Burns are among the most painful injuries medicine treats and among the most undervalued injuries insurers price. The damages aren’t just the treatment — grafts, debridement, staged surgeries — but the permanence: scarring, contractures, sensitivity, and the psychological weight of visible injury.
What Burn Cases Require
- Source liability. Building fires (code and smoke-detector violations), workplace incidents (OSHA standards + the comp/third-party dual track), defective products per our product liability practice, scalds on commercial premises, and vehicle-fire crashes each build differently.
- Medical trajectory. Burn treatment is staged over years — MedlinePlus outlines the clinical path — and the claim must be valued on the full arc, including future reconstructive work.
- Scarring as damages. Permanent disfigurement is compensable in its own right, valued seriously and documented professionally — location, visibility, and the person’s life all matter.
- Fatal burns proceed under the wrongful death framework.
Frequently Asked Questions
The fire was ruled accidental. Does that end the civil case?
No — ‘accidental’ in a fire marshal’s report means not arson; it says nothing about negligent wiring, missing detectors, code violations, or a defective product. Civil liability is a separate question with a different investigation.
I was burned at work. Comp or lawsuit?
Often both — comp benefits regardless of fault, plus a lawsuit against any responsible third party (equipment maker, contractor, property owner) for what comp doesn’t pay. The dual-track analysis is standard in our burn cases.
How is scarring actually valued?
Through medical documentation, photographic evidence over time, reconstructive-surgery projections, and honest testimony about daily life. There’s no chart lookup — which is exactly why insurers lowball it and why it gets built deliberately.
How long do I have to file?
Generally two years under Pennsylvania law — with a six-month written-notice requirement for claims against government entities and special rules for minors and late-discovered injuries. Evidence fades faster than any deadline.
What does hiring you cost?
No attorney’s fee unless we recover for you; the contingency percentage and case-cost handling are in the written fee agreement you review before signing. Consultations are free.
Ready to talk about your case? Call (215) 464-4600 or contact us online for a free, confidential consultation — contingency fee, no attorney’s fee unless we recover, costs explained in the written fee agreement.