Chemical Burn Lawyer Florida

A chemical burn is an injury to the external or internal tissues caused by exposure to a corrosive substance. The most common places on the body for chemical burn injuries are the eyes, face, hands, arms, and internal organs.

Most chemical burns are caused by strong acids or bases, including the hazardous chemicals used in pools, hair salons, and industrial processing plants. It is also possible to be exposed to corrosive substances through cleaning supplies and other commercial and/or household products.

Chemical burn injuries can occur via skin contact, ingestion, or inhalation of toxic chemicals.

The type and extent of a chemical burn injury depend on the chemical, its strength and concentration, and the length of time of contact. The stronger a substance and the longer the exposure time, the more likely someone is to experience a severe and potentially life-changing injury. Injury can also be caused by long-term exposure, with symptoms appearing gradually over time.

Exposure to hazardous chemicals is more common than you might think and occurs both in and out of the home. You should contact a Florida chemical burn injury attorney right away if you believe your injury was caused by another’s negligence – for example, by a product defect, improper usage or cleanup of corrosive substances in a public setting, or insufficient workplace standards.

We see negligent chemical burns occur in all sorts of settings, including:

• Salons and spas
• Public and private pools
• Industrial workplaces
• Other high-risk industries, including food processing, healthcare, transportation, construction, agriculture, and utilities

Household product defects, especially in cleaners, drain openers, or batteries, can also cause serious chemical injuries.

A chemical injury lawyer in Florida can help you navigate your claim, starting with preserving all available evidence and proving who is responsible for the injury. Contact us now to schedule a free consultation and take an important step toward justice.

You will want to contact a chemical injury lawyer in Florida immediately if you have suffered chemical burns due to another party’s negligence.

The following four factors must be true in order for a successful claim of chemical burn negligence in Florida:

1. The person/company that caused your injury had a duty of care to you;
2. This duty of care was breached;
3. This breach was a direct cause of your chemical burn injury;
4. You suffered damages as a result of this breach, such as medical bills or lost wages.

If you are not sure if you have a valid claim, we can help. Call to schedule your free consultation with a Florida chemical injury lawyer and discuss your legal options.

In March 2023, Florida lawmakers updated the state’s statute of limitations (SOL) on chemical burn injuries, outlined in Florida Statute § 95.11. Under the updated SOL, you have two (2) years from the date of injury to file a claim for incidents occurring on/after 3/24/2023, with limited exceptions. Prior to, you had four years to file these types of claims.

There was also a change to the state’s comparative negligence standard. The modified Florida 51% comparative negligence bar (Statute § 768.81) holds that you may only recover damages for chemical burn injuries if you were 50% or less responsible for the incident. This determination is made based on the facts of the claim and evidence provided, which further highlights the importance of having a qualified Florida chemical burn lawyer by your side.

Finally, you should be aware of Statute § 768.28, which covers Florida sovereign immunity claims pertaining to certain types of injuries. Under § 768.28, if your chemical burns were caused by a government entity (for example, if they occurred at a municipal pool or water treatment facility), you must notify the government of your intent to file a claim within three (3) years of the date of injury, with damages capped at $300,000.

Serious chemical burn injuries can occur at home or in a wide variety of public or private settings. Types of claims a Florida chemical injury attorney can help with include:

• Pool/chlorine injuries
• Salon/cosmetic chemical burns
• Workplace/industrial burns
• Product liability claims
• Premises liability claims

Pool/Chlorine Injuries

Contact a pool chemical injury lawyer in Florida if you have experienced harm due to direct exposure to chlorine or chlorinated water at a public pool. Florida public pool standards, found in Chapter 64E-9 of the Florida Administrative Code (FAC), set strict rules around chlorine concentration in pools, as well as pH levels and recirculation systems. These rules establish a duty of care between public pool owners/maintenance companies and swimmers, which means you could be entitled to compensation if you experience a chemical burn injury due to someone’s failure to abide.

Salon/Cosmetic Chemical Burns

A salon chemical burn attorney in Florida represents individuals who have been harmed by chemicals at a salon due to improper handling, prolonged exposure, or inadequate rinsing. Other potential causes of chemical burns in Florida salon settings include insufficient staff training, lack of patch testing protocols, lack of proper supervision, and the use of expired or contaminated cosmetics, all of which can result in mild to severe injuries to unsuspecting clientele.

Workplace/Industrial Burns

A workplace or industrial chemical exposure claim in Florida may be filed in instances where employer negligence or third-party actions, such as improper safety training or equipment, led to serious work-related chemical burns.

Florida’s Workers’ Comp Exclusivity law, outlined in Statute § 440.11, holds that employees who suffer these types of injuries are generally entitled to workers’ compensation regardless of fault but must waive their right to sue their employer for negligence. It does still allow for third-party claims however in instances where the injury was caused by a defective product or off-premises.

Note that OSHA Hazard Communication standards dictate that employees must receive sufficient training on all hazardous chemicals they may encounter in the workplace. It also sets standards for chemical product labeling. You likely have a claim for negligence and should contact a Florida chemical injury attorney if these standards or other OSHA HazCom Florida standards were not met, including those found in OSHA’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS) regulations.

Product Liability Claims

Product defects are a common cause of chemical burn injuries in Florida and elsewhere, and are often tied to items like household cleaners, batteries, and drain openers. Product liability chemical burns in Florida require both manufacturer negligence and proof that the product was used in a reasonable manner. Specific defects that can result in severe and negligent chemical burns include design flaws, manufacturing errors, and failure to warn of chemical risks in marketing materials and product packaging.

Premises Liability Claims

If your chemical burn injury was caused on another person’s property and as a direct result of the property owner’s negligence, you could have a claim for premises liability. For these types of claims, a chemical burn injury attorney in Florida will help you prove that the negligent party owned/controlled the property, that they had a duty of care to protect you on that property, and that they had knowledge of a dangerous chemical hazard on the property and failed to act or warn.

There is no amount of compensation that can erase the hurt, distress, and emotional and physical scarring of a severe chemical burn injury. That being said, a successful Settlement, Award, or Verdict after a chemical burn injury can be instrumental in helping you move forward with your life, with the potential for economic, non-economic, and punitive damages in instances where the injury was caused by a breached duty of care.

Economic Damages

• Medical bills
• Rehab costs
• Grafting costs
• Scar care
• Lost wages
• Reduced earning capacity

Non-Economic Damages

• Disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

Punitive Damages

Additional damages intended to punish the liable party for their negligence and deter similar conduct in the future. These may be awarded in addition to the economic and non-economic damages noted above, though typically only in instances of extreme misconduct or intentional harm, not general negligence.

Evidence of negligence in chemical burn injury cases can disappear quickly. This is for several potential reasons, some intentional (cover-ups, lack of cooperation) and some non-intentional (physical contamination, corrosion, routine clean-ups that occur before the extent of the injury is known).

Despite these challenges, our chemical burn attorneys will work tirelessly to obtain as much evidence as possible in support of your claim, including things like:

• Medical records
• OSHA SDS and other hazard communications
• Chemical labels
• Pool logs
• Incident/Fire Marshall reports
• Surveillance photos and videos
• Preserved containers/clothing
• Witness statements
• Expert testimonies
• Independent product testing with chain of custody

Gordon & Partners Law Firm has the skills, resources, and experience to fully investigate your chemical burn claim and obtain any relevant evidence available – all with no upfront cost to you or your loved ones. Schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys to learn more.

The steps you take immediately after a chemical burn injury can make all the difference in what happens next.

Step 1: First Aid
All appropriate first aid protocols should be followed right away after a chemical burn injury, including removing contaminated clothes and flushing the affected area. Protocols for flushing (i.e. removing) a contaminant from the skin vary based on the chemical. Call Florida Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for specific directions, and find more general information at reputable sites like the CDC or MedlinePlus.

Step 2: Seek Medical Care
Even a minor chemical burn should be evaluated by a medical professional. This helps strengthen a potential future claim in addition to ensuring you get proper medical care. While you could wait a few days for a mild chemical burn provided symptoms don’t worsen, seek medical care immediately if you experience severe pain or infection, or if a chemical has entered your eyes or mouth.

To find a specialist, seek burn-center referrals through the ABA (American Burn Association) or the Florida Committee on Trauma (FCOT).

Step 3: Contact a Lawyer – Chemical burn injury claims are complicated and should not be attempted alone. Make sure you have a fierce advocate by working with a Florida chemical burn attorney, and get the peace of mind knowing that while you focus on recovery someone else is focused on securing evidence and fighting for rightful compensation.

Our Florida-focused chemical burn injury team is ready to go to work on your behalf.

We handle pool, salon, industrial, and product battery cases statewide, and move fast to secure evidence and coordinate with medical and safety experts.

Combined with an extensive understanding of Florida regulatory guidelines, including HB 837, OSHA HazCom, Florida DOH pool standards (64E-9), and Statute § 768.81, we’re committed to being your best defense in a chemical burn claim and have decades of successful results to prove it.

We serve all of Florida. Get a free consultation 24/7 and contingency fee pricing that ensures you don’t pay a penny until you win. Consultations can be done in-person or virtually, with bilingual support available.

Depending on the circumstances, Florida’s deadline for your chemical burn claim could be as short as two years, so don’t want to seek legal assistance. Contact us and get your free case evaluation now.