Severe burn injuries are one of the most devastating types of personal injury, and is the third-leading cause of unintentional death in the United States, behind only automobile accidents and falls. Serious burn injuries caused by another person’s carelessness (“negligence”) can cause severe pain and injury, loss of use of parts of the body, and major disfigurement.

If you have suffered a severe burn injury because of another person’s fault, you have the right to bring a personal injury lawsuit against that person. If he or she was working for a company at the time of the injury, you also have the right to sue his or her employer. Burn injuries constitute one of the most serious types of personal injury: Third degree burns involve the destruction of muscle, tendon, and ligament damage, and also cause severe disfigurement, which subjects the burn victim to feeling like a monster in public, when people see his or her disfigurement and quickly turn away to avoid looking at the person.

There are a number of types of burns, the most common of which are thermal burns, which are caused by fire. The person’s skin may be burned deeply, and there are also damages to the lung due to inhalation of heat or smoke inhalation. Other types of burns include friction burns, such as when a motorcyclist or bicyclist is hit by a car and is dragged a number of feet; electrical burns and electrocution; chemical burns caused by acid and other caustic substances; and radiation burns, which are caused by exposure to the sun and tanning booths, X-rays, radiation for treatment of cancer, and nuclear medicine.

In a lawsuit against another person or company for inflicting serious burn injuries on you, you have the right to be monetarily compensated for all of your medical expenses, including medical procedures such as reconstructive surgery you will have to undergo in the future, lost wages due to your inability to work, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Because of the damages—physical as well as psychological—from a severe burn, it you have suffered burn injuries or a loved one has died for burn injuries because of the carelessness of another person, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer immediately so he or she can start working right away to obtain all the monetary compensation you are entitled to.