New Jersey Burn Injury Attorney

Burn injuries inflict agonizing pain, emotional suffering, and financial difficulty. They often require lengthy hospital stays in specialized burn units, and multiple skin graft surgeries to help them heal. They leave behind scarring and disfigurement that taxes the victim physically and emotionally.

At the law firm of Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we understand how painful a severe burn is, not only because of the damage it does on your body but also for the emotional toll it takes on you and your whole family. We also know that as you focus your energy on healing, you need someone on your side fighting for the compensation you deserve from anyone whose careless or reckless actions led to your burn. Contact our New Jersey Burn Injury Lawyers today for a free case evaluation.

Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, Helps New Jersey Burn Injury Victims

Founded in 1972, the law firm of Jacoby & Meyers, LLP delivers top-quality legal representation to victims of personal injury throughout New Jersey and the Tri-State region. Our team prides itself on giving clients personalized attention and on pursuing legal strategies crafted with our clients’ financial and personal needs in mind.

As one of the largest personal injury law firms in the country, we represent clients who have suffered harm in a wide variety of circumstances.

Our practice has represented numerous victims of severe burns, with successes that include:

  • $4.2 million awarded when an improperly-secured stove caused severe burns to a child;
  • $3.25 million awarded to a victim’s family, who passed away from burns; and
  • $550,000 awarded after a gas leak resulted in burn injuries.

Clients of Jacoby & Meyers, LLP have a lawyer who works day in, day out to meet their needs, respond to their questions, and get them paid the maximum compensation available under New Jersey law.

Legal Liability for New Jersey Burn Injuries

In New Jersey, a burn injury victim may have legal rights to receive compensation from any individual, company, or government entity guilty of engaging in unreasonably dangerous conduct that puts the victim in harm’s way.

At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, one important aspect of our job in representing New Jersey burn victims is to sort through the facts and circumstances of their injuries to identify any party who may have a legal liability to them. In light of the wide variety of circumstances that can lead to a severe, preventable burn, the identity of those parties could range far-and-wide.

As a general matter, legal liability attaches to any person, company, or entity that:

  • Owed a duty of care not to act (or fail to act) in a way that put the victim in unreasonable danger of suffering a burn;
  • Breached that duty of care by making a decision or taking an action that put the victim in unreasonable danger of suffering a burn; and
  • Caused the victim to suffer a burn injury and the other harms that go along with it (such as financial costs of treating the injury).

Figuring out who has legal liability according to these basic requirements takes the skill and resources of an experienced New Jersey burn injury lawyer. At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we dig deep into the circumstances of our clients’ burn injuries to ensure that we leave no stone unturned in locating each-and-every party who owes our client damages.

Compensation for New Jersey Burn Injuries

Every New Jersey burn injury matter we handle at Jacoby & Meyers, LLP has unique aspects that affect the type and amount of damages our client might have the right and ability to recover through taking legal action. No two cases are alike, and accordingly, there is no standard or average compensation for a New Jersey burn injury victim.

However, as a general matter, with the help of an experienced attorney, New Jersey burn injury victims can often seek to recover compensation for:

Economic damages consisting of the direct costs they incurred because of their burn injuries, such as:

  • Medical bills (including past and future expenses);
  • Lost wages (including past and future);
  • Lost earning capacity;
  • Rehabilitative services;
  • Household services; and
  • Other out-of-pocket expenses.

Non-economic damages, which account for the overall harm caused by a burn injury, such as the victim’s:

  • Pain and suffering;
  • Emotional anguish;
  • Diminished quality of life;
  • Physical disfigurement; and
  • Damaged personal relationships.

Punitive damages, which when authorized under New Jersey law serve to punish the wrongful behavior that caused a burn injury, and to deter any such behavior in the future.

As lawyers for New Jersey burn injury victims, we can never guarantee any specific type or amount of damages that our clients might receive. What we can promise, however, is that at Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we focus on building the strongest possible cases to obtain the maximum compensation allowable under New Jersey law for our clients. Our track record of success for clients in burn cases speaks for itself.

Compensation for Fatal Burn Injuries

Severe burns sometimes result in the tragic death of the victim. Under New Jersey law, the close surviving family members of that victim may have the right to take legal action seeking compensation for the victim’s wrongful death.

In a wrongful death action, the family may have the right to recover:

  • Funeral and burial costs;
  • Medical expenses related to the treatment of the burn injury before death; and
  • Loss of the deceased victim’s companionship, service, and guidance.

Taking legal action for a loved one’s wrongful death in a New Jersey burn incident requires the skill and experience of a seasoned personal injury attorney. At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we have nearly five decades of history helping grieving families take legal action to seek justice for the death of a loved one. Contact us today to learn more.

Settlement Offers and Burn Accidents

Victims of New Jersey burn accidents and their families sometimes wonder if they should try to negotiate directly with someone else’s insurance company to obtain a settlement payment. At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we strongly urge our clients to leave all negotiations to professionals like us. Insurance companies who represent parties at fault for a severe burn injury sometimes contact victims and their families hoping to take advantage of their stress and inexperience and to convince them to accept far less money than they deserve to receive as a settlement.

By hiring skilled lawyers like the team at Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, burn victims and their families in New Jersey can level the playing field with insurance companies and rest assured that they have an advocate on their side who knows how to protect their rights and negotiate the most favorable settlement possible for their circumstances.

New Jersey Statute of Limitations for Burn Accidents

A statute of limitations is a law that sets the deadline for taking legal action seeking compensation after suffering a preventable injury because of someone else’s wrongful conduct. A person who fails to take legal action within the time specified in the statute generally loses the legal right to seek compensation.

In New Jersey, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases, such as a claim for compensation after suffering a burn injury, is two years from the date of the injury, in most cases. However, in certain instances, the statute may be extended or shortened. For that reason, Jacoby & Meyers, LLP always encourages New Jersey burn injury victims to consult with an experienced personal law firm like us as soon as possible, to protect their legal rights.

Burn Injury Classifications

Doctors classify burn injuries by degrees of severity:

  • First degree burn, also referred to as a superficial burn or wound. This is usually an injury that only affects the top layer (first layer) of the skin. It may cause some redness, blistering, or pain, and applying first-aid ointment may effectively treat it. This is the only type of burn that does not necessarily require immediate medical attention, unless the burn injury gets infected.
  • Second degree burns usually involve damage to the skin’s outer layer and part of the inner layer. This burn can result in significant scarring and may require skin grafts to help completely heal the burn areas. These burns pose a risk of infection and require medical attention
  • Third degree burns often penetrate the fat layer that lies beneath the dermis and destroys the tissue layers, resulting in permanent scarring. When this happens, the skin appears waxy white, leathery, or stiff. Third-degree burns require skin grafts and are extremely susceptible to infection. These burns require emergency medical care.
  • Fourth/ fifth/ sixth degree burns: These burns are so severe that the skin is completely lost. And as you move up on the degree scale, the burns result in a loss of muscle, skin, and even bone. These burns are extremely life-threatening to victims, who must receive immediate emergency care to survive them.

No matter what degree of burn you suffered, if it resulted from someone else’s careless, reckless, or intentionally harmful actions, then you may have legal rights to compensation. Jacoby & Meyers, LLP has the experience and know-how to help.

Common Causes of Burn Injuries

New Jersey burn injuries can occur in connection with a variety of preventable accidents and incidents, including:

  • House fires
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Workplace accidents
  • Defective electrical wiring
  • Water-heater or gas line explosions
  • Electrocution
  • Flammable furniture, clothing, or other materials
  • Hot water scalding
  • Chemical exposure
  • Radiation exposure

No matter how a New Jersey burn injury occurs, the team at Jacoby & Meyers, LLP has years of experience sorting through the facts and identifying parties who should bear legal-responsibility to the burn injury victim.

Burn Injury Statistics

According to the American Burn Association, burn accidents and injuries continue to be one of the leading causes of unintentional injuries and deaths in the United States.

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics on burns reflect that:

  • About 1.1 million individuals suffer a burn injury every year that requires medical attention.
  • Approximately 50,000 burn victims require hospitalization, and 20,000 suffer a significant burn that covers 25 percent of their body surface.
  • About 4,500 of these burn victims die annually.

So how does New Jersey fare with these burn injuries?

  • In almost 20 years, New Jersey saw 1,040 hospitalizations for work-related burns alone;
  • 23 percent of these burns affected the lower limbs (except foot and ankle); 23 percent affected the face, head, and trunk; and 19 percent affected the upper limb and shoulder (except the wrist and hands.)

In other words, preventable burns afflict numerous New Jersey residents, workers, and visitors every year. Jacoby & Meyers, LLP has the resources and experience to help those victims recover the compensation they need and deserve.

How Our Experienced New Jersey Burn Injury Attorneys Can Help

Dealing with a burn injury takes a lot out of you physically and emotionally. You need to put all of your energy into healing, and not suffer stress and anxiety about how you will recover compensation from the parties who harmed you. By trusting a skilled, seasoned attorney to handle your burn injury claim, you give yourself the peace of mind you need to make a full and lasting recovery.

The services we provide for clients at Jacoby & Meyers, LLP in New Jersey burn injury matters vary widely from case-to-case, depending on our clients’ needs and priorities.

Generally speaking, however, we often:

  • Investigate the circumstance of our clients’ burn injuries to determine how they happened, who is to blame, and how much money our clients deserve as compensation;
  • Negotiate with defense lawyers and insurance companies to achieve a fair and meaningful settlement of our clients’ burn injury claims, if possible; and
  • Litigate in New Jersey courts when negotiation alone does not achieve the financial outcome our clients need and deserve.

Our sole focus in every case we handle at Jacoby & Meyers, LLP is on serving our clients’ best interests.

Experienced New Jersey Burn Injury Lawyers

If you or a loved one suffered a burn injury in New Jersey, you may have the right to obtain substantial compensation from the parties who put you in harm’s way. Do not wait to seek skilled, diligent, compassionate legal advice. Contact the law offices of Jacoby & Meyers LLP online, dial (877) 565-2993, or start a text chat with one of our live representatives today.