Burn injuries can happen in the blink of an eye, caused by defective products, improperly labeled products in the workplace, car accidents, faulty wiring, or a variety of other sources. As careful as you may be, you sometimes cannot protect yourself or your family from everyone or everything.
Fortunately, a qualified Glastonbury burn injury lawyer could help if the unthinkable has occurred. With assistance from a qualified catastrophic injury attorney, you may be able to file a civil lawsuit and seek appropriate compensation from the party or entity responsible for causing your burn.
How Does Someone Prove Liability and Damages in Burn Cases?
In order to successfully recover civil damages, a burn injury plaintiff must be able to prove that the defendant:
- Owed a duty to the plaintiff to keep them safe
- Failed to uphold a standard of accepted behavior
- The failure caused injury to the plaintiff
- The plaintiff suffered damages from their injury
If the circumstances warrant it, a Glastonbury burn injury attorney could help a plaintiff name multiple defendants in a burn injury case. For example, a corporation might be responsible for the negligent actions of one of its employees while they were on the job. Likewise, both a landlord and a maintenance worker may be liable for faulty wiring in a rented living space.
Comparing Liability
Under Connecticut General Statutes §52-572h, each defendant would be liable to the plaintiff for their own percentage of liability. If the court determined one defendant was 60 percent liable and the other was 40 percent liable, they would each pay damages based on their respective percentage of fault.
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Who is Liable for Burn Injuries?
Burn injuries can occur almost anywhere—at home, at work, in a business, or on the property of another person. The circumstances under which and sometimes the location where a burn occurred typically will dictate who bears liability for the burn injuries. Consulting with a burn injury lawyer in Glastonbury could help victims determine who may be held liable for their damages.
A group of people or one person may be held liable for burn injuries if their negligence contributed to an accident. Businesses are likewise responsible for keeping their workers and invitees safe. If burns arise from various safety abuses such as poor employee training, incorrect labeling of chemicals, violations of state and federal safety standards, the corporation may be held liable.
Landlords and other property owners are required by law to keep their properties safe to prevent injuries like burns. This generally includes:
- Being up to date with local fire codes
- Keeping the building free of flammable substances
- Maintaining escape routes that are easily accessible to tenants and visitors
- Keeping windows and doors free of obstruction
- Maintaining clean breezeways
Consumer Products
Finally, consumer products may overheat due to design or manufacturing defects, leading to burns or even fires and explosions. The companies that manufacture products like grills, space heaters, and curling irons are responsible for making sure their products are not unreasonably hazardous to the consumers who use them.
A Glastonbury Burn Injury Attorney Could Help
Burns are complex and serious injuries that often require several months or even years of intensive medical care and rehabilitation. When burns are caused by other people or companies, the ensuing legal cases can also be complex and serious.
No matter how complicated your case is, an experienced Glastonbury burn injury lawyer could help. Reach out today to get started on your case.
