Burn Injury Lawyers in St. Louis

We Fight for Patients to Recover Fair Compensation

Burn injuries are among the most painful injuries that one can sustain, both mentally and physically. While less severe burns may only cause minor issues, others can leave the victim with permanent scarring and disfigurement. Particularly bad burns may even require skin grafts or surgical amputation.

Given the complex nature of burn injury claims, it is highly advisable to contact a lawyer who has proven experience in handling cases similar to yours. Burn injuries occurring at work are best handled by workplace injury lawyers; for those that occurred as a result of a structure fire, a lawyer with experience litigating these types of cases is the most viable option.

Meyerkord & Kurth has a legal team with a proven track record of success in several subtypes of burn injury claims. If you have suffered a severe burn injury because of the negligent actions of another or due to a defective product, you may have probable cause to pursue a legal claim to obtain compensation and bring the at-fault party to justice. Our attorney team only accepts a select number of cases at any given time, allowing us to dedicate our full attention to you and your case.

Contact our St. Louis burn injury attorneys online to learn more about your legal rights.

Filing a Claim for a Severe Burn Injury

Unfortunately, a burn injury can have life-changing consequences for the victim and may require intensive, costly medical care. When severe, they have the potential to result in short- or long-term disability and disfigurement. Therefore, the law grants individuals whose burns can be attributed to another party the right to file a claim to seek compensation for damages.

Common damages that are paid out to burn injury victims include:

• Hospital bills
• Disability accommodations
• Reduced quality of life
• Loss of enjoyment
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Lost income due to time missed from work

Simply filing a claim does not guarantee that you will be compensated, however. You will also need to establish that the other party caused your injury, as well as prove the injury occurred. In cases concerning burn injuries, proving fault may take a couple of different forms because multiple situations can lead a person to sustain a burn.

For burn injuries caused by a defective product, the claim will fall under product liability law, meaning you will have to prove that the product was either mismarketed or defectively designed/manufactured. For a burn injury claim that hinges on another’s negligence, you will be required to prove that the other party 1.) owed you a duty of care, 2.) breached their duty of care, and 3.) the breach led to your burn.

Burn Injuries Eligible for a Legal Claim

The determining factor for whether a severe burn provides grounds for a legal case comes down to who was at fault, not the type of burn injury. A few examples of the kinds of serious burns for which our lawyers at Meyerkord & Kurth have helped clients seek justice include the following:

1. Thermal Burns

Burn injuries from hot objects, scalding liquids, and fires are all too common in the United States: 1.2 million Americans suffer thermal burns each year, about 50,000 of whom require hospitalization. This also accounts for the 3,500 adults and children fatally wounded in such accidents.

Thermal burns can arise from myriad situations, from house and building fires to recreational accidents — such as fireworks or campfire mishaps — to auto collisions. While some of these burns result from unavoidable tragedies, others can be directly attributed to the negligence of another party.

1. Chemical Burns

Heat is not the only thing that can irreparably damage the skin. Though chemical burns are not as frequent, they can be just as serious and result in permanent injury or death. Chemical burns can be caused by substances that are extremely acidic (low pH) or basic (high pH). Such substances are often found in industrial workplaces and household cleaners. In fact, people often suffer caustic burns at home due to mishaps with:

• Bleach
• Drain cleaners
• Cosmetic products
• Metal cleaners
• Hair dyes
• Toilet bowl cleaners

These chemical agents can cause serious harm in a very short amount of time, especially when they come into contact with vulnerable parts of the body, such as the eye.

1. Electrical Shock

Electrical burns (shocks) most commonly occur in the workplace. Construction workers are by far the highest-risk group; they accounted for nearly half of these injuries from 2003 to 2012. That being said, electricity is pervasive in all our lives, meaning anyone from office workers to stay-at-home parents may suffer an electric shock.

1. Radiation Damage

Each year, many people suffer radiation burns in the form of sunburns. These are not intense enough to need serious medical care and, even if they did, do not bring questions of liability.

There are some types of radiation damage that can be chalked up to negligence, however. For instance, cancer patients receiving radiation therapy may be burned and develop sores or ulcers if skin cells are destroyed faster than they can be replaced. The doctor who administered this improper treatment can be held accountable.

Workers can also suffer radiation damage while on the job. The main source of radiation burns in the workplace is welding; any professionals in this industry, or who work near such an operation, must wear strong protective gear to prevent burn injuries to the cornea.

Medical Needs for Burn Injury Victims