 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
Do I need an attorney? Burn injuries are serious and the assessment of who is the wrongdoer is often complicated. The wrongdoer often has consulted with an attorney within hours of your injury. Attorneys do not charge you for consultation on your legal rights, so we advise you, whether it is our firm or another firm, SEEK THE ADVICE OF AN ATTORNEY IMMEDIATELY! When should I consult with an attorney? The short answer to that question is, IMMEDIATELY. After a severe burn injury occurs, the injured person and/or his or her family should consult an attorney. Not only will an attorney be capable of answering legal questions and performing necessary legal work, an experienced burn injury lawyer may be able to provide options and offer suggestions (such as how to obtain help in paying medical expenses) that the family of the burn injured person was not aware of. Families of severely burned individuals should obtain prompt advice concerning guardianship, Social Security disability benefits and special education benefits for children. Most, if not all, personal injury attorneys offer free initial interviews to clients. It is extremely important to contact a qualified attorney who specializes in burn injuries as soon as possible after a serious burn injury so that your questions can be answered by a competent professional who can assist you in choosing the best burn ward, best burn doctor and/or plastic surgeon to treat your serious burn injury. Many burn injuries are the result of defective products and negligence. Speed is critical when obtaining competent medical care and investigating the cause of a burn injury or accident. A legal investigation of a burn accident should begin immediately, since: 1. Evidence is often destroyed in the fire or explosion; 2. Witnesses are difficult to identify; 3. Identification must be made of numerous component parts (for example, in a product liability case in which a furnace exploded and caused the fire, the furnace has many different parts and the various manufacturers each must be identified); 4. Photographs of the area where the fire or accident occurred should be obtained. How do I choose a qualified attorney? If you don't currently have a lawyer, a good way to find one is to obtain a recommendation from someone who is satisfied with the work done by their attorney in representing a burn injured individual. You should ask friends and neighbors who have used a personal attorney, go to burn support groups and ask other families who they have retained, check web sites such as this site, and most importantly, ask about the attorney's experience in handling burn cases. What questions should I ask an attorney? 1. How many catastrophically burned individuals have you represented in the past? 2. How many burn survivors are you currently representing? 3. What percentage of your practice is limited to representing burn survivors and other catastrophically injured individuals? 4. How many of your cases have resulted in substantial verdicts or settlements for individuals with burn injuries? Ask for specifics. 5. Have you spoken before any groups, or written any articles or books concerning legal issues and burn injury? 6. Based upon the information I have given you about my situation/case what is your opinion as to my expected outcome? 7. Is your firm capable and willing to advance $50,000 or more in the investigation, preparation and presentation of my case? 8. What additional information about my case do you need to know and how do you propose to obtain it? 9. What is your involvement with burn survivor and burn associations both locally and nationally? 10. If I decide to hire you to represent me, how will you proceed in handling my case? Be sure to discuss attorney fees and costs of litigation. Be certain that the answers are given to you in a clear and precise manner and to your satisfaction. If I am dissatisfied with my attorney, can I change attorneys? Keep in mind that, your lawsuit is your one and only chance, and that's all you are granted, one opportunity, to obtain justice and compensation for your injury. If you retain an attorney who you feel is not adequately representing you, consider changing attorneys. The attorney fee does not increase if you change attorneys. Your new counsel will be required to work out a fee split with your previous counsel, which should not affect the total amount of contingent fee charged to you. Your new attorney will deal with your previous counsel so, if you fear an unpleasant confrontation with your previous counsel, this can be avoided by making it clear to your new counsel how you wish to proceed. Don't continue to retain an attorney if you truly feel he is not capable of properly representing you. Is there a difference between suing an employer and suing someone else? When someone other than your employer is responsible for your injury that person is called a "third party." If you are injured on the job, you file a workers´ compensation suit against your employer, but depending on the cause of the injury, there may be also a "third person" to sue as well. What should I do if my question is not listed above? If the question you need answered is not on this page, please email us or proceed to the contact page at this site for more information. |
|
|
|
|
|