New York Personal Injury Lawyer serving injured victims of fire accidents.

Fires destroy victims’ physical belongings and pose a great risk to the health and lives of those affected. Being a victim of a fire that was the fault of someone else means that you should be fully compensated for your losses. Given the devastating nature of fires and the amount of injury they typically cause, fire victims are advised to seek counsel with an personal injury attorney before accepting an insurance settlement.

Physical Damage by Fires

Fires cause a substantial amount of physical damage, especially when the fire is in a residence. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that in just one year, fires in homes caused $6 billion in damage. Fires often start in the kitchen of homes and kitchens are expensive to repair and replace. Additionally, smoke damage can travel far and quickly.

Bodily Injury Sustained in a Fire

Fire injuries are caused by smoke inhalation as well as burns on the skin. Both of these injuries are expensive to treat and can be very painful. They can also lead to death.

According to the CDC, burns and other fire-related injuries cost $7.5 billion a year in the United States. Specifically, the treatment of non-hospitalized victims cost $3.3 billion, treatment for hospitalizations cost $1.1 billion, and fatal injuries cost $3.1 billion to treat per year.

With burn injuries, the depth of the injury is important to note. The deeper the injury, the longer it will take to heal. Also, if the burn reaches deeper layers, other body parts such as sweat glands and roots of hair follicles will be damaged and perhaps destroyed.

Treatment of Severe Bodily Injury After a Fire

Some burn injuries need only be treated with topical antibiotics and wrapped in a bandage to protect the wound. Other burn injuries require the treatment of doctors who specialize in wound care. These injuries may require skin grafting, which is often done when the burns are on a person’s face, hands or feet. Burn victims often go through a significant amount of pain and part of their treatment is pain management.

Contact a New York Personal Injury Attorney for Help

If you have been injured in a fire, contact the Personal Injury Lawyer Brooklyn NY of The Rybak Firm, PLLC by calling  718-307-5554 (Available 24/7) or by completing a a contact form below for a FREE initial consultation today.

1 www.cdc.gov/injury/pdfs/Fires2009CDCFactSheet-FINAL-a.pdf