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Our firm maintains an impressive 99% win rate, even while accepting difficult cases other law firms have turned away.
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The May Firm is a personal injury and accident law firm known for fighting relentlessly on behalf of its clients. We earned this reputation because our award-winning lawyers only take on personal injury and accident cases, allowing us to keep our practice focused and provide our clients with the best outcome they need.
Knowing what is at stake following these horrifying accidents, our legal teams and attorneys make it a point to approach each legal case with experience and compassion. We also make it a goal to go after the results our clients want while also trying to alleviate the emotional and physical stress that these accidents can cause.
As a result of this dedication and drive, the May Firm has become one of California’s most trusted advocates for those seeking justice following a devastating accident, and in the process, we have secured millions of dollars on our clients’ behalf through settlement negotiations and jury verdicts.
Burn injuries are one of the leading causes of unintentional death and injury in the United States. In fact, every year, 1.1 million burn injuries require medical attention, and almost 4,500 of these individuals die because of their injuries. In addition, up to 10,000 people pass away every year because of burn-related infections.
Yet, even though these injuries can result from numerous different causes and accidents, individuals still must understand how these injuries develop to better protect themselves.
For instance, the most common Bakersfield accidents that can lead to a burn injury include:
However, this list is by no means an exhaustive list of all the accidents that can lead to a burn injury. That is why, if you suffered a burn injury in an accident that is not indicated here, and you believe that you have a legal claim, reach out to a Bakersfield burn injury lawyer, such as those at The May Firm, and let these lawyers review your case and help you figure out if you have a viable injury claim.
A burn injury is defined as trauma to the skin or other organic tissue. Although these injuries often result in minor medical problems, they may escalate into lasting damage that can affect a person’s bones, skin, muscles, and life-threatening trauma.
Open flames cause most burn injuries, along with:
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Burns are usually divided into three primary categories, including first-degree burns or superficial burns, second-degree burns or partial-thickness burns, and third-degree burns or full-thickness burns.
These categories are often used to describe the severity of the burn, and better help doctors understand how they will need to treat these injuries, for instance:
This superficial burn is a burn injury that only affects the skin’s first layer. These first-degree burns tend to be mild and usually do not require any medical treatment. However, in some cases, if they become painful, pain medication may be needed.
A first-degree burn will usually heal within a week and is often categorized by redness and minor inflammation. They can be treated at home with cool water or Aloe Vera gel, but it is important to note that ice should never be applied directly to the wound.
A second-degree burn tends to affect the skin’s top and lower layers known as the epidermis and the dermis. Most people tend to experience redness, pain, blistering, and swelling due to these burns, and it can take weeks for these injuries to heal properly. However, scarring is common.
Generally, if a burn is smaller than seven centimeters, it may be treated as a minor burn. But, if the injury involves the face, eyes, ears, groin, feet, or major joints, you need to get to the nearest emergency room as soon as possible for further evaluation to avoid a loss of function or permanent disfigurement.
A third-degree burn often destroys all the epidermis and dermis tissues and reaches the fat layer beneath the skin. Typically, the burned area will appear black, brown, or white and take on a leathery appearance. In some instances, victims of this burn injury may also lose all feeling in the injury site as these burns can destroy the pain-sensing nerves in the lower layer of the skin and result in the area becoming numb.
Medical intervention is required for those who suffer a third-degree burn injury, and a doctor needs to be seen immediately since this burn injury can result in significant health complications or death.
Unfortunately, burn complications are often widespread and include everything from bacterial infections to skin discolorations.
However, in general, the most common complications that individuals need to be aware of after suffering a burn injury include:
Although burn injuries range in type and severity, many of these incidents require prompt medical treatment to prevent catastrophic damages. That is why if you have been involved in a Bakersfield burn injury accident, you need to take action, not only to ensure you stay safe but protect your legal rights.
These steps include the following:
If you suffer a severe burn injury in an accident, you need to call 911 immediately. This is the quickest way to alert emergency medical personnel that you require immediate medical attention and get your incident on record.
Plus, once the police arrive, they can start investigating your accident and jot down information regarding the incident in their police report. If you decide to pursue an injury claim following your burn injury accident, this report can provide you with valuable evidence.
Even if you believe your burn injury is not that serious, you still need to get to a doctor’s office following the accident. With burn injuries, it is always best to err on the side of caution and get your injury checked out to make sure it will not develop into a more severe problem or lead to a devastating infection.
Besides, seeking this prompt medical assistance can help your legal claim, especially when the other side or the insurance company tries to argue that your injuries are not that serious or a separate event caused them. Typically, when you see your doctor after an accident, they will create a medical report detailing all of your injuries. This report can ultimately provide you with evidence of a direct connection between the accident and the burn injuries you sustained.
If possible, try to take pictures and videos of the accident scene and your visible injuries. In addition, make sure you document your burn injury over time, especially since it can take a while for this legal claim to resolve. Fortunately, pictures showing the progression of your injury can help the court get a better idea of the extent of your trauma, even if your wound is healed by the time your case is in its prime.
You will also want to keep track of all the bills related to your burn injury and your medical reports. These documents can help your lawyer argue the scope of your injuries and damages and aid them as they pursue the maximum damages you need.
If there were people at the scene, make sure you get their names and numbers. These witness statements can often provide you with further details regarding the accident while also helping back up your claim. However, if your injuries are too severe for you to take any action following the accident, do not worry.
Contact an experienced Bakersfield burn injury lawyer, such as those from The May Firm, who can take on this investigation for you making sure to gather the relevant evidence needed to prove fault and damages and obtain this witness testimony.
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If you suffered a burn injury due to another person’s negligent, intentional, or wrongful actions, you may be entitled to compensation. Typically, in California, this compensation includes economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages: These damages are the measurable losses that result from an accident.
They include:
Non-economic Damages: These damages refer to the subjective losses that result from an accident.
These losses are not easy to quantify and often include:
In some cases, courts may award punitive damages or exemplary damages. However, while the other compensatory damages compensate the victim for their harm, punitive damages punish the defendant for their egregious actions and to deter other similar harmful acts.
Yet, to obtain these punitive damages in a Bakersfield burn injury accident, the victim’s lawyer needs to prove that the wrongful party was guilty of fraud, oppression, or malice by clear and convincing evidence.
Even though a lawyer can tell you what types of damages you can pursue following a Bakersfield burn injury accident, no attorney can tell you exactly how much your burn injury case is worth.
This is because there are just too many elements that can affect your claim and the amount of money you can receive, including:
Yet, although a lawyer cannot tell you the exact amount of money you can get following your Bakersfield burn injury accident, when you work with a skilled burn injury accident attorney, like those at The May Firm, these lawyers can go over each of these factors, figure out how they influence your case, and prepare the strongest arguments in response to them making sure to fight for the maximum compensation you deserve.
If your burn injury resulted because of a defective condition on another person’s property, you may be able to hold the property owner liable for the harm you sustained and collect compensation for your injuries.
Generally, under premises liability laws, the landowner or the property owner must keep their property reasonably safe. This means these owners are responsible for maintaining and inspecting their property, repairing any dangerous conditions, and giving warnings about any hazardous conditions on their land. If they breach this duty, they can be held responsible for the damages that occur.
That is why, if you suffered a burn injury because of a hazardous condition on someone else’s land, you should reach out to an experienced Bakersfield burn injury lawyer at The May Firm as soon as possible. Our attorneys can review the accident, determine if you have a viable case, and go after the financial compensation you need.
Every state has a statute of limitations law that dictates the maximum time for a person to file a claim following an alleged offense. If they do not bring this suit within this time, they can’t pursue compensation for their injuries.
In California, the statute of limitations to bring an injury case is two years from the date of the injury. However, there are often exceptions to this rule that can extend or shorten this filing period.
As a result, if you want to protect your rights and make sure you can fight for the money you deserve, you should contact a skilled Bakersfield burn injury lawyer, such as those at The May Firm, as soon as possible. These lawyers can promptly review your case, determine the maximum amount of time you have to file your claim, and ensure that your legal documents and motions are correctly prepared and filed before time runs out.
At The May Firm, we understand how devastating a burn injury can be on you and your whole family and that no amount of compensation will entirely erase the hurt, losses, and pain you had to endure because of this injury.
Yet, we also know that obtaining financial recovery after your accident can not only help you start rebuilding your life after this traumatizing event, but it can also provide you and your family the peace of mind that your medical bills and other financial losses will be taken care of.
That is why our law firm is ready to provide you the legal help you require to go after the compensation and justice you deserve.
We do this by:
For these reasons, if you or a loved one suffered a burn injury in a Bakersfield burn accident, do not wait any longer to get the legal help you need. Instead, contact The May Firm today at (844) 629-3476 for a free case evaluation, and let our skilled burn injury attorneys help fight for the financial recovery you deserve.
Contact us to get started. It is important to have the proper legal representation on your side if you’re involved in a motorcycle crash. Often wrongful blame is placed on the rider in a multi-vehicle collision due to the increased risk that comes with riding a motorcycle. Insurance companies are reluctant to side with the motorcyclist and oftentimes will attempt to place the full or partial blame on them. Don’t accept that blame and the legal repercussions that come with it.
Call (866) 619-6679 to schedule a free consultation with our award-winning motorcycle accident lawyers. We’ll help determine the viability of your case based on your testimony and help you determine the best way to proceed. Working on a contingency fee means our lawyers are only compensated when your case or settlement is won, and our extensive experience and case history allow us to settle most claims out of court, giving you a faster resolution to your case and allowing you to focus on your recovery process. We factor in every possible expense when building your settlement: Medical bills, wage loss, property damage, and emotional suffering are all considered. Our goal is to help you put your life back in order to the best of our ability.
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