Burn injuries suffered in Kentucky accidents can be debilitating and put the lives of victims at risk. The dangers for older victims who suffer burns are even greater and special care must be taken to make sure they receive the best care available.
Medical treatment at a trauma center or in a burn unit may be necessary. Recovery will be difficult and patients should be able to focus on healing and not their enormous hospital bills. If someone’s negligence is responsible for an elderly victim’s exposure to fire or electricity, that at-fault party should be responsible for the full costs of recovery.
Contact a Kentucky Burn Injury Lawyer for a Free Accident Consultation
Victims who suffer burn injuries in Kentucky personal injury accidents are entitled to know every benefit available to them as they recover. Elderly burn victims will be at elevated risk and should have the full support of an at-fault parties insurance provider as they heal. Securing this support isn’t always automatic.
Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, offers a free consultation to all Kentucky burn injury accident victims. If you or a loved one have suffered a traumatic burn injury, contact us to schedule a free case review. It’s an easy, no-risk way to determine how much your injury may be worth and how to hold an insurance company completely liable for your pain.
Elderly Burn Injury Accident Dangers in Kentucky
Our loved ones who have lived the longest are often at the most risk in an accident. Unfortunately, the elderly are more likely to receive a burn wound than any other age group other than small children.
A study published in the National Library of Medicine finds that in economically developed countries like the U.S., elderly patients make up almost 20% of burn victims.
Their vulnerability is due to many factors. The elderly often have thinner and more fragile skin that is more susceptible to burns. Their sensitivity to heat will be reduced and that can leave them exposed to burn hazards longer. Older victims will have decreased mobility which sometimes keeps them from escaping burn hazards.
Senior victims are also more likely to have other medical conditions that make recovery from burn injuries even more difficult. The medications they take may also inhibit their ability to escape a fire. In recovery, the elderly face elevated risks of infections and pneumonia while trying to heal from a burn injury.
Elderly personal injury victims need specialized care, and they shouldn’t have to fight to get that care covered by insurance companies. A Kentucky Burn Injury Lawyer works to secure everything a patient needs in support while causing as little disruption to the recovery of the client as possible. Those at-fault parties who cause accidents that result in devastating burns should be the ones worrying about recovery costs.
Common Burn Injury Threats for the Elderly
These are just a few of the ways the elderly members of our families can be placed at risk of receiving a devastating burn injury:
- Car Accidents – Older drivers and passengers can come in contact with flames, electricity, and hot metals in traffic collisions. They may also be in further jeopardy if they struggle to exit a car that’s on fire.
- House and Condo Dangers – The products and appliances around a home may malfunction or have a safety issue. An ungrounded machine could cause an electrical burn. A faulty power cord may spark a fire.
- Bathroom and Kitchen Hazards — A hot water heater may be set to such a high temperature that water coming out of the kitchen sink or running into a bathtub is able to cause severe scalding burns. Cooking is another potentially dangerous activity.
- Assisted Living Hazards – A facility may put a resident at risk by serving food or drinks that are too hot. The chemicals used to clean rooms might be damaging when they come in contact with delicate skin. A fire plan may be inadequate to safely rescue patients if a fire breaks out.
- Business Hazards – An elderly customer might come in contact with a harsh chemical while shopping for groceries or while at a restaurant. An exposed wire on a poorly maintained property could cause a major electrical burn. A drink or a meal could be served at dangerous temperatures.
Earning Compensation for Elderly Kentucky Burn Victims
Elderly burn victims will need to get as much out of a burn injury claim as possible so they don’t end up with leftover medical bills that must be paid out of their own savings.
Every physical, financial, and emotional hardship they face should be clearly listed for an insurance adjuster so they can figure into the size of a burn injury settlement.
These and other factors will determine the size of a burn injury settlement check:
- Medical bills and any expenses for care expected in the months to come.
- Lifelong expenses associated with the care and management of a permanent physical disability due to a burn injury.
- Long-term costs and restorative care for permanent disfigurement or a scar. Support for the emotional toll a visible disfigurement takes on an elderly burn victim.
- Support for physical pain older victims experience in an accident and throughout a difficult recovery.
- Emotional Distress. Victims should receive support for the emotional trauma a burn injury often causes. Depression or anxiety can arise during a long recovery. A loss of enjoyment of life earns compensation as a victim is unable to participate in hobbies and family activities.
- Damage or destruction of personal property.
- Wages and benefits an older victim may have forfeited during recovery.
- Travel Costs. Any travel required of patients while seeing specialists and surgeons. The expenses can be enormous when elderly patients are off their feet and unable to drive.
- Wrongful Death Benefits. A family that pays the ultimate price and loses a loved one to a severe burn must seek justice through a wrongful death claim. This civil claim asks for help with the costs of burial and in paying leftover medical costs. A wrongful death claim also seeks help replacing the guidance and financial support the deceased will no longer provide in the future.
Contact a Kentucky Burn Injury Lawyer Focused on the Wellbeing of Elderly Victims
After you or a loved one suffers a traumatic burn injury due to an individual’s or a company’s negligent actions, talk over your options with a skilled Kentucky Burn Injury Accident Lawyer. At Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, we understand the unique care that elderly burn victims will require. We fight to make sure insurance companies provide everything needed for victims to fully recover.
Contact us to schedule a free and confidential consultation today. You’ll speak with a real Kentucky attorney. There’s no obligation for victims or their families. And if you decide we can help you earn the most for your injury claim, you won’t need any money. We don’t get paid unless we win your case.