Houston Burn Injury Lawyer

Types of Burn Injury Cases We Handle in Houston

Burn injuries happen in a lot of different ways. Here’s how we typically see them.

Apartment and Rental Property Fires

Landlords have to keep their properties reasonably safe. When they don’t — broken smoke detectors, blocked exits, faulty wiring — a fire can turn deadly fast. We’ve represented tenants hurt in apartment fires caused by landlord negligence, including cases involving smoke detector violations and code failures. You can also read more about apartment fire lawsuits in Texas.

Workplace Burns

Some of the worst burns happen on the job — flash fires, explosions, chemical spills, and contact with hot equipment or machinery. Workers’ compensation may cover part of your costs, but if another company or contractor caused the accident, you may also have a separate claim. Our Houston work injury lawyers can help you sort out which options apply to your situation.

Chemical Burns

Chemical burns often happen at refineries, construction sites, labs, or from unsafe consumer products. They can look mild at first and turn out to be much deeper once the chemical works into lower layers of skin.

Electrical Burns

Electrical burns can hide serious internal damage under skin that looks only mildly hurt. These injuries often trace back to faulty wiring, exposed equipment, or unsafe construction sites.

Explosions and Flash Fires

Explosions can cause severe burns along with blunt-force injuries. These cases need a real investigation into what caused the blast, who maintained the equipment, and who failed to prevent it.

Vehicle Fires

Car accidents sometimes lead to fuel fires, especially in serious crashes. These cases can involve the at-fault driver, a trucking company, or a vehicle manufacturer if a defect made the fire worse.

Scalding and Hot Liquid Burns

Hot water burns are especially common in young children and older adults. A water heater set too high, or a lapse in supervision, can cause serious harm. Read more about scalding burns in children and how to spot the danger before it happens.

Defective Product Burns

Some burns come from products that overheat or catch fire — space heaters, batteries, kitchen appliances, industrial equipment. When a product is unsafe, the manufacturer or distributor can be held responsible. Our product liability lawyers investigate these cases closely.

Who Might Be Responsible for Your Burn

More than one party is often responsible for a burn injury. Depending on what happened, that could include:

• A landlord or property manager
• A business or property owner
• An employer or subcontractor
• A product manufacturer or distributor
• A negligent driver or trucking company
• A maintenance or repair company

We investigate every angle to find everyone who contributed to your injury, not just the most obvious one.

What You Can Recover After a Burn Injury

Texas law lets burn victims seek compensation for both their financial losses and the injury’s impact on their life. That can include:

• Medical bills, past and future
• Lost income and reduced ability to earn money
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Permanent physical limitations
• Wrongful death damages if a loved one died from their injuries

Disfigurement deserves special mention. Texas treats visible scarring as its own category of harm, separate from pain and suffering — and for many burn victims, it becomes the largest part of the case. If a loved one passed away after a burn injury, Texas law also allows their estate to bring a survival claim for what they suffered while alive, in addition to a wrongful death claim for the family’s loss. You can read more about how economic damages are calculated under Texas law.

Why These Cases Are Often Worth More Than People Expect

Burn injuries tend to involve costs that build for years. A patient may need several surgeries spread across a long recovery. Skin grafts, therapy, and follow-up care add up fast, and so does the toll on someone’s ability to work and live normally. That’s why it matters not to accept a quick settlement: insurance companies would rather pay you now, before you know what your treatment will really cost, than pay you later for the full picture. Learn more about the cost of treating burns and how it factors into your case.

Evidence That Can Make or Break Your Case

Strong evidence early on is often the difference between a fair settlement and a lowball offer. It helps to gather:

• Photos and video of the scene
• Photos of the injury as it heals over time
• Medical records and doctors’ opinions
• Witness statements
• Maintenance, inspection, or lease records
• Product information, if a defective product was involved
• Wage and employment records
• Surveillance footage

Evidence disappears fast. A landlord may repair the hazard. A company may discard the product involved. The sooner you talk to a lawyer, the better your chances of preserving what you need.

What to Do After a Burn Injury

1. Get medical care right away, even if the burn looks minor. Burns can worsen quickly, and a doctor’s records protect your claim.
2. Take photos of your injuries and the scene if you’re able to.
3. Keep damaged items, receipts, and medical records.
4. Avoid giving statements to insurance adjusters before you talk to a lawyer.
5. Call an experienced Houston burn injury lawyer as soon as you can.

For a more detailed walkthrough, read our guide on legal steps to take after a burn injury.

Recent Burn Injury Case Results

Every case is different, and past results don’t guarantee a particular outcome in yours. But they show what our firm is willing to fight for.

House Fire — Millions Recovered

Tenants were badly burned in a fire. The insurance company denied responsibility at first. After we filed suit and uncovered smoke detector violations by the landlord, the company paid its full policy limits.

Vehicle Fuel Fire — Multi-Million-Dollar Settlement

A pickup truck was rear-ended and caught fire, killing the driver. We sued the at-fault driver and the truck manufacturer. The family recovered a multi-million-dollar settlement.

Water Heater Scalding — $1 Million Recovery

A client suffered severe burns after a water heater was set far too high. The insurer initially denied responsibility, then paid its policy limits before trial.

Child Scalded by Hot Water

A child was burned when hot water spilled accidentally. Medical bills totaled $5,000. We settled the case for a high six-figure amount, well above the medical costs.

Chemical Burn — $6,000,000 Recovery

A client ingested a chemical that burned the esophagus. Before trial, the defendant paid a record-setting settlement.

Apartment Fire — $1,100,000 Recovery

A fire in a rental home killed the occupant. The landlord denied responsibility, but after we filed suit and conducted discovery, the insurer paid full policy limits.

Smoke Detector Violations — Policy Limits Recovered

A rental home burned, badly injuring the occupant, after the landlord failed to follow smoke detector rules. The insurer paid its policy limits after we filed suit.

What Is a Burn Injury Case Worth in Texas?

No two burn cases are the same, so anyone who gives you a number before reviewing your medical records is guessing. That said, burn cases tend to produce some of the highest settlements and verdicts in Texas, because the injuries are so severe and visible. You can see more detail in our overview of burn injury verdicts and settlements.

Based on our own case history:

• First- and second-degree burns with a full recovery often settle from the tens of thousands up to low six figures.
• Third-degree burns with scarring, skin grafts, or long hospital stays often settle in the seven-figure range.
• Cases involving wrongful death, permanent disfigurement, or gross negligence have produced multi-million-dollar results for our clients.

Call (281) 587-1111 for an honest evaluation of your case. It’s free, and you pay nothing unless we win.

Where Burn Victims Get Treated in Houston

Houston is home to some of the best burn care in the country. The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical complex in the world and treats burn patients from across the Gulf Coast. Children with severe burns are often treated at Shriners Children’s Texas in Galveston, a leading pediatric burn hospital.

This kind of care isn’t cheap. Extended hospital stays, surgeries, and skin grafts can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars within weeks. That’s why it helps to have a lawyer involved early — someone who can work with your medical team to make sure your claim reflects the true cost of your care, now and in the future. For more on what recovery looks like, the Mayo Clinic has a helpful overview of burn treatment and recovery.