Workplace Burn Injury Raleigh, NC
When you think of the most serious workplace injuries, broken bones and crushing injuries may come to mind. However, burn injuries can be just as, if not more, devastating for victims, often requiring extensive medical treatment and resulting in significant scarring, disfigurement, and mobility issues.
If you sustained burn injuries in North Carolina, contact Hardison & Cochran for a free consultation with a highly qualified Raleigh workplace burn injury lawyer. We’ll explain the compensation you could recover for your injuries and help you take the next steps toward seeking that compensation.
Common Causes of Workplace Burn Injuries in Raleigh
Raleigh workers can sustain burn injuries in several different ways, with the severity of the burns and the necessary treatments for them depending on how they occurred. The following are the most common causes of workplace burns:
- Thermal Burns – These burns occur when a worker comes into direct contact with a fire or a hot object, such as a stove top, machinery that becomes hot due to friction, or molten materials.
- Electrical Burns – An electrical burn occurs when a worker comes into contact with live wires or defective products that expose consumers to high voltage. These burns can be particularly dangerous because they can easily penetrate the skin and damage internal organs and structures.
- Chemical Burns – Caustic substances, including both strong acids and bases, can cause severe burns when they come into contact with the skin, eyes, or other parts of the body. These chemicals must be properly removed from the body with a chemical shower to prevent further damage.
If you are an employee, you can seek workers’ comp for burns following one of these incidents.
Types of Burn Injuries and Their Severity
In addition to the several causes of workplace burn injuries, there are also three types of burn injuries, distinguished by their severity:
- First-Degree – This is a burn that only involves the top layer of the skin. It may appear red and develop blisters, but it doesn’t cause further damage. You may experience a first-degree burn if you touch a hot object for a brief moment.
- Second-Degree – This is a burn extending deeper into the skin layers. It also appears red and may develop blisters. However, the primary indication of a second-degree burn is the intense pain.
- Third-Degree – This is a burn that penetrates all layers of the skin and beyond, and may damage the underlying soft tissues, including muscles, ligaments, tendons, and even bone. The skin can appear charred or leathery, but there may be no pain, as the nerves may have been burnt away or severely damaged.
A major risk associated with third-degree burns is that the affected area may become infected due to the lack of skin to prevent bacteria from entering the body.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Burn Injuries in North Carolina
If you are an employee, you can seek burn injury at work compensation through a workers’ compensation claim filed with your employer’s insurer. Workers’ compensation is an insurance system that provides benefits to workers injured on the job, regardless of who was at fault for the incident.
The main types of workers’ comp benefits you can receive through a claim are as follows:
- Medical Expense Coverage – These benefits cover all reasonable and necessary medical expenses related to your workplace burn injury, including surgeries, medical treatments, medical devices, prescription medications, and physical therapy.
- Wage Loss Coverage – These benefits cover 66 ⅔ percent of your pre-injury average weekly wage up to a maximum rate set by the state annually. You may receive these benefits until you are able to return to work.
In cases involving particularly severe burns that prevent you from returning to your prior job, you may also be eligible for vocational rehabilitation coverage. This pays for you to receive education or training to help you obtain a new job that meets your work restrictions due to your burn injuries.
Third-Party Liability Claims for Workplace Burns
If you are an independent contractor, you cannot seek benefits through a workers’ compensation claim. However, you can seek burn at work compensation by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the party or parties responsible for your injury.
While you must provide evidence demonstrating that someone else was at fault for your injuries to have a successful personal injury lawsuit, the trade-off is that you can also seek additional compensation not available through workers’ comp claims. For example, you can seek compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced as well as the full amount of your lost wages.
Employees can also file third-party personal injury lawsuits against parties other than their employers who are at fault for their burn injuries. An example of this would be if defective machinery caused your burn injury, you could file a lawsuit against the manufacturer.
How Hardison & Cochran | Injury & Workers Comp Lawyers Can Help with Your Workplace Burn Injury Case
Our work injury attorneys can help with your workplace burn case, regardless of whether you are an employee seeking workers’ comp benefits or an independent contractor with a third-party liability lawsuit.
We begin every workplace injury case with a thorough investigation into the incident, identifying the at-fault parties and gathering supporting evidence. That evidence may include accident scene photographs, surveillance video, eyewitness statements, expert witness testimony, and more.
From there, we’ll file your workers’ comp claim with your employer’s insurer or file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault third party. Our lawyers will then negotiate with the insurer on your behalf, seeking fair compensation for not only your past expenses but also the impact of your injury on your future medical bills and wages.
Finally, if necessary, we can take your case to court and seek the maximum benefits or personal injury compensation available.
Contact Our Raleigh Workplace Burn Injury Attorneys
For over 40 years, Hardison & Cochran have been representing injured workers across North Carolina. If you sustained burn injuries on the job, contact our Raleigh workplace burn injury attorneys for a free, no-obligation consultation about your case.
During your fully confidential initial consultation, we’ll review the incident that caused your injury, explain your options for seeking compensation, and walk you through what to expect from the workers’ compensation or personal injury process.
