Burn injuries are among the leading causes of unintentional death in the United States. In 2023, fire departments nationwide responded to nearly 1.4 million fires, resulting in approximately 3,670 civilian deaths and 13,350 injuries due to fires and burns, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). While survival rates at burn centers are encouraging, with 97.7% of patients treated at these facilities surviving, burn victims commonly leave treatment with permanent disabilities, scarring and other chronic health issues.
Sustaining a burn from a fire, scalding-hot object or another burn source can have serious effects on your health and livelihood, both in the short and long term. If you’ve sustained a burn injury from an incident that occurred as a result of another person’s negligence, such as an employer, business establishment or landlord, you may be entitled to compensation.
Many individuals involved in the compensation process, such as insurance adjusters and the negligent parties, will do whatever they can to reduce or complicate the payout process. An experienced fire and burn injury lawyer from Florin|Roebig can effectively advocate for your rights and fair compensation to cover costs associated with your injury, as well as pain and suffering.
Florin|Roebig’s experienced burn injury lawyers believe that any person who’s been harmed due to the negligence of another party is entitled to take legal action. We’ve provided some of the most important information to know about burn injuries, burn injury liability and what to do if you’ve sustained a burn injury at the fault of another party below.
Types of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries can be classified as first-degree, second-degree, third-degree or fourth-degree burns. First-degree burns are the mildest, while fourth-degree burns are typically fatal.
- First-degree burns impact the first layer of a person’s skin and may or may not require medical attention. This type of burn can result in mild to moderate pain, swelling and redness of the skin.
- Second-degree burns affect two layers of the skin and will likely require medical attention. This type of burn may cause blistering, a glossy appearance, pain, deep reddening of the skin and possibly loss of some skin.
- Third-degree burns penetrate through all layers of the skin and into the tissue beneath, often resulting in severe, permanent injuries or disabilities. These burns can appear white, black or charred and may cause the skin to become leathery in texture. Because nerve endings are destroyed, third-degree burns may be less painful than second-degree burns, though they require immediate medical treatment and often skin grafting.
- Fourth-degree burns are the most severe type of burns and typically fatal. These burns destroy all layers of the skin and extend beyond the skin into muscles, tendons, ligaments and sometimes even bones. Muscle tissue and bone may be exposed, but there’s often no pain due to severe nerve damage. Fourth-degree burns require emergency medical intervention and often result in amputation of the affected area, permanent nerve damage, permanent disability, disfigurement or death.
There are numerous ways people can sustain burn injuries, ranging from everyday household accidents to catastrophic workplace incidents. Common types of burn injuries seen in burn injury claims and lawsuits include those caused by:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Workplace injuries
- Apartment building fires
- Recreational fires (such as at a place of business, hotel or mall)
- Defective products
- Inadequate or defective fire exits
- Lack of fire extinguishers
- Scalding pipes, food and water
- Electrical accidents
- Exposure to dangerous chemicals
- Explosions
- Industrial accidents
Where Burn Injuries Occur
Burns can occur in a variety of settings and may have various sources. According to the American Burn Association’s 2024 Burn Injury Summary Report, the primary causes of burns in the U.S. based on burn center admissions are fire/flame (41.7%), scalds (32.2%), contact with a hot object (10.8%), electrical sources (2.9%), chemicals (3.7%) and the remaining are classified as “other.”
You can suffer burn injuries in your home, at a restaurant, in the workplace and any other setting where you might come into close contact with a flammable or heated object. Where a burn injury occurs and how it occurs can be crucial considerations in determining your ability to take legal action against the at-fault party.
Workplace Accidents
The workplace is a common site of burn injuries that are serious enough to warrant admission to a burn center for medical care. Research published in the Journal of Burn Care & Research indicates that between 20% and 25% of all severe burns occur in the workplace, affecting workers across various industries.
While the typical office environment may not appear to pose a significant risk for burns or other serious injuries, workers in the industrial, agricultural and service industries—as well as any other workplace that involves chemicals, the utilization of heat or radiation exposure—can be at high risk for workplace accidents. However, even in an office space, accidents can still occur, and if there aren’t functioning safety precautions in place to mitigate the consequences, the fault may rest on the employer.
Depending on the nature of the incident, employees who are injured in the workplace may have the option of submitting a workers’ compensation claim. While these claims can provide wage-replacement benefits, they require the employee to forfeit their right to sue the employer for negligence.
Examples of employer negligence that may warrant a burn injury lawsuit include:
- Failure to adopt adequate fire safety precautions
- Lacking an appropriate number of fire extinguishers, based on state or local law
- Lacking other essential safety measures necessary to prevent serious injuries
The amount of compensation awarded in a workers’ compensation claim will also be a lot less than the amount that could be awarded in a personal injury lawsuit for a serious burn injury. Filing a lawsuit allows workers to sue for a range of injury-related damages, including pain and suffering or mental anguish and other non-economic damages, whereas workers’ compensation primarily covers economic losses such as medical bills and lost wages.
An exception might be a third-party claim against another at-fault entity, such as a product manufacturer or subcontractor, which can award additional compensation on top of the wage-replacement benefits. People who suffer a burn injury due to a defective product in the workplace, or as a result of a subcontractor’s negligent behavior, may be eligible to file a third-party claim for additional compensation.
Some states may also allow you to receive compensation for pain and suffering for a permanent disability, especially when there’s a significant loss of function or mobility. In rare cases, you may be able to sue for pain and suffering damages outside the workers’ compensation system if your employer’s actions were intentional or reckless.
Filing a burn injury lawsuit allows you to pursue all avenues of recovery, not just what workers’ compensation covers. Our knowledgeable personal injury lawyers at Florin|Roebig will fight to get you every penny you deserve.
Home and Apartment Building Fires
The NFPA reported that between 2019 and 2023, residential structure fires caused 70% of civilian deaths due to fire and 74% of injuries. It estimates that 352,000 home fires occurred in the United States in 2023, resulting in 2,920 deaths and 10,490 injuries.
For those who rent their homes, your landlord may be held liable for a sustained burn injury if they demonstrated negligent behavior. Negligent behavior can include failing to follow federal, state and local laws intended to protect residents from hazards.
Landlords are required to adopt certain safety precautions, including the use of ceiling sprinklers, working fire extinguishers and the implementation of smoke detectors. If a landlord has neglected these safety measures and it results in a resident suffering an injury on their property, the landlord may be liable for the injury and resulting damages.
State and local laws may differ in the exact requirements landlords must adhere to evade liability for residential injuries. You must be able to provide proof of the landlord’s negligence and how that negligence directly caused your burn injury.
Additional factors that may impact your ability to sue your landlord for negligence include:
- Whether legal language included in your lease waives your right to bring a personal injury lawsuit against your landlord to trial
- Where you live in the United States (due to variance in state laws on suing a landlord)
- The amount of evidence you have to support your allegation of negligence
If you’re unsure how to gather the evidence to support your allegation or have additional questions about your tenant rights, an experienced Florin|Roebig personal injury lawyer can help.
Commercial Property and Businesses
Although they’re much less common than workplace and household accidents, burn injuries can also result from incidents at business establishments where a fire occurs or there’s exposure to substances hot enough to cause serious burns.
Commercial properties where burn injuries may occur:
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Malls
- Fitness centers
- Nightclubs
- Community centers
- Grocery stores
If you’re injured by a fire or scalding-hot object on private or commercial property as a result of the reckless or negligent behavior of the establishment, the property owner may be held liable and sued for compensation.
What To Do if You’ve Suffered a Burn Injury
If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, consider taking the following steps.
Seek Medical Attention
First-degree and some second-degree burns may require first aid or a doctor’s visit but may not require immediate treatment. Many second-degree and all third-degree and fourth-degree burns require immediate medical attention.
Call 9-1-1 for emergency medical assistance if:
- You suffer a third-degree burn.
- You’re in extreme pain.
- Your face, hands, feet or genitals have been severely burned.
- The burned skin looks white, charred or leathery.
- The victim of the burn is an elderly adult or young child.
If your burn isn’t severe enough to warrant emergency medical care, run the affected area under cool water. Then, consult your doctor on the use of antibiotics or soothing aloe vera gel to reduce pain and potential scarring.
If you do seek medical attention, request a copy of your medical records for evidence. Having evidence of your symptoms, the severity of the injury and other details will be essential if you decide to take legal action against the party responsible.
Document Your Injuries
Once you’re out of immediate danger, take photos of your injuries. Write down any key details concerning how the burn occurred, where and when the burn occurred, the source of the burn and whether you believe someone didn’t follow appropriate safety procedures. An example might be a burn injury that occurs due to your landlord’s failure to keep a fire extinguisher in your apartment building in the event of a fire.
If there are any witnesses to the event that caused your burn, collect their personal information. Witnesses may be able to provide testimony later on if you file a personal injury lawsuit against someone.
Contact a Lawyer
Hiring a personal injury lawyer with experience in handling burn injury cases, like those at Florin|Roebig, can help you determine your rights and entitlement to compensation. If you’re unsure whether you have an eligible case for a lawsuit, we can evaluate the circumstances and complete details of your case to answer this question. Understanding your rights in the aftermath of a fire or any incident causing injury is essential, particularly if your injuries are severe.
Burn injuries are some of the most difficult injuries to treat. They’re often costly to treat initially and over time. If you sustained serious consequences from a burn, such as permanent disfigurement, loss of sensation, nerve damage or respiratory problems, you’re likely to require ongoing care that will result in a hefty bill and have an enormous impact on your long-term livelihood.
If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury at the fault of another, a Florin|Roebig burn injury lawyer can help you receive the compensation you deserve to help cover these costs and compensate for physical and psychological anguish.
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Benefits of Filing a Burn Injury Lawsuit
Depending on the severity of your burn and the extent of your losses, a Florin|Roebig lawyer will likely provide you with two options for taking legal action: filing a tort claim for personal injury or filing a personal injury lawsuit. If you were injured at your workplace, you may also file for workers’ compensation, though this typically provides less compensation than a lawsuit.
Filing a tort claim is a legal filing that goes to the opposing party, usually their insurance provider. They determine whether they’re going to pay a settlement and how much compensation they will offer. If the offer is fair and covers all your current and future damages, you may settle your claim without going to court.
However, if they choose not to settle, the compensation amount is too low or they drag out the claim process, your attorney files a personal injury lawsuit, and your case goes to litigation, which may end up in court. Once you file a burn injury lawsuit and it goes to court, a judge or jury decides whether the other party is at fault and owes you compensation, and how much compensation should be.
Filing a personal injury lawsuit allows you to recover compensation for the full extent of your injuries, including compensation for medical expenses, loss of ability to engage in functional activities, lost wages and pain and suffering.
By filing a burn injury lawsuit, you may be able to seek compensation for the following damages:
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
- Loss of sensation
- Permanent disability
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Medical treatment expenses
- Burn-related chronic medical problems
An experienced Florin|Roebig burn injury lawyer can guide you on the types of damages you may be able to seek compensation for based on the nature of the incident and other details concerning your case.
Burn Injuries in the U.S.
Burn injuries are among the leading causes of unintentional death and injury in the United States. According to the American Burn Association’s Burn Incidence Fact Sheet and 2024 Burn Injury Summary Report, here are the key statistics on burn injuries in the United States:
- About 1.1 million burn injuries occur annually in the U.S., with 450,000 to 600,000 people requiring medical care for a burn.
- An estimated 29,165 people are admitted to hospitals for burn injuries annually.
- The survival rate for patients treated at burn centers is 97.7%.
- 57% of burn injury deaths were male, as were 55% of non-fatal burn victims.
- 59% of fatalities in home fires involved someone aged 55 or older.
- Fire and flame burns (thermal burns) account for 41.7% of burn center admissions, followed by scalds (32.2%), contact burns (10.8%), chemical burns (3.7%) and electrical burns (2.9%).
- Burn injuries are most common between May and August, with 37.5% of all burn admissions occurring during this period.
According to the National Fire Protection Association’s 2023 fire statistics and the National Safety Council’s Injury Facts database, in 2023:
- Structure fires resulted in approximately 3,670 civilian deaths and 13,350 injuries.
- One civilian death related to fire occurred every three hours.
- An estimated 352,000 home fires occurred.
Research published in the Journal of Burn Care & Research and PubMed indicates that between 20% and 25% of all severe burns occur in the workplace.
Burn Injury Lawyers Serving the U.S.
Burn injuries can have a major impact on your finances and general livelihood, taking a physical, financial and emotional toll. Once you’ve decided to seek justice for an injury caused by another person’s negligence, it’s crucial that you feel confident in your legal representation.
At Florin|Roebig, our burn injury lawyers have worked for decades to provide unmatched legal services that effectively advocate for injured clients and fight for fair compensation from the at-fault parties. Our lawyers have secured over $1 billion in results nationwide.
We have law offices located in Florida, Minnesota, Texas and Colorado for clients who’ve sustained burn injuries as a result of the negligence of an employer, a landlord or another property owner.
Our team of award-winning burn injury lawyers includes:
- Wil H. Florin, B.C.S.
- Tommy D. Roebig, B.C.S.
- Shaun M. Cummings
- Neil P. O’Brien, M.B.A.
- Luca G. Esposito
- Chad K. Florin, M.B.A., LL.M.
- John J. Hart
- Parker Y. Florin, LL.M.
- Taylor D. Roebig
- Hal S. Weitzenfeld
- Michael A. Ossi, O.C.
- Lawrence J. Najem, O.C.
- Nollys R. Solarte, O.C.
We Are Nationally Awarded Lawyers
Find Help Filing a Burn Injury Lawsuit
When it comes to taking legal action for personal injury, time is of the essence. If you’ve been injured due to another person’s negligence, state laws vary on how much time you have to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit. You must act quickly.
Don’t wait to learn what options may be available to you. Contact the offices of Florin|Roebig to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our seasoned burn injury lawyers for more information and start seeking justice today.
