Burn Injury Lawyer
Burn injuries can be life-changing, often resulting in chronic pain, ongoing surgeries, and financial devastation. When your injury is caused by another person’s negligence, it can add to an already stressful aftermath. Pursuing a personal injury claim while dealing with a serious injury is challenging, but you do not have to do it alone.
At Lawrence & Associates, our dedicated and compassionate attorneys can help with your case. We serve clients throughout Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, seeking fair compensation on their behalf. Contact our law office today to schedule a free consultation.
table of contents
- Why Burn Injury Victims Choose Lawrence & Associates for Legal Help
- Our Case Results
- Testimonials From Our Cincinnati Clients
- The Different Degrees of Burn Injuries
- What Types of Burn Injury Cases Do We Handle?
- Available Compensation for Cincinnati Burn Injury Victims
- Important Filing Deadlines for a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Ohio
- Who Can Be Sued for a Burn Injury?
- Types of Accidents That Can Lead To Burn Injuries
- Ohio Burn Injury FAQs
- Meet With an Experienced Burn Injury Lawyer in Cincinnati Today
Why Burn Injury Victims Choose Lawrence & Associates for Legal Help
The lawyers at Lawrence & Associates are seasoned advocates for personal injury claims throughout Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Our firm has served over 13,500 clients and recovered $500M+ in verdicts and settlements. We boast a stellar 99% success rate in securing compensation for a range of injuries.
Each case at our law office is handled personally from start to finish. We are always prepared to go to trial if your case requires it, giving us an upper hand against insurers. With bilingual support, free case evaluations, and a no-win-no-fee guarantee, you can trust our abilities to secure justice for you and your family.
Our Case Results
Testimonials From Our Cincinnati Clients
“This law firm was extremely professional and very easy to work with. Seth was very attentive and answered all of my questions. I never had a problem getting a hold of them via phone. I would highly recommend them to anyone that would need their service.”
– Randall Donithan
“Miss Gardner and my attorney, Mr. Prince, were really good and supportive. Getting close to my hearing I was nervous and stressed, but speaking with Mr. Prince put me at ease about it. I definitely recommend Lawrence & Associates! “
– J R
“The Lawrence and Associates company has been so amazing and so great. They are really great people to use. They have been very patient with me and they made sure that I was really taken care of and they make sure my kids are really taken care of and they also extend their hand out for extra service if I need it so by any chance, I will always use them and share them to as many people as I can because they are great people to be around and great people to use for service. love y’all.”
– Reginald Hughes
The Different Degrees of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries can be classified in varying degrees, from less severe to extreme.
|
Burn Degree |
Layers Affected |
Appearance & Symptoms |
Healing Time |
|
First-Degree (Superficial) |
Epidermis, outer skin layer |
Red, dry, painful, mild swelling; no blisters |
3–7 days |
|
Second-Degree (Partial-Thickness) |
Epidermis and part of the dermis |
Red, moist, blistered, very painful, swollen |
2–8 weeks, depending on depth |
|
Third-Degree (Full-Thickness) |
Entire epidermis and dermis; may extend into subcutaneous fat |
White, brown, black, or leathery skin; dry; little or no pain in the burned area due to nerve damage |
Does not heal without advanced medical treatment, often skin grafting |
|
Fourth-Degree |
Skin, fat, muscle, tendons, and/or bone |
Charred or blackened tissue; exposed muscle or bone may be visible; typically painless in the most severely damaged tissue due to nerve destruction |
Requires emergency surgical treatment and often multiple reconstructive procedures |
In addition to evaluating the layers of a burn injury, clinicians classify severity based on Total Body Surface Area, which measures the percentage of the body affected by the burn. Victims who sustain more severe burns will likely require treatment at a specialized center, like the University of Cincinnati Medical Center Burn Center for adults, or Shriners Children’s Ohio in Dayton, for adolescents.
Burn injury cases are often legally complex due to long-term factors such as recovery timelines, multiple liable parties, and the difficulty of calculating future damages. Fortunately, an experienced burn injury attorney can take on these complicated aspects of your case, allowing you to focus on your recovery.
What Types of Burn Injury Cases Do We Handle?
Our legal team handles many types of personal injury cases involving burns. Our skillset and experience include, but are not limited to:
- Car and truck collisions
- Workplace accidents
- Apartment and house fires
- Defective products
- Chemical exposure
- Electrical accidents
Our legal team has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. If you need a burn injury lawyer because you were injured by someone else’s negligence, we can help you pursue compensation for your injuries and losses.
Available Compensation for Cincinnati Burn Injury Victims
Victims of burn injuries in Cincinnati may be entitled to several types of compensation through a personal injury claim. These damages fall into three primary categories: economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.
Economic and Non-Economic Damages
Economic damages cover the tangible losses from an accident, including medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity. Non-economic damages account for intangible costs, like pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and reduced quality of life.
Under Ohio laws, non-economic damages are capped. Non-economic damages cannot exceed $250,000 or three times the plaintiff’s economic damages. Additionally, each plaintiff can only receive a maximum of $350,000, with a cap of $500,000 per occurrence. However, this cap does not apply to economic damages. Similarly, there are certain exceptions for non-economic damage caps, including in cases involving one or more of the following:
- A permanent and substantial physical deformity
- The loss of use of a limb or the loss of a bodily organ system
- A permanent physical functional injury that prevents independent care
Punitive Damages
In some cases, the court may also award punitive damages. These are meant to punish the defendant for especially egregious behavior, such as intentional assault or extremely reckless actions like drunk driving. Your burn injury attorney can review the details of your case to help assess your damages and give you a better idea of what you may be entitled to receive.
Important Filing Deadlines for a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Ohio
Under Ohio’s statute of limitations for personal injuries, burn injury victims have two years from the date of the incident to file a claim. Failing to meet this filing deadline can bar you from recovery completely. However, there are some exceptions to be aware of. For those under the age of 18 at the time of the accident, the countdown may not begin to toll until they reach adulthood.
Similarly, cases involving government entities, delayed symptoms, and wrongful death can vary in filing requirements. Speaking with a burn injury lawyer about your case can ensure you understand which rule applies in your specific circumstances.
Who Can Be Sued for a Burn Injury?
In an accident that involves burn injuries, there might be several different parties who could be held liable for your injuries. Possible defendants include:
- Negligent drivers
- Property owners
- Product manufacturers
- Contractors
If someone’s negligence directly caused your burn injuries, they can be held responsible for the resulting damages. In some cases, more than one party may be at fault, which can complicate the claims process.
How Is Liability Established in an Ohio Burn Injury Lawsuit?
Your attorney will utilize four legal elements to prove liability in an Ohio burn injury case. These elements include:
- Duty of care: The defendant had a legal obligation to exercise reasonable care to prevent foreseeable burn injuries.
- Breach: The defendant failed to meet that duty of care through negligent or wrongful conduct.
- Causation: The defendant’s breach directly caused your burn injury.
- Damages: You, as the injured person, suffered measurable losses because of your burn injury.
Each of these elements ties the at-fault party’s actions to your injuries and damages to prove your personal injury claim.
Types of Accidents That Can Lead To Burn Injuries
Our legal team has handled a wide range of accidents that have resulted in burn injury claims. In Ohio, some of the most common incidents that can lead to a burn injury claim have involved:
- Motor vehicle crashes
- Gas explosions
- Workplace explosions and chemical spills
- Defective products
- Construction accidents
- Chemical burns from household and commercial products
- Electrical burns
Ohio Burn Injury FAQs
What Is the Value of My Burn Injury Case?
The value of any given case depends on factors such as the severity of the burns, medical expenses, lost income, permanent scarring or disfigurement, pain and suffering, and the available insurance coverage.
Do I Have a Claim for Burns That Were Caused By an Apartment Fire?
Yes, you have the right to sue if you were injured in a fire that was caused by someone else's negligence. This can include a landlord's failure to maintain safe conditions, defective wiring, or another party's wrongful conduct.
What Is the Length of a Burn Injury Case?
Some burn injury claims settle within a few months, while more complex cases involving severe injuries or disputed liability can take a year or longer, especially if a lawsuit is filed.
Is an Attorney Necessary Even When the Insurance Company Accepts Fault?
It is always a good idea to consult a lawyer, even if liability is admitted. Disputes often arise over future medical expenses, permanent scarring, and other damages, which can threaten your claim. It’s also always a good idea to have an attorney review any settlement offers before you accept them.
What if Burn Injuries Were Fatal? Does a Victim’s Family Have the Right To Recover Damages?
Eligible family members may be able to file a wrongful death claim to recover compensation for losses resulting from the death of a loved one, in addition to any claims brought by the decedent's estate.
Do I Have a Claim for a Burn Injury I Sustained at Work?
Workers' compensation covers most workplace burn injuries. If a third party, such as a contractor, property owner, or product manufacturer, caused the injury, you may also have a separate personal injury claim.
What Happens if the Liable Party’s Insurance Is Insufficient To Cover My Damages?
When the at-fault party is underinsured, you may have other options, such as pursuing the at-fault party's personal assets, filing a claim under your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, or pursuing claims against other responsible parties.
Meet With an Experienced Burn Injury Lawyer in Cincinnati Today
Recovering from a serious burn injury can be physically, emotionally, and financially overwhelming. Understanding your legal rights and taking prompt action can help protect your ability to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages.
An experienced burn injury attorney can evaluate your case, explain your options, handle negotiations with insurers, and pursue the compensation you deserve while you focus on your recovery. Contact Lawrence & Associates today at (513) 951-6723 to schedule a free, initial case evaluation.
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