Emotional Distress and Burn Injuries
It is well established under Florida law that burn injury victims can receive compensation for various economic losses when someone else’s wrongful conduct causes them harm. For example, a person who suffers burns because a defective product explodes in their face can often receive damages to cover medical bills, lost wages, and property damage.
However, the emotional distress suffered by burn victims is also deserving of compensation, and Florida law allows many of our clients to receive money to cover these non-economic losses. If you or a loved one has suffered a burn, the emotional fallout can be harrowing. Meet with one of our lawyers as soon as possible.
Psychological Distress and Its Triggers
Many burn injury victims are optimistic about their chances of recovery after an incident. Nevertheless, many of them will face strongly negative feelings such as:
- Helplessness
- Hopelessness
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Anger
- Skittishness
These negative emotions can cause victims to withdraw from society, even from close family and friends. As a result, many burn victims experience worsening of their psychological symptoms such as depression. Negative emotions often stem from certain triggers, such as:
- Reliving the event that caused the burn
- Worries about the ability to recover from the burn
- Fear of permanent disfigurement
- Itching and other physical discomfort that does not go away
- Loss of independence
- Sleep disturbances
Treatment for Psychological Distress
Doctors should focus as much on the emotional well-being of their patients as they do on performing a perfect skin graft. Fortunately, there is help for burn victims. Certain medications can help with sleep problems, anxiety, and depression. Counseling is also available which can help a victim integrate their negative experience.
Family members can also experience exhaustion. They can benefit from support groups made up of others who are supporting a loved one who has experienced a bad burn. Make sure to talk to your doctor about whether any support groups exist at the hospital or in the city.
Putting a Price Tag on Emotional Distress
The purpose of bringing a lawsuit after an accident is to compensate a victim for what they have lost through no fault of their own. This is relatively easy to do with economic losses, because it is easy for a jury to calculate how much a victim has paid for medical care or lost in wages.
Putting a price tag on emotional distress is much harder. The embarrassment a person feels when looking at a facial burn, for example, could be considerable; but each person might value that differently.
Helpfully, our lawyers have extensive experience with emotional distress damages. We can analyze the circumstances and provide a well-reasoned estimate of the amount our clients can receive for their physical pain, inconvenience, and emotional distress.
Contact a Member of Our Team Today
Although scars fade with time, the emotional fallout from a burn can last a lifetime. However, a settlement or lawsuit is an important first step for regaining control of your life.
At Halpern Santos & Pinkert, our Florida burn injury lawyers have brought many successful burn injury lawsuits, and we would be pleased to help you in any way we can. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
Resource:
msktc.org/burn/factsheets/Psychological-Distress
