Burn Injury Claim in Dumfries and Galloway

General guidance is not possible with a burn injury. Personal Injury compensation is awarded according to the part of the body affected and the consequences for the victim in terms of pain, suffering and financial losses. The cause of the damage is not the principal concern. Just as there is little or no difference to the award if you are blinded in a car crash or by flying broken glass, so the compensation for losing the use of a hand because it was crushed in a machine would be similar to that if it was crippled by severe burns.

Effects of a burn injury

Burns are probably the most painful of common injuries. The burn damages or exposes sensitive nerve endings, causing intense pain signals to be sent to the brain. This pain can persist until the skin is fully healed. Burns often leave scarring which can be thick and inflexible, causing restricted movement and disfigurement.

Severe burns can penetrate below the skin, causing damage to muscles, nerves and blood vessels. There can also be long-term emotional problems.

Degrees of burn injury

The severity of a burn injury is assessed by two factors. Extent measures the percentage of the body surface covered (15% is commonly regarded as the threshold between relatively minor and more severe burns). Degree indicates the depth of skin loss or damage.

First degree burns (superficial burns) affect only the top layer of skin. They cause reddening of the skin but can still be extremely painful.

Second degree burns are when the top layer of skin is destroyed and the lower dermal layer is exposed and damaged.

Third degree burns (full thickness burns) mean the entire depth of skin has been affected and the flesh below is exposed and possibly damaged. Muscles, bone and nerves may be affected. Recovery may require skin grafts and take many months, or even years of treatment.

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Personal Injury Advice in Dumfries and Galloway

If you have suffered an injury which wasn’t your fault, you should consult a solicitor who specialises in personal injury advice.

Will I have to pay for advice on my personal injury claim?

Many personal injury solicitors will not charge for advice given during the first meeting. Only once they have decided whether you may have a case will they consider proceeding, when they will charge for further advice. You will then have to agree how your solicitor’s fees are to be paid in the event that you win, lose, or drop the case.

Can my local solicitor give advice on my personal injury claim?

While you will already have a close relationship with the solicitor who handles your affairs, such as writing a will, arranging property transfers and so on, you should always go to a solicitor who specialises in giving advice on personal injury claims.

The effects of an injury can be wide ranging and more than your legal rights are involved in determining your eligibility for, and amount of, compensation. For this reason, a solicitor requires a combination of legal and medical expertise, and most personal injury solicitors will have built up a list of useful contacts and barristers’ chambers to call on when specialist advice is required.

How can I check a solicitor can give specialist personal injury advice?

In the first instance, check that your solicitor’s firm includes lawyers who are accredited members of the two principle legal bodies in this field; the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIC) and the Law Society’s personal injury panel. You should also ask if they have solicitors who belong to associations for the specific injury your claim is about – for example the Spinal Injuries Association or the Headway Panel.

You should also ask your solicitor about their record in personal injury claims. Can they give you any case histories of advice given for successful claims similar to yours?

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