Burn, scar and laceration compensation claims

Can I claim compensation for burns, permanent scars or lacerations?

While immediate medical intervention is crucial if you have suffered burns, scarring or a serious laceration, legal help is also essential. That's because all these injuries have the potential to affect your life and finances, due to the recovery time and rehabilitation they can require. So where someone else is to blame for serious injuries like these, you owe it to yourself - or your loved one, if you're acting on their behalf - to talk to specialist compensation solicitors as early as possible.

Our solicitors can help with injury claims resulting in burns scars and lacerations that have occurred in many different scenarios, but the most common tend to be:

• Road traffic accidents: including incidents involving fires, explosions or contact with hot surfaces following a collision.
• Accidents at work: if you were injured in the workplace and health and safety procedures were not followed, you may be entitled to make a permanent scar compensation claim against your employer.
• Medical negligence: such as surgical errors, delayed treatment or improper use of medical equipment.
• Military incidents: burns and lacerations sustained during military service may be claimable in certain circumstances, including training exercises or operational incidents.

How much compensation can I claim for burns, lacerations or scarring?

The amount of burn, laceration and scarring compensation that you might be able to claim depends on a number of factors. These include the seriousness of the injury, the prognosis for recovery and the amount of rehabilitation or other long-term care you might need. However, where liability is accepted by the party at fault, our specialist injury claim solicitors will usually seek interim payments to help pay for urgent medical treatment and to cover loss of earnings at the earliest possible stage.

How will I pay for long-term care?

If you or a loved one has received a serious burns injury or laceration, it's natural that in addition to worrying about your recovery, you'll be concerned about how to pay for long-term care, should it be required.

That's why expenses such as the cost of nursing care, medical costs and aftercare over the injured person's lifetime are generally part of the calculation when burn injury compensation claims are being considered. Expenses such as those for rehabilitation and even modifications to accommodation can also be included in your claim.

How are burn injuries categorised?

When someone suffers a burn injury, the level of severity is categorised as first degree, second degree or third degree. They're defined as follows:

• First degree burns: damage to the outer layer of skin only, with severe pain at first but a good chance that scarring won't occur

• Second degree burns: damage to two layers of skin leading to blistering. If the burn is to more than 10% of the body, patients may go into shock due to fluid loss

• Third degree burns: destruction of all three layers of skin, causing serious trauma and often permanent scarring

Naturally, the degree and extent of a burn will greatly affect the prognosis for recovery, which will also impact the amount of rehabilitation you may need and the compensation received for burn injury claims.

Speak to an expert burn injury lawyer

Once you have taken the first step to contact us about making a burn, scar or laceration injury claim, we will then arrange a medical consultation to assess the extent of you injury which will be done at no cost to you.

Contact us on 0330 041 5869 or online here to begin a compensation claim.

Can I change my burn injury solicitors to Slater and Gordon?

If you or a family member have been involved in an incident which has resulted in serious burns, and you feel that you're not getting the specialist legal advice you need from your current solicitor, we'll be happy to discuss switching your case to Slater and Gordon's burn injury lawyers. Simply call our experts on 0330 041 5869 or contact us online.