Burn injuries affect thousands of people each year, in many cases to a debilitating degree. With high treatment costs that often include full-time care, burn injuries can cause a great deal of financial stress in addition to physical and mental pain. In some cases, though, victims suffer needlessly due to someone else’s reckless, careless, or intentional behavior. If you or a loved one suffer a burn injury due to the negligence of another person, contact a Lake County burn injury lawyer to book a consultation. After examining your case, a knowledgeable catastrophic injury attorney may be able to help you recover compensation for your medical bills and the pain you are experiencing.
Common Causes of Burns
Although many people immediately think of boiling water or open flames when they think of burns, there are many different situations that can cause these injuries. Among the most common are:
- Explosions
- Car accidents
- Exposed electrical wires
- Hazardous chemicals
Regardless of the specific type of burn, the victim may be entitled to compensation if their injury resulted from negligence. An initial consultation with a Lake County burn injury lawyer could focus on outlining the legal options available and estimating the amount of compensation a victim could file a suit for.
Proving Negligence for Lake County Burn Injuries
735 Illinois Compiled Statutes 5/2-1116(b) states that fault in the context of a burn injury case is “any act or omission that is negligent, willful, [or] wanton.” To prove this, plaintiffs and their legal teams use as much evidence as possible to shed light on the connection between their burn injury and the defendant’s negligent actions.
It is important to note, however, that Lake County burn injury cases operate under a “modified comparative negligence” rule, which means that victims cannot recover if the court deems them 51 percent or more at fault for their injuries. In situations involving shared fault, a plaintiff’s final compensation would be decreased in proportion to their assigned degree of fault.
The Importance of Input from Medical Experts
Victims suffering from burns resulting from a doctor’s mistake must seek the opinion of a medical professional prior to filing their lawsuit. As per 735 ILCS 5/2-622, the victim’s affiant—which is typically their burn injury lawyer in Lake County—must file an affidavit with the lawsuit that declares they have examined the case with a medical professional’s assistance.
The medical professional must be:
- Sufficiently knowledgeable of the issues connected to the case
- Qualified in terms of medical experience and competence
- Teaching or practicing in a relevant area of medicine
The medical professional must also agree that “there is a reasonable or meritorious cause” to the lawsuit.
Let a Lake County Burn Injury Attorney Help
Whether a burn injury stems from medical negligence or not, 735 ILCS 5/13-202 and 735 ILCS 5/13-212 both require any ensuing lawsuit to be filed within two years of the injury. If the injury is due to medical negligence, the latest the suit can be filed is four years, even if the damages are experienced later than the injury.
If you are struggling with a burn injury, contact a Lake County burn injury lawyer as soon as possible to begin piecing together your case. With compassionate support from an experienced attorney, you may be able to receive compensation for your medical bills as well as the suffering you have experienced.
