Burn injuries can change your life in seconds. Whether caused by fire, chemicals, scalding water, or a defective product, these injuries are painful, costly, and often require months or years of medical care. When someone else’s carelessness caused your injury, you have the right to seek compensation.
Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm helps burn injury victims across Wisconsin fight for the money they deserve. Our team brings over 80 years of combined experience to every case, and we know how insurance companies try to minimize claims. As Wisconsin personal injury lawyers, we are ready to carry the legal burden so you can focus on healing.
What Causes Burn Injuries?
Burn injuries happen in many different ways, and they can occur at work, on the road, or even at home. When another person or company is responsible for the conditions that caused your injury, you may have a legal claim.
Common causes of burn injuries we handle include:
- Workplace accidents: Exposure to chemicals, electrical hazards, or industrial equipment
- House fires: Caused by faulty wiring, gas leaks, or defective appliances
- Car and truck crashes: Fires caused by fuel ignition after a collision
- Defective products: Items that overheat, catch fire, or release harmful chemicals
- Scalding liquids: Spills in restaurants, workplaces, or other public spaces
Each of these situations may involve a negligent party, and identifying who is responsible is a key first step in your case.
How Serious Are Burn Injuries?
Burn injuries are classified by degree. First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of skin. Second-degree burns go deeper and cause blistering. Third and fourth-degree burns destroy tissue, nerves, and sometimes bone. The more severe the burn, the longer and harder the road to healing.
According to the American Burn Association’s burn incidence data, a fire-related death occurs in the United States approximately every two hours and 17 minutes. Survivors of serious burns often need multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and months of physical therapy just to regain basic function.
The Costs Go Beyond Medical Bills
Many burn survivors face challenges that go far beyond the hospital. Lost income, long-term disability, and emotional trauma can follow a person for years. In serious cases, these injuries may qualify as catastrophic injuries under Wisconsin law, which means even more compensation may be available to you.
What Compensation Can You Seek?
If another party caused your burn injury, Wisconsin law may allow you to seek damages for a wide range of losses. The value of your case depends on the severity of your injury, the impact on your daily life, and the strength of the evidence.
Compensation in a burn injury case may cover the following:
- Medical expenses: Hospital stays, surgeries, skin grafts, and ongoing treatment
- Lost wages: Income you missed while unable to work, including future earning loss
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain and emotional distress caused by your injuries
- Rehabilitation costs: Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and assistive devices
- Wrongful death damages: Available to families who lost someone due to a burn injury
Recovering these damages is not automatic. Building a strong claim takes time, evidence, and legal knowledge. That is where our team comes in.
What Are the Time Limits for Filing?
Wisconsin law sets a deadline for filing a personal injury claim. Typically, a lawsuit must be filed within 3 years from the date of the injury. However, important exceptions and the unique nuances of your claim can affect the applicable deadline.
Waiting too long can hurt your case. Evidence can disappear, witnesses can become harder to find, and insurance companies may use delays against you. If your injury also resulted in a fatality, surviving family members may be able to file a wrongful death claim on their own timeline, though similar deadlines apply.
Burn Injuries and Related Conditions
Severe burns often come with other serious injuries. Smoke inhalation can cause lasting lung damage. Electrical burns can affect the spinal cord and internal organs in ways that are not always visible right away. When multiple injuries are involved, your case becomes more complex, and having a skilled attorney becomes even more important.
Why Choose Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm?
Our attorneys worked for insurance companies before they decided they wanted to help the people the playbook disadvantaged. That background gives our team a real advantage when it comes to anticipating how the other side will argue your case.
We built our practice on The Pemberton Promise, which means we do not get paid unless you do, we fight for the most your case is worth, and we treat every client with honesty and respect. We have achieved a landmark jury verdict in a high-stakes personal injury case, and that same standard applies to every case we take.
Reach Out to the Wisconsin Burn Injury Lawyers at Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm
After a burn injury, the last thing you should have to worry about is fighting an insurance company on your own. Medical bills pile up quickly, and the pressure to settle fast can feel overwhelming. You do not have to make that decision alone.
Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm is here to help you understand your rights and take action. We offer a no-obligation free case evaluation, and you pay nothing unless we win. Reach out today to get started.
