If you suffered severe burn injuries in the Los Angeles area, let an experienced injury attorney review your case, free of charge. The Salamati Law Firm serves victims of negligence throughout the state of California.
Los Angeles Burn Injury Attorney
Data from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention indicates that roughly 1.1 million burn injuries occur each year which require significant medical attention, and nearly 10,000 Americans annually due from infections related to burns. It is evident that burn injuries can cause physical pain, emotional distress and ongoing financial difficulties that are agonizing to victims as well as their entire families.
Sadly, a large number of burn injuries are the direct result of negligence or defectively designed commercial products. Making matters more tragic is the fact that critical evidence necessary to prove the true cause of a burn injury often disappears in the flames and witnesses to such traumatic events frequently experience the sort of shock which prevents them from accurate recall. Fortunately, Los Angeles serious injury attorney Sean Salamatic is prepared to assist burn injury victims in putting their lives back together and is committed to fighting for maximum financial compensation.
Fundamental facts about burn injuries
Burn injury cases tend to be quite complex in nature, generally requiring comprehensive analysis and careful investigation of surrounding facts. Generally speaking, burns are injuries marked by notable damage to tissues caused by heat and/or chemical agents.
Burns can occur in a seemingly limitless number of ways, though some of the more common scenarios resulting in harm include:
- Vehicle accidents
- Appliance failures leading to house fires
- Negligent use of cigarettes
- Improperly functioning smoke detectors
- Gas leaks and resulting explosions
- Household or industrial chemicals
- Contact with scalding water
- Defective heating pads, electric blankets, lighters and other devices
- Electrical malfunctions
- Industrial fires
- Upholstery and clothing which is insufficiently flame retardant
Lasting impact of burn injuries
Anyone who has ever sustained a serious burn injury will attest to the painful, lengthy and often very expensive medical treatment necessary to address the physical manifestations of the harm, not to mention the lasting emotional and psychological damage. When severe burns happen, recovery is often an intensely agonizing experience that can include reconstructive surgery and multiple skin grafting procedures. The disfigurement and scars routinely experienced by burn victims are both known to cause post-traumatic stress disorder and debilitating depression in many, requiring extensive professional intervention. Tragically, far too many burn victims simply do not have access to the financial resources needed to meet mounting expense, making the help of a skilled Los Angeles burn injury attorney a truly invaluable part of the journey toward recovery.
Litigation considerations for burn injury matters
Broadly stated, burn injury cases proceed under a theory rooted in negligence, and it can be quite difficult for plaintiffs to clearly establish the direct and true cause of the harm suffered. Based on the type of injury event leading to severe burns, an injury attorney will likely seek the opinions of a series of subject-matter experts which may include engineers, forensic investigators and medical treatment professionals who can reassemble the pieces of what is almost always a complicated puzzle. It is also critical for such experts to determine whether the victim played a contributing role to the harm ultimately sustained, as such facts can pose additional challenges when seeking compensation.
Determining damages in California burn injury cases
As with any injury lawsuit, the final compensation amount available to a given victim will depend on several pivotal factors. The severity or degree of burns suffered will certainly play a major role, with more serious injuries likely resulting in greater financial recoveries. In California, severe burns fall into the category of great bodily injury, therefore often serving to adjust compensation amounts upward. Also determinative of recovery size is the level of physical and/or emotional impairment stemming from the burn event as well as the probable cost of ongoing medical treatments including living assistance, therapies, cosmetic surgery and more. Payment for lost income, emotional distress, pain and suffering and loss of relationships may also be secured by successful plaintiffs.
Attorney Sean Salamati pledges to explore all elements of your burn injury claim in order to secure the greatest possible financial recovery for you and your family. Though it is impossible to predict the outcome of any single case, recent settlements in verdicts achieved in California burn cases do provide cause for optimism.
Specifically, burn victims in the state have been able to recover:
- $58 million verdict in a defective machinery lawsuit initiated by the victim of severe burns
- $3.8 million settlement for the victim of an acid burn caused by a defectively manufactured glass container
- $3.25 million for two children who were burned after smoke detectors failed to work
- $2.83 million settlement for scald burns suffered by a plumber after a valve failure
Whether through aggressive negotiations with insurance companies following a burn injury event or via skilled litigation and trial advocacy, Sean Salamati possesses the experience and professional judgment essential to securing the financial compensation and accountability victims need and deserve.
Fighting for California injury victims
If you or someone you love has experienced the trauma of a severe burn injury, it is vital that you get in touch with an attorney as soon as possible. Selecting an advocate to guide you through the legal process is one of the most crucial choices you can make in the immediate aftermath of a burn event. We at the Salamati Law Firm are ready and willing to conduct a comprehensive review of the facts underlying your injury and provide you with the insights required to make informed choices about your options.
To schedule a no-cost, no-obligation initial assessment of your case, contact us at 888-259-4060.
Burn Injury Resources:
- PubMed.gov, Abstract – Psychopathology and psychological problems in patients with burn scars: epidemiology and management, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12680803
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Burns, www.cdc.gov/masstrauma/factsheets/public/burns.pdf
- MedlinePlus, Burns, www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/burns.html
- Mayo Clinic, Diseases and Conditions – Burns, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/burns/basics/symptoms/con-20035028
- World Health Organization, Burns, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs365/en/
- National Institutes of Health, Burns and Traumatic Injury, https://report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=33