A third-degree burn is one of the most serious injuries a person can suffer. These burns damage all layers of the skin and may reach the tissue underneath. They often require emergency care, surgery, skin grafts, and long-term treatment. When someone else’s negligence causes a serious burn, the physical pain is only part of the problem. You may also be facing medical bills, missed work, permanent scarring, and a long recovery.
At Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm, we help injured people across Wisconsin understand their rights after serious accidents. If someone else’s carelessness caused your burn injury, you may have the right to seek compensation.
What Makes a Third-Degree Burn a Legal Claim?
Not every burn leads to a personal injury claim. But when a third-degree burn happened because someone failed to act safely, there may be a legal case.
That can include situations involving:
- Unsafe property
- Defective products
- Workplace accidents involving a third party
- Fires, explosions, or electrical hazards caused by negligence
A property owner may be responsible for failing to fix a known danger. A manufacturer may be responsible for selling a dangerous product. In some cases, another company or contractor may share fault for a workplace burn accident.
The key question is whether another person or business failed to use reasonable care and whether that failure caused the burn.
What To Do After a Serious Burn Accident
The steps you take after a burn accident can affect both your health and your legal claim.
Get Medical Care Right Away
Third-degree burns need immediate medical attention. These burns may look white, black, charred, or leathery, and they are sometimes less painful at the surface because nerve endings may be damaged. They often require specialized treatment.
Getting prompt care protects your health and creates a clear medical record linking the injury to the accident.
Preserve Evidence
If you can do so safely, keep anything that may help show what happened. That can include:
- Photos of the scene
- Photos of the burn
- Damaged clothing
- The product involved
- Contact information for witnesses
- Incident reports
Evidence can disappear quickly after a fire, chemical burn, electrical burn, or explosion.
Be Careful With Insurance Companies
Insurance adjusters may contact you soon after the accident. Be careful about giving recorded statements or accepting a quick settlement before you know the full extent of your injuries.
Serious burn injuries often involve ongoing treatment, future surgeries, and long-term emotional effects.
Talk to a Wisconsin Burn Injury Lawyer
Burn cases can be complex. A lawyer can help investigate the cause, identify who may be responsible, preserve evidence, and deal with the insurance companies for you.
Wisconsin Deadline for Filing a Burn Injury Claim
In Wisconsin, the general statute of limitations for personal injury claims is usually 3 years from the date of the injury.
That said, some cases involve exceptions or shorter notice requirements. Waiting too long can put your claim at risk. Evidence can fade, records can be lost, and witnesses can become harder to find. Speaking with a lawyer early can help protect your rights.
Compensation in a Wisconsin Burn Injury Case
A serious burn can affect nearly every part of your life. In a personal injury claim, compensation may be available for losses such as:
- Past and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Reduced ability to work
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent scarring
- Disfigurement
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
The exact value of a burn injury claim depends on the facts of the case, including how severe the burn is, what treatment is needed, and how the injury affects your daily life.
What If the Burn Happened at Work?
If you suffered a burn injury on the job, workers’ compensation may cover medical care and part of your lost wages.
In some situations, you may also have a separate claim against a third party whose negligence contributed to the accident. That might include a manufacturer, subcontractor, property owner, or another outside party. Wisconsin law recognizes third-party actions in some work injury cases. That is important because workers’ compensation and a third-party personal injury claim are not always the same thing.
How Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm Can Help
At Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm, we understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll a serious burn can take.
We help clients across Wisconsin investigate what happened, identify who may be responsible, gather the evidence needed to support the claim, and deal with the insurance companies. We prepare every case as if it is going to trial because insurance companies know which firms are ready to fight. We do not get paid unless you do.
Talk to a Wisconsin Burn Injury Lawyer Today
If you suffered a third-degree burn because of someone else’s negligence, you do not have to handle the legal process alone.
Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm helps injured people across Wisconsin understand their options and pursue the compensation they may be entitled to recover. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
