Houston Burn Injury Lawyers

If you sustained burn injuries in an accident due to someone else’s wrongdoing, do not hesitate to contact The DJF Law Firm, PLLC. You might be entitled to compensation for emergency medical care, hospitalization, and other medical expenses. We could represent you in a case against the at-fault party and hold them liable for their misconduct.

A burn injury can be painful and lead to various complications. A range of scenarios can leave someone with burns that require medical treatment. Severe damage below the surface of the skin could create mobility issues and other health problems.

The DJF Law Firm, PLLC can help you pursue compensation for your injury. We will protect your rights and work hard to get you the justice you deserve. You should not suffer the consequences of someone else’s carelessness. Let us help you hold the at-fault party accountable so you can treat your injury and move forward with your life.

Call The DJF Law Firm, PLLC at 832-529-3476 today for your free consultation with one of our experienced Houston burn injury lawyers.

Common Types of Burn Injuries

Burns can range in severity from superficial to severe. Severe burns might lead to life-threatening complications, such as infections or organ failure. Seeking immediate treatment for a burn is critical to avoid long-term problems. A doctor can properly evaluate the injury to determine the appropriate treatment plan for a successful recovery.

Burns fall under multiple classifications depending on the severity of the physical damage and how far it extends below the surface of the skin. The three major types of burn injuries are:

First-degree burn – A first-degree burn is a superficial burn. It causes minimal damage to the outer layer of the skin. This type of burn often causes redness, inflammation, and swelling at the site of the injury. Typically, it heals without significant medical intervention. It also isn’t likely to leave behind scarring.
Second-degree burn – A second-degree burn involves damage that extends to other layers of skin beneath the surface. Redness and soreness are common symptoms at the injury site. Blisters can also form and burst, leaving scabs in their place. The injury might cause scarring and change the skin’s pigment while healing.
Third-degree burn – Third-degree burns cause damage to every layer of the skin and can also damage the nerves. Although it might seem like a painful injury, many people don’t feel pain from a third-degree burn because of the significant nerve damage. Surgery and skin grafts are often necessary to repair the skin. A severe burn like this can lead to serious scarring and disfigurement.

Without prompt or adequate medical care, a burn injury can result in a range of complications. The most common complications of a burn injury include:

Low body temperature – It might seem strange, but a burn injury can result from prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures. Frostbite is a type of burn that occurs most often in the fingers, toes, cheeks, chin, nose, and ears. The condition occurs when the skin and the tissues beneath it freeze. After prolonged exposure, the skin turns black and hardens as it dies.
Permanent scars or disfigurement – Disfigurement is a traumatic complication of burns covering large portions of the body, face, hands, or feet. The injury can alter a person’s appearance, especially if the damage is too severe for skin grafts to work successfully. Scarring is also common as the wounds heal.
Blood loss – Severe burn injuries can lead to blood loss. When someone loses a high volume of blood from the site of the injury, their blood pressure plummets. Hypovolemic shock could occur after losing one-fifth of the body’s blood volume, causing a coma or a heart attack. Additionally, blood loss can lead to tissue damage.
Infections – An infection might develop at the injury site. If it enters the bloodstream, it could travel throughout the body and affect vital organs. It becomes a life-threatening medical problem once organs start shutting down.
Arrhythmia – A burn injury from electrical shock can lead to an irregular or abnormal heartbeat. The severity of the arrhythmia depends on the type of the current, voltage, and path of the current. If the current travels to the heart, cardiovascular disturbances are likely.
Loss of mobility and movement – Burn injuries can damage bones and joint tissue. An impaired range of motion or mobility issues can arise near the affected bones and tissue. Permanent damage could lead to a physical disability.
Psychological or mental trauma – Depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses are typical after a burn injury. A disfiguring injury could plunge someone into a deep depression. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could develop from the traumatic incident that caused the burn.
Respiratory illnesses – Explosions and fires often result in injuries other than burns. They can also cause lung damage and respiratory problems from smoke inhalation.

Reach out to The DJF Law Firm, PLLC for legal assistance after suffering a burn injury. You should seek treatment to determine what you need to do to heal. We can start our investigation and gather evidence to prove who is at fault for the accident. You don’t have to worry about taking on this responsibility alone. We will remain by your side until the end.

Common Causes of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries can happen to anyone. Car accidents, building fires, faulty products, and a range of other scenarios can leave someone with a serious burn.

The most common causes of burn injuries include:

Defective consumer products
Explosion
Exposure to flammable substances
Nursing home abuse
Building fire
Electrical shock from faulty wiring
Motor vehicle accident
Malfunctioning equipment
Contact with unprotected live wires

You should seek immediate action after a burn injury. The sooner you hire The DJF Law Firm, PLLC, the sooner we can start working on your case. We will create a strategy to hold the at-fault party liable and try to obtain maximum compensation for you.

Compensation Available for a Burn Injury

The compensation you receive in an insurance claim or lawsuit might pay for your:

Surgery, prescriptions, hospitalization, and other medical bills
Permanent impairment or disfigurement
Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Lost wages
Lost earning capacity
Damage to personal property

You could seek exemplary damages in a lawsuit against the negligent party. This type of financial award punishes the defendant for their wrongdoing and aims to prevent similar actions in the future. For the court to award these damages to you, you must show clear and convincing evidence of the at-fault party’s gross negligence, fraud, or malice.

You might be entitled to compensation in a wrongful death case if you are a surviving spouse, child, or parent. Your loved one must have died from a fatal burn injury due to someone else’s negligent conduct.

The personal representative of the deceased’s estate also has the right to pursue a wrongful death case. However, they can only file if the surviving family doesn’t file within three months of the death and doesn’t expressly request the personal representative not to initiate a lawsuit.

If you file a wrongful death lawsuit, you could recover compensation for:

Lost inheritance, including what the deceased could have earned and left to surviving family if they survived the accident
Loss of services, support, counsel, care, advice, and maintenance
Mental pain and anguish endured by surviving family members
Lost earning capacity
Loss of companionship, love, comfort, and society

Statute of Limitations for a Burn Injury

In Texas, the statute of limitations allows a two-year timeframe for filing a lawsuit against another party. That means you have two years from the date of sustaining a burn injury to file your lawsuit for compensation.

Once the deadline passes, you could lose your right to bring legal action against the at-fault party. Preparing your case as soon as possible is crucial, so you don’t run out of time.

Two exceptions could prevent the statute from running on the date of the accident. You could delay the timeframe if one of these factors applies to your situation:

Unsound mind – If you are of unsound mind when you suffer burns, the statutory period won’t start until you regain mental competency.
Minor – If you are a minor at the time of the incident, the clock won’t begin to run until you turn 18.

The statute of limitations for a wrongful death case allows a two-year timeframe to file suit. As a surviving family member, you must file your wrongful death lawsuit within two years of the date of your loved one’s death. If you don’t file in time, you won’t be able to hold the negligent party liable for their actions.

Contact Us

At The DJF Law Firm, PLLC, our Houston burn injury lawyers believe in fighting for injured clients suffering because of another’s careless behavior. When you hire us, we will get to work immediately. We know that no two cases are alike. We always approach each case we take with a fresh set of eyes, and we will create a strategy to meet your unique needs and circumstances.