Florence Burn Injury Lawyer
For those who have suffered a major burn injury, quality of life may be altered significantly. Pain, permanent disfigurement, loss of bodily functions, or even death may result from a major burn.
If you or a loved one suffered a burn injury because of someone else’s negligence, it might be advisable to consult with an experienced Florence burn injury lawyer to better understand your rights after such an accident. Within a certain time frame, a local personal injury attorney may be able to help you obtain compensation for damages such as medical bills and lost wages.
Remedies Available to Burn Victims
Burn injuries can result from various incidents, including motor vehicle accidents, work-related accidents, and product-related accidents. In each instance, there may be other parties partly or fully responsible for the burn injury. If liability can be established, a burn victim may be entitled to compensation for:
- Pain and suffering
- Medical expenses and future care needs
- Lost wages
- Future inability or impairment to work
- Loss of consortium
Each claim is subject to review of medical reports and other documentation. A Florence burn injury attorney could help gather documentation for an individual’s claim and explain the compensation potentially available in a given case.
Filing a Burn Injury Claim in Florence
It is important to remember there is a limited window to bring a negligence claim against another party. In Florence, lawsuits generally must be brought within three years or the plaintiff’s right to file for damages may be lost. The specific time frame can depend on the type of case, so working with a lawyer to determine the requirements of a case can be important.
In some burn cases, it may be difficult to determine fault and to what extent a party is responsible for the injury, as multiple potential causes may be at play. For example, a business owner may negligently dispose of flammable material in a certain location and another person may toss a match or cigarette near those materials, starting a fire that burns a third party.
Florence Comparative Negligence Law
Under South Carolina law, each party—including the claimant—is assigned a degree of responsibility based on the facts of the case. The claimant may recover only when they are personally responsible for the injury by a margin of 50 percent or less. Furthermore, their recovery may be reduced by the percentage of fault attributable to them. For example, if a damage claim is $500,000 but the claimant is deemed 50 percent responsible, recovery may be limited to $250,000.
There is an exception to this rule if another party intentionally causes the injury. In this case, the recovery of the claimant might not be reduced by their percentage of fault. To reuse a previous example, it may be found that the party that tossed their cigarette or match near the flammable materials did so knowingly and purposefully. If this action set the fire that caused an injury, the claimant could be entitled to collect the full potential value of their damage award.
Contact a Florence Burn Injury Lawyer Today
Coping with a major burn injury can be stressful for the injured party and their loved ones, especially when you have to worry about deadlines for filing suit or determine who to sue. An experienced Florence burn injury lawyer may be valuable in alleviating these burdens.
Speaking with a Florence burn accident attorney could help an injured claimant better comprehend their rights relative to other responsible parties. A prompt discussion with lawyers in our Mount Pleasant office who handle Florence cases might help avoid the loss of a viable claim and ultimately ensure that your right to recovery is protected.