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Buffalo Burn Injury Lawyer
Attentive, trial-ready representation for burn injury survivors in and around Buffalo, New York
Every year, hundreds of thousands of burn-related injuries are treated in the United States. These injuries can range widely in severity and are linked to many different causes. Car accidents, house fires, chemical spills, and countless other incidents can result in burn injuries – some of which have the potential to completely upend a victim’s life.
Even seemingly minor burn injuries can seriously impact a survivor’s day-to-day life. These injuries can be painful and may take several days or weeks to heal. More severe burns have particularly catastrophic consequences, and some of the most tragic cases can actually prove fatal.
Between medical bills, missed work, long-term rehabilitation expenses, and other losses, the combined cost of a severe burn injury can easily exceed a survivor’s financial means. There is legal recourse available to some survivors, however, and those individuals deserve to take advantage of their rights under New York law.
If you suffered a burn injury as a result of another person’s negligence, the team at O’Brien & Ford PC would love to speak with you about your case. We are committed to providing our clients with individualized, attentive support while helping them fight for the compensation they deserve. Contact us today to learn more about our services and schedule a free, no-obligation case consultation with one of our experienced, compassionate burn injury lawyers.
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More than $100 million recovered in verdicts and settlements for those injured in New York.
How We Can Help
- Understanding burn injuries
- How burn injuries are classified
- Common causes of burn injuries
- When can you file a burn injury lawsuit in New York?
- What compensation is available in a burn injury case?
- How long do you have to file a burn injury lawsuit in New York?
- Why work with O’Brien & Ford after a serious burn injury?
- Frequently asked questions about Buffalo burn injury claims
- Talk to a Buffalo burn injury lawyer today
Understanding burn injuries
Some people are surprised to learn that there are multiple kinds of burn injuries, and not all of them are caused by coming into contact with flames or a hot surface. There are three common kinds of burn injuries: thermal, electrical, and chemical. Thermal burns are perhaps the most well-known, as these are the kinds of injuries we suffer when touching a hot stove or an open flame.
Electrical and chemical burns are sometimes overlooked, but they can be incredibly dangerous. Electrical burns are caused by an electrical current running through a person’s body. These burns can affect bone, muscle, organs, nerves, and other tissue deep within the body. Chemical burns happen when a person’s skin comes in contact with a strong, corrosive substance. Even though these chemicals may not be warm to the touch, their corrosive properties can damage multiple layers of skin.
All of these burn injuries have the potential to cause serious harm to survivors, even when they receive swift medical care. Some injuries are more catastrophic than others, but even minor burns can be incredibly painful and trigger other frustrating complications.
Testimonials
What Our Clients Say About Us
“The professionalism I received from the entire staff was great. Christopher Pannozzo, Annat and John worked tirelessly to get me the justice I deserve. Even Patrice the receptionist was professional and always a joy to talk to. Thank you guys for the hard work and taking my case.”
“I highly recommend O'Brien & Ford, P.C. to anyone who has been injured and needs someone they can trust. I’m extremely thankful for everything Anant and his team did for me and for the way I was treated throughout the entire process. They were professional, knowledgeable, and always took the time to explain things clearly and answer my questions. I would highly recommend this law firm.”
“Best firm ever, very smart and knowledgeable law firm. I always felt in great hands through out the entire process, Specal thanks to my Attorney Anant Kishore, couldn’t ask for a better outcome, thanks again guys ,”
How burn injuries are classified
Because these injuries can take so many different shapes, medical providers have developed a system for classifying burns based on their depth and severity. In general, burn injuries are classified as follows:
First-degree burns
First-degree burns only affect the outer layer of skin and don’t usually result in long-term tissue damage. Many of us suffer occasional first-degree burns when cooking or spending too much time in the sun. While painful in many cases, these burns usually don’t cause blisters or require extensive medical care.
Second-degree burns
Second-degree burns (also known as partial-thickness burns) affect both the outer and middle layers of skin. These burns tend to blister and can become infected if they aren’t properly cared for. Second-degree burns can be very painful, so medical care often involves some form of pain management.
Third-degree burns
Third-degree burns are serious injuries that damage multiple layers of skin and can even affect underlying tissues. Victims of third-degree burns commonly require hospitalization and may need to undergo surgeries, reconstructive procedures, regular wound debridement, and other intensive treatments. There is a high risk of complications with these injuries, even with proper medical care.
Fourth-degree burns
Fourth-degree burns affect multiple skin layers and extend into underlying layers of fat, muscle, and bone. This makes them incredibly dangerous. A fourth-degree burn is considered a medical emergency and requires intensive medical intervention. These burns can damage nerve endings and may even necessitate amputations in order to save some patients’ lives.
Burn injuries can be isolated or cover large portions of a patient’s body. The treatment approach and long-term prognosis for a burn patient will depend on the injury’s location, classification, and extent.
Common causes of burn injuries
Burn injuries are extremely common and can happen in a wide range of settings and accident scenarios. As Buffalo burn injury lawyers, we have experience handling cases involving burns caused by:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- House and apartment fires
- Electrical accidents
- Gas leaks
- Explosions
- Construction-site accidents
- Defective products
- Scalding liquids or steam
Whether you sustained a burn injury in a car accident on the 290 or in an apartment fire caused by a landlord’s negligence, our team can help you weigh your legal options and begin building a strong case on your behalf. We’ll investigate all of the factors that contributed to your injury to determine whether another party can be held liable for your injuries so you can pursue a claim for the compensation you need to support your recovery.
When can you file a burn injury lawsuit in New York?
Crucially, not every burn injury warrants a lawsuit. A personal injury claim may be viable, however, if you can show that your burn injury happened because of another party’s negligence or another legally recognized basis for liability. Generally, this means you must be able to prove that the other party owed you a legal duty of care and caused or contributed to your burn injury by violating that duty. For example, if a company knowingly allowed a defective product to go to market and that product caused a preventable burn injury to an unsuspecting consumer, the company could face claims of liability for its negligence.
These cases require careful investigation. We need to look at all of the variables that may have contributed to the burn in question and evaluate whether the facts support a finding of liability against another party. If you burn yourself by pulling a hot pan out of an oven without an oven mitt, you probably won’t have any right to recover compensation from another party. If you used an oven mitt and it turned out to be defective, however, you may be within your rights to file a claim.
What compensation is available in a burn injury case?
If another party is deemed liable for your injury in a lawsuit, you may be able to recover compensation for a variety of losses related to your injury and its impact on your life. In New York, personal injury plaintiffs may be entitled to economic, non-economic, and/or punitive damages, depending on the facts of their case.
Economic damages typically account for quantifiable losses like hospital bills and long-term care costs. You may also be entitled to compensation for lost wages and reduced earning capacity if your injury prevents you from returning to work at the same level as before your accident. In a burn injury case, it’s very important to consider your future losses in addition to your past and present expenses. Many of these injuries require ongoing care and have long-lasting consequences for survivors and the people who care about them, so you’ll want to include these future losses in your damages calculations.
Some survivors may also be entitled to compensation for non-economic losses like pain and suffering, loss of limb, emotional distress, and more. Because burn injuries have the ability to fundamentally alter many aspects of a survivor’s life, non-economic damages can help address the intangible losses that extend far beyond an initial incident.
In some cases involving particularly egregious misconduct, a judge or jury may decide to award punitive damages to the victim. As the name would suggest, these damages are meant to punish wrongdoers for their behavior and deter others from making similar reckless decisions. New York differs from some other states in that it does not impose a general cap on compensatory or punitive damages, although awards remain subject to judicial and constitutional review.
How long do you have to file a burn injury lawsuit in New York?
In New York, most personal injury cases are subject to a three-year statute of limitations. That means you generally must file a lawsuit for a negligence-related burn injury within three years of sustaining said injury. There are some exceptions to this statute, however, so it’s important to consult with an experienced Buffalo burn injury lawyer if you’re uncertain as to whether you’re still within your rights to take legal action.
Even with a three-year statute of limitations in place, it’s almost always in your best interest to consult with a lawyer as soon as possible following an accident. The longer you wait, the harder it can become to track down critical evidence and build a cohesive claim. At O’Brien & Ford PC, we offer free, no-obligation initial case consultations so prospective clients can understand their legal options and make informed decisions from day one.
Why work with O’Brien & Ford after a serious burn injury?
At O’Brien & Ford PC, we understand that accident victims have many different firms to choose from when wading through the aftermath of a serious personal injury accident. Selecting a firm to represent you is a big decision – particularly in the midst of an already trying time. This is precisely why our team measures success by the impact we have on our clients rather than on case volume alone.
We know that this is a difficult time for you and your family, and our objective is to shoulder as much of the load as we can. Our team is committed to providing proactive communication and transparency throughout every step of the process.
When you work with O’Brien & Ford PC, you can expect:
Direct access to a lawyer
A lawyer will be available within two minutes of your call. You won’t get passed around from staff member to staff member. You won’t spend hours on hold waiting to speak to a human. When you call our office, you’ll be connected with someone who can help.
Individualized support
You deserve to work with a legal team that knows your name. We deliberately maintain limited caseloads so we can provide each of our clients with the personal attention they deserve.
Trial readiness
Our lawyers try actual cases, and we have a track record that includes seven- and eight-figure verdicts for personal injury clients.
No upfront retainer
We work on a contingency fee basis. That means you don’t pay any attorneys’ fees unless we recover compensation in your case. No surprise fees.
Local ties
O’Brien & Ford PC is deeply rooted in Western New York, and we are proud to serve our community in ways that extend beyond legal services alone. We support the Irish Classical Theatre Company, Taste of Country, and the Clarence Soccer Club, among other local organizations. These are parts of the community where our clients live, work, and recover, and we think it’s important for us to be involved and engaged.
Your best interest is top of mind for our team. We do the work we do because we believe that victims of preventable accidents deserve to know that someone is in their corner. We take great pride in what we do, and we are constantly looking for ways to better ourselves for the good of our community. If you suffered a burn injury and you believe another party’s negligence played a role, we would be honored to learn more about your case and represent you in your fight for justice.
Frequently asked questions about Buffalo burn injury claims
What is my burn injury case worth?
Every case will be valued differently based on a range of relevant factors. The severity of your burns, long-term prognosis, and value of your accident-related losses will be taken into account when determining the value of your case.
Can I recover compensation for scars from a burn?
What if I was burned in a car or truck accident?
Can I file a lawsuit if I was burned at work?
Talk to a Buffalo burn injury lawyer today
If you or a loved one sustained serious burns in an accident, you deserve to know that someone out there will fight for you. You deserve a lawyer who knows your name. Contact us today or stop by our Buffalo office at 4549 Main St., Suite 201 to speak to one of O’Brien & Ford PC’s burn injury lawyers.