Have you sustained burn injuries in an accident that was not your fault? If so, you may be eligible to make a personal injury claim. After reading this guide, you will understand how to claim burn injury compensation.
Key Takeaways:
- You may be eligible to claim if a third party breached their duty of care, resulting in your burn injuries.
- The amount of compensation you may be awarded depends on the extent of your injuries and other losses.
- You may claim for minor burn injuries, serious burn injuries and internal burns.
- Accidents on the roads, at work or even in public places may all result in burn injuries.
- You have three years from the date you sustained your injuries to start your claim. However, some exceptions may apply.
- It is important to provide evidence to prove that the third party was liable for your injuries.
- Our panel of experienced solicitors may help you claim compensation on a No Win No Fee basis.
To begin your burn injury claim, get in touch with our helpful team today:
- Go to our contact page
- Give our advisors a call on 0800 408 7826
- Message our advisors on our live chat
Jump To A Section
- Average Compensation For Burn Injury Claims
- How The Severity Of A Burn Impacts Your Payout
- Common Causes Of Burns That Lead To Claims
- How To Start Your Burn Injury Claim
- Why Trust Our Panel Of Solicitors With Your Claim?
- More Information
Average Compensation For Burn Injury Claims
If you have sustained a burn injury in an accident that was not your fault, you may be asking, ‘How much burn injury compensation can I claim?’
Compensation in personal injury claims is divided into two categories: general damages and special damages. This ensures that the claimant is compensated for all aspects of their suffering.
Understandably, this means that each claimant receives a different amount of compensation, as all personal injury claims are different. It also means that knowing the average figure awarded for burn injuries won’t be of much use. However, we will explain how this is calculated and to give you an idea of how compensation could be awarded.
General damages are the head of the claim compensating you for any injuries you have sustained. This may include physical injuries, such as burns and psychological injuries, such as anxiety.
General damages are calculated by a professional team that may use documents such as an independent medical assessor’s report and guidelines presented by the Judicial College (JCG). The JCG provides a list of guideline compensation amounts for various injuries and illnesses, including burns and scarring.
Except for the top bracket, you can find some examples from the JCG in the table below. However, please remember that these are only suggestive figures; you are not guaranteed this award.
| Injury | Compensation Guideline | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries and Significant Financial Losses | Up to £250,000 plus | This award is given if the person suffered multiple serious injuries and incurred significant financial losses. |
| Burns Covering 40% or more of the Body | Likely to exceed £127,930 | A large percentage of the body sustained burn injuries of full thickness. There is a significant cosmetic impact, a need for surgery and a psychological effect. |
| One Single Disfiguring Scar Or Numerous Laceration Scars to the Body | £9,560 to £27,740 | Multiple laceration scars or a single disfiguring scar of the leg, hand, arm, back or chest |
| Very Severe Facial Scarring | £36,340 to £118,790 | This award is mostly for those in their teens to early 30s, as the cosmetic effect is disfiguring, which causes a psychological reaction. |
| Less Severe Facial Scarring | £21,920 to £59,090 | Substantial facial disfigurement causing a significant psychological reaction. |
| Significant Facial Scarring | £11,120 to £36,720 | Plastic surgery can reduce scarring with only minor effects but still has some psychological impact. |
| Less Significant Facial Scarring | £4,820 to £16,770 | This award depends on the psychological impact of the injured person, and it can be for one scar or some small, hidden scars. |
| Trivial Facial Scarring | £2,080 to £4,310 | This award is for minor effect only. |
We are here to help you
Here at HowMuchCompensation.co.uk our expert advisors are on hand 24 hours a day 7 days a week to assess your compensation claim. Should you require free advice we can connect you to a specialist solicitor.
Can Burn Injury Compensation Cover Financial Losses?
Yes, burn injury compensation could cover financial losses through the award of special damages. On the whole, special damages will reimburse you for monetary losses you may have suffered due to your burn injuries.
Special damages can therefore include the following:
- Lost earnings, encompassing a loss in current or future earnings, loss of a bonus, overtime pay and workplace benefits.
- Medical expenses, such as private medical consultations, prescriptions for painkillers, ointments and bandage costs.
- Care expenses, covering the cost of professional help with cleaning, cooking, nursing and dressing due to your burn injuries.
- Home modification costs, such as wheelchair ramps, new doors, walk-in showers and grab-bars to accommodate serious burn injuries.
- Travel expenses, including fuel and public transport costs from travelling to and from medical appointments.
Crucially, you must be able to support your financial losses with evidence, such as:
- Receipts
- Payslips
- Bank statements
- Invoices
Using Our Burn Compensation Calculator
You may access our compensation calculator if you want an estimated figure of how much compensation you may get for a burn injury.
By answering a few simple questions about the details of your claim, our calculator will give you an estimated figure for your compensation. However, please note that this figure is not guaranteed.
Get in touch with our helpful advisors to start your burn injury compensation amounts claim today.
How The Severity Of A Burn Impacts Your Payout
Burns and scalds can be painful and serious injuries, potentially causing lifelong problems. Therefore, in burn injury claims, the severity of your burn may determine how much compensation you are awarded. For example, your award may depend on:
- Whether you sustained one singular burn or multiple burns
- The degree of your burn injury such as, first-degree burns, second-degree burns, third-degree burns and fourth-degree burns
- Permanent scarring
- Damage to nerve endings
- Where the burn injury and scar is located on your body
- Psychological suffering
- The cosmetic impact this has had on you
What Are The Different Types Of Burns?
Burn injuries can be life-changing, often affecting both your physical and mental health. Moreover, burns are often classified by depth and can be caused by many different external factors, such as:
- Thermal burns from exposure to hot metal, hot water and open flames. These burns are most commonly sustained in road traffic accidents.
- Electrical burns from an electric current passing through your body, often caused by exposed wires from defective products, power lines and car batteries.
- Chemical burns from exposure to acids, alkalis and solvents. These burns most commonly occur in workplace accidents, such as exposure to industrial chemicals and certain construction materials.
- Friction burns, resulting in heat and skin damage. These accidents may occur from trips and falls on uneven pavement.
Burn injuries can also be classified into different degrees. To illustrate, the most common types are:
- First-degree burns – mild burns only affecting the top layer of your skin
- Second-degree burns – reaching the second layer of your skin, causing redness and swelling
- Third-degree burns – penetrating each layer of the skin and often causing tissue damage
- Fourth-degree burns – burns that reach your muscles and nerves, sometimes requiring an amputation.
To discuss your experience with one of our friendly advisors, please contact our team today.
Common Causes Of Burns That Lead To Claims
Burn injuries are not limited to one type of accident. Rather, many situations may arise when you may suffer from a burn injury. In these situations, a duty of care will typically be owed by a third party to ensure your safety and well-being. Therefore, to make a burn injury compensation claim, you must be able to demonstrate that:
- A third party owed you a duty of care
- Your duty of care was breached
- You suffered burn injuries as a result of the breach
As such, please read the following sections which explores how duties can be owed at work, on roads and in public settings. Moreover, please see how you could be eligible to claim if you suffered burn injuries in similar situations:
Accidents At Work
Under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, employers must take reasonable and practicable steps to ensure employees’ safety. Failure to do so would breach their duty of care and may result in workplace accidents.
Accidents at work may result in employees suffering from burn injuries, such as electrical burns or chemical burns. For example, if you work with chemicals in a factory and your employer fails to provide safety training or personal protective equipment, you may sustain a hand burn injury due to your exposed skin, for which your employer may be liable.
Road Traffic Accidents
All road users have a duty to take reasonable care while using the roads to ensure the safety of other road users. As such, they must adhere to the provisions of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code. Failure to do so may breach their duty of care and cause injuries.
Road traffic accidents may also result in burn injuries, specifically if the vehicle is set alight. For example, a road user may negligently be speeding and attempt to overtake your vehicle. If the road user lost control of the car, collided with you, and there was a petrol leak that set on fire, this may result in your arm burn injury.
Accidents In Public Places
Everyone in control of a public place must ensure it is reasonably safe for visitors, per the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. Failure to do so may breach their duty of care and result in injuries.
Accidents in public places are common and may result in burn injuries. For example, you may be at a cafe when the waitress hands you a hot drink. If the waitress failed to put the lid on correctly, this may result in your burn injury.
Contact our advisors today to find out if you can make a burn injury claim.
How To Start Your Burn Injury Claim
The following sections will provide useful information to help you start your burn injury compensation claim.
Gathering The Right Evidence To Support A Claim
One of the most important aspects of personal injury claims is proving that the third party was responsible for your injury. Therefore, to claim for burn injury compensation you must provide evidence that establishes third-party liability, such as:
- CCTV footage or dashcam recordings of the accident
- Medical evidence such as medical assessment reports
- Police reports (if they were contacted)
- Copies of employment records if this happened at work
- A copy of the incident from an accident report book
- Witness contact details
- Fire brigade investigation reports
If you cannot get evidence, our panel of solicitors may help you obtain it.
Your Time Limit To Make A Claim
Typically, claimants have three years from the accident date to start a personal injury claim under the Limitation Act 1980. However, some exceptions may apply, such as:
- If the claimant is under eighteen, the time limit runs for three years from their eighteenth birthday. This is because minors cannot legally start a claim.
- If the claimant lacks mental capacity, the time limit is indefinitely paused. However, the three-year time limit will commence if the claimant regains mental capacity.
If the time limit on a claim is paused, a litigation friend may be appointed to start the claim on behalf of the injured person.
How Long It Takes To Get Burn Injury Compensation
Unfortunately, we cannot provide an accurate date for when you may receive compensation. This is because several factors may determine how long it takes to settle, such as:
- Whether your medical treatment is ongoing
- How long it takes to gather evidence
- Whether the third party has admitted liability
If you would like more information on how to start your burn injury claim, do not hesitate to contact our helpful advisors.
Why Trust Our Panel Of Solicitors With Your Claim?
Our panel of solicitors are experienced in personal injury claims. Therefore, you may benefit from their specialist skills when claiming compensation for your burn injury. They may walk you through the claims process and help you build your claim, contact third parties, and negotiate settlements.
Our panel of solicitors also operates on a No Win No Fee basis, so you do not need to worry about the financial element of legal representation. This is because they’ll offer these No Win No Fee services under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
If your solicitor provides services under this type of agreement:
- They won’t take money when the claim commences for their work done on it.
- Additionally, they won’t ask for you to cover any ongoing fees for this work.
- Furthermore, they don’t take a payment for their services if your claim is unsuccessful.
Our panel of solicitors will only take a success fee from the compensation awarded to you if your claim succeeds. This amount is capped by a legislative limit, ensuring that you receive the vast majority of what has been awarded.
To start your burn injury claim, get in touch with our helpful team today:
- Go to our contact page
- Give our advisors a call on 0800 408 7826
- Message our advisors on our live chat
More Information
For more information on personal injury claims or burn injury compensation, access the links below:
- Learn more about compensation for a facial scar
- Learn more about compensation for psychological damage
- Learn how to sue the council
References:
- Find your nearest urgent treatment centre, NHS.UK
- Find out if you are entitled to statutory sick pay, GOV.UK
- Learn more about compensation for accidents and injuries, GOV.UK
We appreciate you taking the time to read this guide on burn injury compensation.
