Personal Injury Attorney

Burn injuries are extremely painful and may leave permanent physical and psychological scars. According to the Journal of Burn Care and Rehabilitation, in the early nineties there were more that 2.4 million burn injuries reported in the United States every year. Of these burn injuries, over one million involved significant physical damage.

Each year, thousands of burn injuries result in death. In fact, burn injuries are the second leading cause of accidental death, behind automobile accidents.

There are four categories of burn injuries:

First degree burns Superficial second degree burns Deep second degree burns Third degree burns
First Degree Burns
First-degree burns usually affect the outer layer of the skin, called the epidermis. A first-degree burn tends to be moist and red in color. A burn of this nature is generally resolved within a week. A classic example of a first-degree burn would be mild sunburn.

Superficial Second Degree Burns
A superficial second-degree burn penetrates the entire epidermal layer of skin and extends down to the next skin layer, known as the dermis. Pressure on a second-degree burn tends to produce red blanches. The burn may appear moist and pinkish in color. A superficial second-degree burn also should heal spontaneously, often within two weeks.

Deep Second Degree Burns
A deep second-degree burn differs from the superficial variety, because the tissue destruction runs deeper into the dermis. A burn of this nature will be dry and whitish in color. It will not produce red blanches with application of pressure. This type of burn may take three to four weeks to heal. There is a risk that a deep second-degree burn will leave thick or hypertrophic scars.

Third Degree Burns
The most severe classification is the third degree burn. This occurs when the burn destroyed both the epidermal and dermal layers of skin and extended down to the subcutaneous tissue. These burns may be physically depressed, charred, and often leather-like in appearance.

Ironically, a third degree burn may not be as physically painful as less severe types, because of the amount of nerve endings that were destroyed. These burns are very serious and often require skin grafting or other reconstructive procedures.

Burns are also classified into two categories: partial thickness and full thickness. Partial thickness burns include first and second degree burns, while full thickness burns are usually third degree burns.

These descriptions only describe the general burn characteristics. However, you should not attempt to diagnose the severity of a burn on your own. Instead, get prompt medical attention, because this can be important in minimizing pain and promoting faster recovery. In severe burn cases, immediate medical treatment may save lives.

Burn injuries are expensive to treat. A prolonged hospitalization for third degree burns can easily exceed $100,000. Many burn injuries are due to negligence (the fault of another person). If you or a loved one suffered a burn injury, talk with an experienced Michigan personal injury lawyer today.

By: Marya Sieminski

When a party is injured or suffers damages as a result of the carelessness or negligence of another other party, a personal injury lawsuit arises. In special circumstances, like medical negligence or wrongful death, the personal injury law grants a right to an individual related to the victim to file a lawsuit on his behalf. The basis of a personal injury lawsuit is to provide compensation to the injured party for the injuries or damages suffered by him, due to the other party’s negligence. Personal injury lawsuits cover a wide range of domains like all-terrain vehicle accidents, auto accidents, brain or burn injuries, dog bites, industrial accidents, sexual harassment, medical malpractice, etc.

There are two basic elements required to file a personal injury lawsuit that demands for compensation, liability, and damages. In the process of demonstrating liability, the party filing the suit must establish and prove that the person or entity charged is legally responsible for the injury caused. The damages refer to the extent of injury or loss suffered due to the defendant’s negligence. These two elements can be established on several grounds like negligence, strict liability, and deliberate wrong, with deliberate wrong being the least-used grounds for filing a lawsuit.

The trend of filing a personal injury lawsuit in America is on rise these days. The conditions for filing a lawsuit vary from state to state. In the state of Michigan, a personal injury lawsuit can be filed only within three years of the accrual of the personal injury, except for special circumstances where it becomes difficult to find the cause of injury until certain period. Most people qualified to file a personal injury lawsuit lack sufficient knowledge on personal injury law to claim the full amount of entitled compensation. Thus, considering the criticality of the situation, the best course is to hire an experienced personal injury attorney to guide you in the proper direction.

By: Ken Marlborough

When you or someone you love has been injured you may feel like your life has been flipped upside down. At the same time, you will confront serious and complex medical, legal, job, money, and family issues, often for the first time in your life.

This article is designed to help answer this question “how will my case proceed?”. The facts surrounding each legal claim are unique. As each case is different, it is impossible to know the length of time necessary to see a case to resolution or the nature of the resolution. There are certain things, however, that you can generally expect to occur when pursuing an injury claim.

Since every case is different your first legal consultation should be free. Your attorney will examine the unique facts regarding your case and look at it from every angle. The information that you provide will include:

When, where, and how did the accident happen? What injuries did you or your loved one suffer? All the other facts that might impact the viability of the case. Any other information that you think is important.

If a face to face meeting is not practical, information can be exchanged by phone, mail, or email. If you or a loved one needs legal help, talk with a dedicated Ohio personal injury lawyer.

Investigation

A careful investigation of personal injury cases is absolutely critical, and must be done thoroughly and carefully for each case. The investigation process usually involves several important steps beginning with obtaining police reports, accident reports, witness statements, and photographs.

The investigation process continues as the case proceeds. Your attorney may retain experts to help present your case effectively. These experts may be necessary to reconstruct an auto accident, identify building code violations, or determine if a product was defective. The most important factor in the investigation phase is, of course, hard work and tenacity.

Pre-Suit

During the pre-suit process, materials related to your case are assembled including medical records and other information about your injury. During this phase of the case the focus shifts from assessing the viability of the case to managing the case in order to maximize value.

Most clients quite reasonably want to know how much money they will be receiving at the end of a successful personal injury claim. The truth is, the value of your case depends upon the outcome of your medical treatment and extent of your recovery, as well as the circumstances of the accident.

Litigation

Many cases never reach the litigation stage because they are settled during the pre-suit process. Sometimes it is necessary to litigate a case when the insurance company is unwilling to settle for an appropriate value.

The litigation process usually involves a process called discovery. During the discovery process you may be called upon to answer written questions called interrogatories or give testimony known as a deposition. It may be necessary to present your claim in court in front of a judge or jury.

Conclusion

After a settlement or verdict, the disbursement process concludes your case. This typically involves your attorney receiving a check from the insurance company, reviewing and approving the release if necessary, sorting out any lien issues, and then delivering a check to you as quickly as possible. If you or a loved one needs legal help, talk with a dedicated Ohio personal injury lawyer.

By: Marya Sieminski