Where Can I Find the Best Burn Injury Lawyer in Waltham?

Burn injuries can come from a wide variety of sources. During the 35-plus years we have litigated personal injury cases, we have found four broad categories that define the types of burn injuries.

Thermal

As the most common type of burn injury, a thermal burn develops after a victim makes contact with a source of open heat, such as fire, steam, or boiling liquid. The injuries that develop for a thermal burn range from mild discomfort to overwhelming pain. Sunburns represent another common form of a thermal burn.

Chemical

When a toxic substance interacts with soft body tissue like the eyes, skin, and internal organs, the result is a chemical burn that can cause considerable long-term damage. Certain corrosive acids, bases, solvents, oxidizers, and thinning agents can generate damage to vital body parts. Although workplaces represent the most frequent location for chemical burns, you can suffer from a chemical burn by working with a corrosive material at home.

Electrical

A victim who interferes with an electrical current can receive an injury that produces mild to severe damage to body tissue. An exposed wire, a defective machine, and electrified water all can cause an electrical burn. Electricians, especially those that perform maintenance on a city’s power grid, are especially vulnerable to suffering electrical burn injuries.

Inhalation

Although not technically labeled a burn, inhalation of poisonous gases can damage your respiratory system. Carbon monoxide is often a culprit for generating inhalation injuries. Heavy smoke inhalation not only can damage your lungs, but it also can asphyxiate you even if you are not directly exposed to fire. 

One of the first documents your burn injury lawyer in Waltham should want to see is the result of diagnostic tests that determine the type of burn injury you suffered.

Every state has established a deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit. Referred to as the statute of limitations, the deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit in Massachusetts is three years. The clock starts ticking on the day you received your burn injuries. However, you might have suffered from delayed symptoms that developed after prolonged exposure to smoke or a toxic chemical.

Three years seems like plenty of time to file a civil lawsuit. Nonetheless, you should act with a sense of urgency by contacting a personal injury lawyer in Waltham, MA. Hiring a personal injury attorney ensures you file your insurance claim and civil lawsuit long before each deadline. The sooner you file a civil lawsuit, the sooner you receive just compensation for your burn injuries. If you fail to meet the deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit in Massachusetts, you can expect the court to dismiss your case.

Massachusetts uses the comparative fault model when resolving personal injury cases. This means a judge or jury hearing your case must determine whether you had anything to do with causing the incident that produced burn injuries. The comparative fault rule in Massachusetts reduces a plaintiff’s compensation up to 50 percent of the fault. A plaintiff who shares more than 50 percent of the blame for causing a burn injury incident receives no monetary damages.

For example, let’s say you received burn injuries from an out-of-control campfire. After reviewing the evidence, a judge or jury decides you should assume a portion of the legal liability because you did not take preventive measures to prevent the campfire from growing. If the court awards you $10,000 and decides you should assume 20 percent of the fault, then your compensation decreases to $8,000.

Your Waltham burn injury attorney will take into account the state comparative fault rule when calculating how much you should ask for in monetary damages.

After one of our personal injury attorneys determines the other party committed one or more acts of negligence, the next step is to file a civil lawsuit seeking monetary damages. Three categories define the type of compensation you might receive for suffering from burn injuries.

Special Compensatory Damages

Also referred to as economic damages, special compensatory damages cover the cost of tangible expenses. Medical expenses represent the costliest category under special compensatory damages. To receive special compensatory damages for medical expenses, you must submit records that demonstrate the costs of diagnostic tests, treatment programs, and physical therapy sessions. You also have the right to seek compensation for lost wages,

General Compensatory Damages

Suffering burn injuries leave behind more than just physical scars. Emotional trauma can linger for years or even for the rest of your life. For example, suffering burn injuries caused by a thermal source might trigger acute anxiety anytime you are close to a fire. Whether you start to shake at the sight of a campfire or become highly anxious around a lit stove, you deserve compensation for pain and suffering.

Since general compensatory damages do not come with a price tag, your personal injury lawyer must calculate a reasonable value for your pain and suffering. Many judges and juries calculate the value of general compensatory damages based on the value of special compensatory damages.

Punitive Damages

As the term suggests, punitive damages punish the defendant for committing one or more acts of negligence. Although punitive damages do not pay for economic losses, you still receive money from a verdict issued by a judge or jury. If the defendant intentionally committed one or more acts of negligence, the defendant might face criminal charges on top of civil court litigation.

Online research should be an important part of the process for finding the best burn injury lawyer in Waltham, Massachusetts. However, you also should use one effective old-school method for discovering a highly skilled litigator for your burn injury case.

Network With Trusted Friends and Family Members

Following the same strategy you use for purchasing products and services can help you land the right attorney for your burn injury case. Asking recommendations from trusted friends and family members can significantly reduce the amount of time you spend finding a qualified burn injury attorney. If you strike out with your inner circle of friends and close family members, expand your network to include neighbors and professional colleagues.

One important note: Although you receive a helpful recommendation, you still must conduct research on the recommended burn injury attorney.

Referral From a Lawyer

Attorneys from all practices participate in professional seminars and attend statewide conferences. Attending professional networking events introduces attorneys to litigators that practice other types of law. If you know an attorney, ask for a recommendation that connects you with a highly-rated personal injury lawyer. For example, you might know a criminal defense attorney who is close friends with a personal injury lawyer.

Massachusetts Bar Association

As with every other state, the Massachusetts Bar Association manages an active database that lists state-licensed attorneys for all legal practices. When you access the Massachusetts Bar Association website, click the Lawyer Referral Service link to reach the large database of attorneys. You can narrow your search based on different criteria until you find an experienced Waltham lawyer who litigates burn injury cases.

Online Reviews

Reading online reviews on sites such as Facebook and Google should not be the sole factor that connects you with a Waltham personal injury attorney. You should use the information presented on review sites as confirmation of the research you have conducted. When you read the reviews left by our clients, you should see common themes emerge, such as our commitment to charging transparent legal fees, as well as educating our clients about the civil lawsuit process.

The financial toll of a burn injury can linger for years after an incident. That is if you do not seek the legal support of one of the accomplished personal injury lawyers at Morgan & Morgan. We charge legal fees on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not pay any upfront legal costs and we get paid only when you receive monetary damages. Not having to worry about legal expenses during a civil trial allows our clients to focus on what matters the most: Winning their cases.

Schedule a free case evaluation today with a burn injury attorney from Morgan & Morgan.