A Catastrophic Injury Law Firm
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, P.A. (Dolman Law Group) has the financial resources and experiences to handle and maximize the damages in catastrophic injury claims such as a burn injury case. We are a nationally recognized law firm that other lawyers often bring in to assist on their biggest and most complicated cases. A top burn injury lawyer must have significant funds to retain the best experts which can illustrate not only the harms and losses sustained by the victim but the estimated future medical costs over their lifetime. Our injury attorneys are experienced in handling cases with substantial damages. Each personal injury lawyer at Dolman Law Group has experience in the handling of a burn injury claim.
Burn Injuries Are More Common Than You Think
Burns and fires are the fifth most common cause of accidental death in children and adults and account for an estimated 3,500 adult and child deaths per year.
According to the American Burn Association (ABA), there are over 450,000 serious burn injuries in the United States every year that require medical treatment. The ABA reported, “in 2014 alone, there were 3,275 recorded deaths from fire and smoke inhalation injuries.” According to a 2016 report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the total costs for the treatment of burns in 2010 was $1.5 billion, with another $5 billion in costs associated with lost work.
Burn Injuries Are More Common In Southern States
In terms of geography, the relative risk of dying in a fire for people living in the south is higher than for populations living in other regions. Burn injuries can occur on the job, in the home, or during leisure activities. And according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)—has a high chance of occurring in Florida. For that reason, it is important to understand how burn injuries occur and their varying severity.
Causes of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries vary widely in severity and can require little to no medical care to treatment in a specialized hospital unit. Some burns can cause lasting damage and require long-term medical care. They can cause physical as well as psychological scars, leaving victims with severe pain, lost wages, and overwhelming medical bills. The type of burn you have depends on the cause and the severity to which your skin is damaged.
Types of Burns and What Causes Them
While burn injuries are most often associated with fires and flames, people can sustain burns in other ways as well. The most common include:
- Thermal burns are caused by fire, scalding liquid or steam, and touching a hot object or such as ovens or irons. Thermal burns due to airbag deployment are due to direct contact with the airbag surface as well as from exposure to the hot gas that leaves the deflation vents of the airbag.
- Chemical burn injuries are caused by solvents, detergents, or strong acids that come in contact with the skin. Or, they are caused by chemical explosions like those from batteries.
- Electrical burns are caused by coming into contact with an electrical current.
- Radiation burns are caused by the sun, ultraviolet light, or contact with nuclear radiation, such as x-rays or radiation therapy to treat cancer.
- Friction burns occur when a hard object rubs off some of your skin. They are common in motorcycle and bicycle accidents.
Severity of Burn Injuries
Burns are generally categorized into 4 categories, depending upon the severity and how deeply your skin has been damaged. The higher the degree, the more severe the burn is. The degrees are defined as follows:
- 1st Degree – These are the least serious burns. In a first-degree burn, the outermost layer of skin is burned, but not all the way through. These burns involve skin redness, pain, and swelling. Generally, no medical attention is required for a first-degree burn. These burns usually heal within a week. First-degree burns tend to be very common.
- 2nd Degree – In a second-degree burn, the epidermis (outer layer of skin) and the dermis (2nd layer of skin) have been burned. Blisters generally develop and are usually accompanied by significant pain and swelling. These burns can take weeks to heal and may leave a scar or cause a permanent change in the color of your skin.
- 3rd Degree – are sometimes called a “full-thickness burn”. They destroy two full layers of the skin. Instead of turning red, the burn can take on a charred or white appearance. As this type of burn damages nerve endings, there will not be any pain. A skin graft may be used in the treatment of this type of burn.
- 4th Degree – are the most serious type of burns. Fourth-degree burns are potentially life-threatening and destroy all the layers of your skin, as well as a person’s bones, muscles, tendons, and even organs.
Sometimes, the degree of the burn will change. This can happen if the damage to the skin continues to spread and the injury becomes deeper.
Incidents That Cause Burns
Burns can lead to many complications, including infections and bone and joint issues.
There are many different types of events that may result in burn injuries that require medical attention. Some of the more common include:
- Fire accidents
- Apartment building fires
- Defective products
- Chemical spills
- Car accidents
- Industrial accidents
- Hotel Fire
- Restaurant fire
- Electrical cord fires and electric accidents
- Tanker truck explosion
- Nightclub fire
- Limousine fire
- Oil rig accident
- Explosions
- Cooking accident
- Truck accident
- Barbecue fire due to a propane tank explosion
After a burn injury, it is important for victims to record as much information about the incident as possible. In addition, people with serious burns should be certain to seek appropriate medical attention as soon as possible for burn care.
Burns Due to The Negligence of a Landlord
Landlords are generally subject to federal, state, and municipal safety standards and regulations. Some of these regulations regarding fire safety include:
- Ensuring smoke alarms are on the property and in working order
- Installation of fireproof doors
- All fire extinguishers must be checked and regularly serviced
- Escape routes, including stairwells, must be kept clear
- Fire escapes must be checked consistently to ensure they are clear and sturdy
- All electrical wiring must be checked to ensure it is in good condition
[Read: The Importance of Fire Safety]
Burns from a Car Accident
We have handled a number of car accident-related burn injuries. In fact, such burn injuries are somewhat common.
Electricity, heat, and toxic chemicals can burn the driver or passengers following a car wreck. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created standards approximately thirty years ago requiring automakers to limit the amount of fuel spilled during a head-on accident, rear-end accident, or side-impact car accident.
When we handle a car accident burn injury case, our team immediately retains experts to determine how and in what manner the fuel containment system failed. Fuel systems and fuel tanks must be designed to not lose their structural integrity from a car wreck. Sadly, this does not always prevent the worse from happening and passengers can become trapped in a car during a fire, leading to a wrongful death.
Wrongful Death Caused by a Fire
Most fire accidents that lead to a wrongful death claim involve a private or commercial structure. When our firm is retained in a wrongful death from fire claim, we retain experts to study the burn patterns. This enables the expert to determine the fire’s origin. It is also essential to examine the composition of materials and furniture in the path of such fire. Finally, we examine the heat source to understand whether a mechanical or electrical issue caused the fire. Burn injury from a home or commercial fire often creates immeasurable damages. In fact, they are often associated with a third or fourth-degree burn injury.
Cause of Death from a Burn Injury
- Pulmonary edema
- Inhalation injury
- Bacterial pneumonia
- Aspiration in a victim who is unconscious
Seek an Experienced Tampa Burn Accident Attorney Today to Schedule a Free Consultation
Burn injuries cause victims debilitating physical pain and financial burden due to the costs associated with critical care and treatment. When another party’s reckless behavior causes you harm, you shouldn’t have to deal with the added financial stress of your injury. You deserve full compensation for your medical treatment, lost wages, and other losses you have incurred as a result of your burn injury.
People who sustain burn injuries may be entitled to significant compensation for any economic and noneconomic losses they may have sustained. The best way to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve after a burn injury is to consult with an experienced burn injury attorney in Tampa as soon as possible. The law firm of Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, is committed to helping burn injury victims recover from their injuries.
With an arsenal of burn victim lawyers on your side, we can provide you with invaluable leverage and the resources needed to obtain the full measure of compensation to which you are entitled to.
Contact a burn accident lawyer today online or at (866) 896-0899 to schedule a free evaluation and consultation with a lawyer for burn injuries to discuss your burn injury case.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA
800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 451-6900
We have eleven locations on both coasts of Florida (including Orlando in Central Florida) and occasionally handle fire and burn injury cases nationally throughout the United States with licensed lawyers in the applicable jurisdiction. Our firm offers a free consultation and case evaluation for burn injury victims.
Dolman Law Group
We are a nationally recognized catastrophic injury and wrongful death law firm. Our burn injury lawyers have over 115 years of combined experience handling serious personal injury claims. Each injury lawyer at Dolman Law Group has handled serious bodily injury claims. Our law firm has recovered over $175 million for our clients. We are NOT a large volume personal injury practice that can be found advertising all day on television and radio. Our firm focuses on quality over quantity and we focus on maximizing the recovery for our clients while providing personal attention to each and every case. We have all of the same resources that any big firm can offer while providing personal attention that often cannot be found at the biggest advertisers.
Matthew Dolman
Matthew Dolman is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum (less than 1% of practicing lawyers have achieved such recognition) and has handled over 6000 personal injury claims and cases throughout his career. He has a number of recoveries in excess of $1 Million and has served as lead counsel in over 1000 personal injury lawsuits. Matthew has been selected by his colleagues on three occasions as “Legal Elite” which is published yearly by Florida Trends magazine. He has also been selected by his fellow lawyers as a “Florida Super Lawyer” and a “Florida Super Lawyer Rising Star” on multiple occasions. Matthew maintains a 10.0 rating as a personal injury lawyer by Avvo.com. He is a well-respected injury lawyer by insurance defense attorneys throughout Florida.
Stanley Gipe
Stanley Gipe is a recognized injury attorney and is a Florida Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. Less than 2% of members of the Florida Bar have attained board certification. Board certification deems that Stan is an expert trial attorney. Stan heads the litigation department at Dolman Law Group and has handled numerous catastrophic injury claims. He is highly respected as a personal injury attorney by insurance defense lawyers. Stan has tried numerous jury trials and has served as lead counsel on personal injury lawsuits in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, Sarasota, Hernando, Polk, and Orange counties. Further, Stan has handled well over 100 wrongful death claims and lawsuits in his career. He serves as lead counsel on every personal injury lawsuit at Dolman Law Group.
