One of the most common questions during a burn injury claim involves how much money you can expect to receive. The average value of a burn injury case is not easy to quantify; because these settlements depend on your individual losses, you will need to speak with an attorney to calculate your potential award.
However, there are some factors that could influence the value of your case:
Injury Severity: The more severe your injuries, the higher your award would likely be. You will likely need more medical care and have greater long-term costs than people with minor injuries.
Lawsuit versus Insurance Claim: Generally, insurance claim settlements are limited by the at-fault party’s policy. Lawsuits are more likely to yield a higher award, but this is not always the case.
Ability to Work: The longer you spend away from work recovering from your injuries, the higher the lost wages portion of your settlement will be. If you are unable to return to work following your burn injury, you could recover damages for loss of future earnings.
The Need for Rehabilitation: Burn injury victims with permanent disabilities often require extensive and expensive care. If you require disability accommodations or need to attend rehabilitation, your award may be higher.
Shared Liability: Under Connecticut’s comparative negligence statute, the court will reduce your award if you are partially at fault for the accident. If you are more than 50% responsible, you would not be able to recover any compensation.