Burn Injuries

Houston Burn Injury Attorney

We Are Ready to Help You Seek Relief

When someone acts with negligence or otherwise ignores commonplace safety procedures, the results can be both devastating and unexpected, such as is the case when a burn injury occurs. Most people think of broken bones or lacerations when it comes to personal injury claims, not severe burns; this “out of sight, out of mind” mentality may cause people to behave negligently around dangerous burn sources, unaware that the hazard is so close and can be so damaging.

Sources that may cause serious burn injuries include:

• Faulty wiring (electrocution)
• Open flames
• Hot surfaces
• Hazardous chemicals
• Unstable combustible materials
• Extended exposure to the sun

At The Cox Pradia Law Firm, P.L.L.C., our Houston personal injury lawyers can hear your claim in full detail, using our 40+ years of combined legal experience to pinpoint the cause of your injury and who should be held liable. Medical bills, rehabilitation costs, wages missed while you recuperate, and more should all be provided by the person who has so wrongfully done you harm. Our unique strategies and courtroom aggression are geared toward winning you the maximum compensation possible.

What Damages Can Be Recovered After a Burn Injury?

When it comes to recovering damages after a burn injury, the law aims to put you back—financially and emotionally—where you were before the accident. If someone else’s carelessness led to your injury, you may have the right to pursue a wide range of compensation through a legal claim.

Damages available in burn injury lawsuits often include:

• Medical expenses: This covers your past, present, and anticipated future medical bills, including hospital stays, surgeries, rehabilitation, and therapy.
• Lost wages: If your burns keep you out of work, you can seek compensation for the income you’ve missed and any reduction in your future earning capacity due to permanent injuries.
• Pain and suffering: Burn injuries are not just physically painful—they can be emotionally overwhelming and even traumatic. The law recognizes this and allows you to seek damages for the physical pain and mental anguish you endure.
• Disfigurement and scarring: Severe burns often leave lasting marks. Compensation can address the impact these injuries have on your confidence, self-image, and daily life.
• Out-of-pocket costs: From transportation to follow-up appointments to modifications needed at home, every expense related to your burn injury can play a part in your claim.

While the law is designed to help injured individuals recover, there are limits to what you can claim. For example, in certain cases—such as some medical malpractice claims—punitive damages may not be available. In every situation, the details of your case and the evidence available will determine the value and scope of your recovery. That’s why it’s so important to have an experienced attorney review the facts, help you navigate legal obstacles, and maximize your rightful compensation.

Legal Challenges in Burn Injury Cases

Burn injury claims, especially those involving chemical burns, are often complex due to the nature of the injuries and the circumstances leading up to the incident. Successfully recovering damages generally requires overcoming a unique set of legal hurdles—not least of which are proving both the cause of your injury and the responsible party’s negligence.

Key obstacles you may encounter include:

• Identifying Liability: Establishing exactly whose actions (or inactions) caused your injury can be difficult, especially when multiple parties or defective products are involved.
• Proving Negligence: It’s not enough to demonstrate you’ve been hurt—you must also show that another party failed to uphold a reasonable standard of care and that this failure directly led to your burns.
• Documenting Damages: Securing fair compensation means thoroughly documenting your injuries, treatment costs, and the ways your life has been affected. Gaps in medical records or incomplete evidence can weaken your claim.
• Limitations on Recoverable Damages: Texas law doesn’t always allow for every form of recovery, and certain types of damages—like punitive damages in some medical malpractice cases—may not be available.
• Insurance Company Resistance: Insurance Company carriers frequently challenge burn injury claims, disputing either the severity of the injury or their policyholder’s liability.

With so many moving pieces, having a legal team well-versed in burn injury litigation is crucial to navigating these barriers and holding the right parties responsible.

You can start your case today – contact us now to learn your legal rights.

What to Do If You’ve Suffered a Burn Injury

If you or someone you love has experienced a burn injury and you’re considering legal next steps, it’s important to know you don’t have to navigate this challenging time alone. Here are a few key actions to take:

• Seek Medical Attention First: Your health is the top priority. Get any necessary care from a qualified medical professional as soon as possible. Not only is this crucial for your recovery, but it also provides documentation about your injury and treatment.
• Document Everything: Keep copies of medical records, take photos of your injuries and where they occurred, and hold onto receipts for any related expenses (treatments, prescriptions, travel). These details can be important if you pursue a claim.
• Limit Communication With Insurance Companies: Don’t make recorded statements, sign documents, or accept settlements from insurance providers without understanding all your options. They may try to minimize your compensation.
• Consult a Knowledgeable Burn Injury Lawyer: Look for an attorney who has experience with personal injury and burn cases. The right legal team will be familiar with the complexities of burn injuries—including the potential for future medical care and emotional trauma.
• Don’t Wait Too Long: There are strict deadlines (called statutes of limitations) that apply to personal injury cases in Texas. Prompt action ensures your rights are protected.

Above all, remember that skilled guidance is just a call or click away—reaching out to a qualified legal professional can help you focus on healing, while they handle the complexities of your case.

Long-Term Effects and Complications of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries can reach far beyond the initial trauma, casting a long shadow over every aspect of a victim’s life. After the immediate pain subsides, many individuals are left to cope with challenges that may linger for months—or even years—following the incident.

Some of the most common complications linked with serious burns include:

• Persistent and heavy scarring: Burn wounds, especially those from fire, chemicals, or electricity, often leave lasting scars that can affect both appearance and mobility.
• Cosmetic disfigurement: Beyond scarring, burns can result in changes to the skin and underlying tissues, impacting self-esteem and quality of life.
• Infection risks: Damaged skin loses its ability to protect you from bacteria, making infections—including potentially life-threatening ones like sepsis—a major concern. Sometimes, infection can lead to the loss of a limb.
• Organ complications: In severe cases, burns can affect organ function, particularly if infection spreads or if the burn area is extensive.
• Reduced mobility: Scar tissue and tissue tightening may restrict movement, sometimes requiring reconstructive surgery or long-term physical therapy to regain functionality.
• Emotional and psychological trauma: The trauma associated with burn injuries often extends well beyond the physical, leading to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Death: In the most severe cases, the complications may sadly lead to loss of life.

Burn victims often require ongoing treatment, including hospital care, repeated surgeries, skin grafts, and rehabilitative therapy. Unfortunately, the price of care for serious burns can be double that of typical hospitalizations. For this reason, it’s crucial to work with an attorney who understands not just the immediate aftermath of a burn injury, but also the extensive and long-term care your recovery may demand.

Degrees of Burn Injuries

The value of your claim will depend almost entirely on the severity of your burn injury and how much it debilitates you in your day-to-day life. Allow our team to review your medical records so we can determine your burn’s degree classification. From there, we can consult with medical experts and figure out how long you will require treatment for the injury, ultimately establishing how much compensation you will need now and for the rest of your life.

The various degrees are:

• First: Redness and sensitivity on the skin; generally does not require medical attention, only first aid.
• Second: Skin may thicken, blister, and redden; lingering pain; requires medical attention to heal quickly and properly.
• Third: Whitening of flesh and inability to move the affected area without extreme pain; numbness in the area when still; medical attention is a must.
• Fourth: Blackening of the skin as the burn goes deep into muscles, nerves, and bone; the area may never fully recover and can require amputation.
• Fifth and sixth: Catastrophic burns; considered fatal even with immediate treatment.

Our Simple Philosophy Achieves Victory

We believe in a straightforward philosophy to litigation: we treat our clients with the respect and friendship they deserve, we never back down from a legal dispute once we take the case, and we do not collect payment unless we win our client a settlement. With a long history of successful case results under our belts, our personal injury attorneys like to think that our philosophy serves us, and our clients, quite well.

Call us to request your free initial case evaluation with a Houston personal injury lawyer.