has been handling Illinois personal injury lawsuits for over 30 years. Over this time, we have built a reputation for - and earned recognition of - our court trial accomplishments.
Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC's ability to successfully take cases to court, when a settlement offer is inadequate, has proven very valuable to our clients. As seen in many cases, the trial award has been substantially higher than the last settlement offer.
If you are a burn victim, or have otherwise been injured due to the fault of others, please contact us immediately to receive a free legal consultation. For many reasons, it is in your best interest to immediately start receiving legal counsel.
