Rockville Burn Injury Lawyer
On top of being especially painful injuries in many cases, high-degree burns also have a high potential to cause lasting and debilitating harm. Even with immediate medical treatment, serious burn injuries may result in lifelong scarring, loss of sensation, and chronic pain, to say nothing of how big a burden the financial and personal losses associated with such an injury can create.
Needless to say, retaining a catastrophic injury attorney and pursuing fair financial restitution can be crucial after any accident caused by someone else’s negligence that leads to a serious burn. To improve your chances of getting the best possible case outcome, though, you may want to seek help from a Rockville burn injury lawyer with years of experience handling this unique type of civil claim on behalf of people in situations like yours.
How Burn Degrees Affect Recoverable Compensation
There are four core elements to virtually every successful personal injury claim: the existence of some duty of care from the defendant toward the plaintiff, a breach of said duty by the defendant, causation of an accident through that breach, and causation of a physical injury through that accident. More specifically, the injury in question must be substantial enough to require some form of professional medical care that goes beyond basic first aid.
In practice, this means that first-degree burns rarely justify civil litigation even if they stem from someone else’s misconduct, as they are rarely serious enough to necessitate medical attention unless they cover a lot of skin surface area and/or affect sensitive areas of the body like the hands or groin. Second-degree burns, on the other hand, very often require medical attention to address the multiple layers of skin damaged and, in particularly severe cases, to avoid long-term scarring and nerve damage.
Third-degree burns require even more intensive care, as they penetrate deep enough to destroy multiple skin layers and cause damage to fat layers, muscles, tendons, and sometimes even bones. Based on an accident victim’s unique circumstances, a knowledgeable Rockville burn injury attorney could clarify during a private initial meeting what filing options may be available.
Potential Obstacles to Comprehensive Recovery
Unlike most other states, Maryland state law limits how much any burn injury victim can recover for non-economic damages like physical pain and lost quality of life through a damage cap codified in Maryland Code, Courts & Judicial Proceedings §3-2A-09. The applicable cap for a specific case depends on when the plaintiff accrued their cause of action—in other words, when they first sustained injury from someone else’s misconduct. For example, people who suffered severe burns between October 1, 2020 and the same date in 2021 could recover for up to $890,000, while the cap for cases arising after October 1, 2021 is $905,000.
Additionally, MD Code, C&JP §5-101 sets a filing deadline of three years for virtually all prospective personal injury plaintiffs, beginning on the date an individual plaintiff’s injury occurs. Representation from a skilled burn accident lawyer in Rockville is often crucial to understanding and effectively mitigating the impact these rules may have on recovery.
Get in Touch with a Rockville Burn Injury Attorney Today
As agonizing as they can be in the short term, high-degree burn injuries can unfortunately be even more devastating in the long term. Between lasting physical scars, financial hardships, and personal losses, it can be hard for any accident victim to effectively pursue the compensation they deserve on their own.
Fortunately, assistance is available from a Rockville burn injury lawyer who could fight tirelessly and tenaciously to protect your best interests. Schedule your initial consultation today.
