Can You Sue a Restaurant For a Burn?

If you suffer a burn that results in an injury at a Phoenix, Arizona restaurant, you have the right to sue in a personal injury lawsuit. If you are going to sue a restaurant for a burn, however, you must have sought medical care for the burn.

Once you have documented evidence of your burn from a doctor, you can then decide if you want to file a lawsuit. Although many people think of a restaurant burn as coming from food that is served too hot, other types of burns can occur to visitors at a restaurant.

A Third Degree Burn is a Serious Injury

If you have suffered a third-degree burn at a restaurant, this is a serious injury. Third-degree burns will destroy at least two layers of the skin, whereas a second-degree burn only partially injures the top layer of the skin and does not cause scarring.

The skin will not turn bright red with a third-degree burn. Instead, it may seem dark-colored, almost a brown, or light-colored, almost a yellow.

Third-degree burns may not be immediately painful, either. With this serious burn, the nerve endings in the skin are damaged to the point that they often do not register pain.

Causes of Third Degree Burns

Multiple types of accidents at a restaurant can cause a third-degree burn, including:

• Spilled liquid at near-boiling temperatures
• Hot plates contacting the skin
• Cleaning chemicals contacting the skin or eyes
• Burns from open flame cooking or grilling
• Eating excessively high-temperature food, burning the inside of the mouth or fingers

Seeing a Doctor for Burns

Immediately after the incident that leads to the burn, you may feel like the injury you have suffered is not serious enough to see a doctor. However, a burn could become more painful or could become more visible on the skin several hours afterward.

Additionally, you could have injuries to tissues underneath the skin that you cannot easily see. If you are unsure whether your injuries are serious, it is important to see a doctor. Once you have received a diagnosis, you can determine whether you want to sue a restaurant for a burn in Phoenix.

For a free legal consultation, call 866-499-8989

Long-Term Injuries from Burns

Burns are among the most common injuries Americans suffer. According to the American Burn Association, it is estimated that 486,000 people annually travel to an emergency room for treatment of a burn.

After a third-degree burn, the victim could suffer from numerous long-term physical issues, including:

• Disfigurement and scarring
• Loss of fingers or limbs
• Nerve damage
• Infections
• Damage to internal organs

Sometimes, the victim may need a skin graft to improve the healing process. Should the victim suffer a serious infection, he or she may be hospitalized for several days or weeks, requiring extensive treatment to recover from a life-threatening situation.

Any victim of a burn caused by the negligence of restaurant employees has the right to receive compensation for medical bills, medications, and pain and suffering.

Psychological Injuries

Some injuries cause psychological problems for the victim. These problems can be devastating.

A victim of a burn could have his or her life changed forever because of scarring or disfigurement. The victim could have difficulty sleeping or could suffer from PTSD symptoms. The emotional distress after the burn injury may lead to a significant loss in quality of life for the victim.

Loss of Wages

After a burn injury that requires hospitalization or ongoing treatment, the victim may be unable to work for several days or weeks. This loss of income, coupled with high medical bills, can be extremely stressful for the victim.

Depending on the type of long-term injury suffered after the burn, the victim may not be able to continue working in his or her current profession.

Any loss of income that the burn injury causes can be part of a personal injury lawsuit against the restaurant. The restaurant’s insurance company could reimburse the victim for lost wages, as well as any loss of future earning potential after the injury.

Responsibility of the Restaurant Owner to Prevent Burns

Like any business owner, a restaurant owner has a responsibility to keep patrons safe, called a duty of care. Should the restaurant act or fail to act in a way that maintains the safety of the patrons, this can be a breach of that duty of care.

Wherever the restaurant has created an unsafe atmosphere, a case of causation could be made against the restaurant. With your injuries documented, you are eligible to receive damages.

With all of these items present, you have evidence to show that the restaurant acted negligently. Filing a personal injury lawsuit, you can hold the restaurant responsible for its mistake, hopefully preventing other people from also suffering a burn injury.

If you have sustained burns while enjoying a night out, you have the right to sue a restaurant for a burn in Phoenix. Zanes Law is ready to protect your rights in a case like this. Call us in Phoenix at (833) 629-7684. The initial consultation is free, and you can sign up with us all in one call. We can also come to your home or hospital room, whichever is more convenient for you

Call or text 866-499-8989 or complete a
Free Case Evaluation form