Where Do Child Burns Happen and Who Is Liable?
The vast majority of burns suffered by children happen in residential home fires. This does not mean that you necessarily have to bear the entire expense of your child's treatments on your own shoulders. Even though your child may have been burned at home, other parties may be liable for your child's damages if the cause of the child's burdens was:
- A defective product
- An electrical device malfunction
- Improper wiring
- Multifamily housing that failed to contain working smoke detectors and satisfactory means of exiting the building
Children spend a lot of time at school, at daycare, and at community events. When a child suffers a severe burn at one of these or other locations, your lawyer can analyze the case to identify liable parties.
Children can suffer chemical burns from explosions, fireworks, and caustic materials. When a child suffers chemical burns, we first consider how and where your child came in contact with those substances to identify liability.
If your child suffered burns because of an explosion, who caused the explosion? If your child experienced injuries from fireworks at a community event, we will explore whether the fireworks company followed all safety rules.
What Damages Can a Child Recover for Severe Burns?
Your child's damages may include medical expenses, including hospitalization, burn unit, rehabilitation center, medications, treatment for infections, skin grafts, other surgeries, compression garments, splints, dressings, and specialized garments. Also, your child's damages should take into account the expenses, trauma, and pain and suffering of future medical treatments and surgeries.
Since burn injuries are painful, it is appropriate for your child to receive damages for pain and suffering. If your child has any long-term physical impairment or disabilities as a result of the burn injuries, your claim may also account for these damages. Your child may also recover compensation for the psychological trauma and emotional distress of experiencing a severe burn and enduring the lifelong aftermath of scarring and disfigurement.
The claim may also seek punitive damages if the actions of the negligent party were egregious or if the party acted with reckless disregard for the safety of others.
If your child suffered burn injuries due to another party’s negligence, please let us help your family. Call the Law Office of Jason R. Schultz, PC, today at 404-474-0804, or fill out a contact form here and we will set up your no-obligation consultation at no charge to you.
