Las Vegas Burn Injury Lawyer

Burn injuries can lead to incredible pain and suffering as well as long-term scarring and disfigurement. Anytime a person sustains a burn injury caused by the careless or negligent actions of someone else, they should be able to recover compensation. At Bighorn Law, we are standing by to help if you need a Las Vegas burn injury lawyer by your side. You need compensation, and you need it quickly. Let us offer a free consultation so we can help you determine the best steps forward for your particular situation.

Why Choose Bighorn Law for a Burn Injury Claim?

At Bighorn Law, we believe in putting clients first. This means that we focus on your claim and keep you up to date about the status of your case at all times.
Our team has recovered major settlements and jury verdicts for injury claims in Las Vegas and throughout the state of Nevada.
We handle burn injury claims in Las Vegas on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients never worry about legal fees until after we successfully recover compensation for their losses.

Burn Injury Severity and Recovery

Burns are typically classified based on four degrees:

First-degree burns. Typically, these burns only affect the outer layer of skin, the epidermis. Most commonly, individuals sustain first-degree burns as a result of staying out in the sun for too long. There is usually no long-term damage associated with this type of burn.
Second-degree burns. These types of burns usually involve the epidermis and the lower layer of skin called the dermis. This can lead to the burn site looking red and blistered, and it will likely be swollen or painful.
Third-degree burns. This type of burn is considered a full-thickness burn and destroys the epidermis and dermis. Third-degree burns may go to the subcutaneous level, and the burn site can look blackened or white.
Fourth-degree burns. Fourth-degree burns are the most severe type of burn that can occur and typically destroy all layers of skin and move into the muscle and bone.

Recovering from burn injuries can be a lengthy process. Individuals often need extended care in a medical setting. Individuals who sustain severe burns are also at a heightened risk of infection throughout the entire time they are recovering.

Types of Compensation Available for a Burn Injury Case

Burn injury victims may be able to recover a wide range of compensation types if the incident was caused by the actions of another individual or entity. At Bighorn Law, our goal is to ensure clients recover both economic and non-economic compensation for their losses.

Economic Damages

You may be eligible for economic damages if you or a loved one suffered a burn injury. These are easily calculated and will compensate the burned party for their sustained economic losses. Economic damages include the following:

Medical expenses: Medical care costs, which can begin with an ambulance ride to the emergency room, continue to accrue throughout the healing process. These costs include all the treatments required to prevent infection, manage pain, and perform any necessary therapy or cosmetic surgeries. Hospital stays and time spent in a burn center would also be included in the medical expenses.
Loss of wages: The person who sustained the burn may miss work or if the injury is severe enough, may be unable to return to work. The loss of income due to time away from the job or the inability to work is a recoverable compensation.
Lost educational opportunities: If the burned party was a student, had scholarships, or was in a program they were forced to forfeit their spot in, they may be eligible for compensation for that missed educational opportunity.
Rehabilitation: If the patient has to participate in rehabilitative therapy to regain what was lost due to the burn, this can quickly become expensive. Rehabilitation is an economic damage that burn patients should be compensated for.
Property damage: If the accident caused damage to the injured person’s property, such as their home, their vehicle, their mobile phone, or any other property, they should be compensated for their loss.
Long-term recovery: Expenses may mount due to the time it takes to recover following a burn. These expenses are the responsibility of the liable party, and the burn victim should be compensated for them.
Mobility devices: If the person who sustained the burns needs a mobility device after the accident, economic damages should cover it.
Transportation costs: Burn injuries are rarely a quick fix and often mean traveling to and from various medical centers for treatments and therapies. The cost of the transportation should be considered when determining a fair settlement.
Home alterations: If the physical damage caused by the burns is excessive, alterations may be necessary upon arrival at home. This could mean something as simple as installing grab bars, to adding ramps and lifts to the house, widening doorways, and making bathrooms accessible. Keep a record of any home alterations done so that they can be considered when asking for compensation.

Your burn injury lawyer will review your case and determine if any other economic damages should be included when trying to reach the fair and generous settlement that you are entitled to receive.

Noneconomic damages

Noneconomic damages are harder to calculate but comprise a large part of the compensation owed to those who have sustained burn injuries. These damages include the following:

Pain and suffering: Burns are incredibly painful and often cause extreme suffering, and the pain experienced is considered when a settlement is reached.
Loss of enjoyment of life: When a burn injury causes a person to be unable to participate in the hobbies and activities they once enjoyed, they should receive fair compensation. No monetary settlement can return these losses, but it is the only way to offer restitution.
Emotional anguish: The trauma and emotional anguish experienced by a burn injury victim can be horrific. Again, this is not restored and forgotten because of a monetary settlement, but it is the only fair way to provide compensation.
Damage to relationships: Injuries and the time it takes to recover can strain personal relationships. For instance, a parent may not be able to care for their child, or a spouse may not be able to do the things or fulfill the responsibilities they once did. Financial compensation is due to those who have experienced harm to their relationships due to their injuries.
Scarring and disfigurement: Burns can leave a patient with disfiguring scars. These not only cause the patient to suffer many treatments and procedures, but they can have an adverse effect on their self-esteem, causing them physical and emotional pain. They are considered in a settlement package.
Loss of consortium: The spouse or partner of the burn victim may pursue damages for loss of consortium. This means that their partner is no longer able to provide them with support, love, and intimacy as they once had been able to do.
Loss of reputation: A burn, which was no fault of the victim, can still hurt their reputation. Rumors about the victim can injure their reputation, whether in the workforce, among family and friends, or on social media.
Loss of job opportunities: This may occur because the person who was burned can no longer perform jobs they were qualified for otherwise.

This list of damages is hardly exhaustive. Speak to your burn injury attorney with Bighorn Law about the areas for which you should be compensated if you have experienced a burn injury due to someone else’s fault.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are sometimes available to victims of burn injuries. They are not offered as a form of compensation, as economic and noneconomic damages cover those areas. Punitive damages are meant to punish the person or entity who caused the injury.

The circumstances of the burn injury are taken into account, and if the court determines that the actions that caused the injury were due to malicious behavior or reckless disregard for the victim, they may be awarded.

Punitive damages are ordered not only as punishment but also as a deterrent. The court hopes to deter the person or entity from committing similar actions in the future. Not only is it used to discourage the behavior from being repeated by the defendant, but it is also used to discourage others from engaging in similar actions.

Not every civil case will see punitive damages awarded. They are reserved for cases where extreme carelessness or malicious intent is involved. Speak to your attorney with Bighorn Law about your case and advice. After reviewing your case, we can provide you with realistic expectations about the likelihood of receiving punitive damages.

Call a Las Vegas Burn Injury Lawyer Today

If you or somebody you care about has sustained a burn injury caused by the actions of another individual in the Las Vegas area, the team at Bighorn Law is ready to help. We want to investigate what happened in your particular situation and then work to recover any compensation you may be entitled to. When you need a Las Vegas burn injury lawyer, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling (702) 505-8069.