San Bernardino Burn Injury Attorneys

Did You Suffer a Third-Degree Burn? Call Now

When you’ve sustained a serious burn injury, starting a claim can be a very complex and stressful process. It’s important for you to focus on rest and recovery. At Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP in San Bernardino, our team of legal experts can help you understand your rights and overcome the challenges you’ll face in seeking compensation from the party that caused your serious burn injury. We are committed to fighting for justice and every penny of compensation you deserve, just as we have done for our burn injury clients in the past, including a record-breaking $4.9 billion award against General Motors. Put proven litigators in your corner by reaching out to our firm today.

Talk to a San Bernadino burn injury lawyer about your case today. Call (866) 634-4525 and schedule a FREE case consultation.

Different Causes of Burn Injuries

Many burn injuries are caused by preventable accidents and can be traced back to someone’s mistake or negligence. Whether it’s a manufacturer failing to provide adequate safety warnings, an employer neglecting to enforce safety procedures, or a driver behaving recklessly on the road, dangerous and irresponsible actions can cause serious burn injuries. Understanding the cause of your burn injury is the first step in determining liability and pursuing a claim.

Different causes of burn injuries include:

• Defective motor vehicles: Faulty vehicle parts can lead to car fires, resulting in severe burn injuries. A member of our firm famously helped win a pivotal burn injury lawsuit against GM for a fire caused by a defective fuel system.
• Defective products: Household items that are defectively designed or manufactured can cause serious burns or house fires. Faulty kitchen appliances, heaters, or even flammable furniture are often at the center of house fire investigations.
• Unsafe electronics: Defective or improperly maintained electrical devices, such as small household appliances or large industrial equipment, can lead to electrical burns or fires.
• Harsh chemical products: Exposure to harsh or toxic chemicals, whether at home or in the workplace, can result in chemical burns. Burns can be caused by dangerous cleaning agents, industrial chemicals, or even certain beauty products.

How to Prove Who Caused Your Burn Injury

Proving responsibility for a burn injury can be a complex task requiring thorough investigation and in-depth legal knowledge. Our skilled team of San Bernardino burn injury attorneys have the experience, resources, and reputation necessary to investigate your accident, uncover critical evidence of liability, and collaborate with trusted third parties, such as industry experts and medical professionals, to prepare a compelling case on your behalf.

Key sources of evidence for burn injury claims can include:

• Product evidence: If a defective product caused the burn injury, preserving the product and any associated packaging or instruction manuals can provide crucial evidence. These items may help us demonstrate a design flaw, manufacturing defect, or inadequate warnings that put you in danger.
• Photographs: Images of the accident scene, your injuries, and any damaged property can provide visual evidence of the severity of the incident and your resulting injuries.
• Expert testimony: Professionals in fields related to your case, such as fire investigators, product designers, or medical experts, can provide testimony that supports your claim.
• Accident reports: If your burn injury occurred in the workplace, a motor vehicle accident, or another scenario where an official report was filed, this documentation can provide important information about the circumstances in which the accident and injury occurred.

What is a Severe Burn Injury?

The severity of a burn injury can determine both the immediate and long-lasting consequences experienced by the survivor. Understanding and documenting the category or degree rating of your burn can help support your claim for a specific amount of compensation. For example, it is typically more straightforward to demonstrate that your life and health have been badly disrupted if you have been diagnosed with a third-degree burn rather than a first-degree burn.

Burn injuries are medically categorized by degrees, which indicate the depth, size, and severity of the burn:

• First-degree burn: The least severe type of burn, affecting only the outer layer of the skin. Symptoms usually include redness, mild swelling, and pain. Medical attention is generally not required beyond in-home first aid.
• Second-degree burn: Extends beyond the top layer of skin to the dermis, often causing blisters and severe pain. May result in scarring or immobility in the affected area. Requires urgent medical care.
• Third-degree burn: Severe burn that damages all layers of the skin and underlying soft tissues. Charred skin looks dry, leathery, and discolored. Affected area may be numb due to destroyed nerve endings. Requires emergency medical care. An untreated third-degree burn can be fatal.
• Fourth-degree burn or worse: The most severe type of burn; destroys muscle, blood vessels, organs, and bones. Fourth-degree burns are generally not considered survivable, even with emergency medical care.

If you lost a loved one to a severe burn injury, talk to our team about filing a wrongful death claim in their name. Our knowledgeable, compassionate, and sensitive attorneys will be honored to help you explore your legal options, and offer support in this difficult time.

Can Burn Injuries Cause Permanent Harm?

A serious burn injury can result in permanent health complications that significantly impact your quality of life. Depending on the severity and location of the burn, effects can include significant physical impairment and psychological trauma. Survivors of severe burns frequently require ongoing medical treatment and rehabilitation, adding to the mental and financial stress.

Potential permanent complications of burn injuries include:

• Nerve damage: Severe burns can damage or destroy nerves, leading to chronic pain, numbness, or loss of function in the affected area.
• Permanent scarring: Burns often leave behind significant scarring, which can create physical problems if the scars limit mobility.
• Risk of infection: Burned skin is susceptible to infection, both immediately after the injury and over the long term.
• Labored breathing: If the burn injury occurred in a fire, smoke inhalation could cause damage to the lungs leading to long-term breathing difficulties.
• Emotional trauma: The physical pain and disfigurement caused by severe burns can lead to significant emotional distress, including conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Can Burn Injuries Be Treated?

The majority of burn injuries can be treated—the method varies depending on the severity of the burn. Serious burns require emergency medical care. During hospitalization, the burn injury patient may be treated with pain control, antimicrobial therapy, nutritional support, and other options specifically for burn injury cases. A common surgical procedure for severe burns is skin grafting, where healthy skin is taken from another part of the body and transplanted to the burn area.

Treatments, particularly for third-degree burns, can be expensive. Costs can include hospital stays, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, and ongoing care. Pursuing an injury claim might be necessary to recover the costs associated with your burn injury treatment program.

Economic & Non-Economic Damages in Burn Injury Claims

You may be eligible to demand numerous forms of compensation in your burn injury claim. Our job, as your chosen burn injury attorneys, will include calculating the various types of damages owed to you, so we can pursue the maximum amount on your behalf.

Economic damages that could be owed to you through compensation include:

• Medical expenses: Expenses for medical treatment, such as hospital stays, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, and future medical care if ongoing treatment is needed, will likely be a large portion of what we aim to recover.
• Lost wages: If the burn injury has caused you to miss work or reduce your hours, you can seek compensation for lost wages. If the injury impacts your ability to work in the future, lost earning capacity can also be claimed.
• Property damage: If any personal property was damaged in the incident that caused the burn injury, the cost of repair or replacement can be factored into the claim (but may be technically handled in a separate property damage claim).

Non-economic damages that could be included in your burn injury claim are:

• Pain and suffering: This common type of non-economic damage reflects the physical pain and discomfort you endured due to the burn injury.
• Emotional distress: Burn injuries can lead to significant emotional trauma, including conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Disfigurement and physical impairment: If your burn injuries have resulted in permanent scarring or physical disability, we may be able to demand additional compensation.
• Loss of enjoyment of life: A decrease in your ability to enjoy the same day-to-day activities you did before your injury can be included as a type of non-economic damage.

Our Law Firm Knows Burn Injury Lawsuits

When filing a burn injury claim or lawsuit, it’s crucial to feel fully confident in your legal team. At Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP, our experience and resources enable us to handle any burn injury case that comes our way. In fact, some of our most impressive case results have been for burn injury clients.

Attorney Christine Spagnoli was a key member of the trial team in a major suit against General Motors (GM) when a fuel system defect resulted in the severe burns of two adults and four children. The case ended with a $4.9 billion jury award, which was the largest product liability verdict in U.S. judicial history at the time. We have also secured a $58 million award in the largest single plaintiff’s product liability case verdict in California for a burn injury client.

Arrange a Free Consultation with Our Firm Today

If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury in San Bernardino, our experienced attorneys at Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP are ready to fight for your rights. We have a proven track record of securing multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for victims who have suffered severe burns due to the mistakes or negligence of another party. It’s important to start your claim as soon as possible due to California’s statute of limitations on personal injury cases, which can be surprisingly short in some cases. Don't let time run out on your chance to seek justice and compensation for your injuries—get our burn injury lawyers on your side now. 

We offer free consultations to inquiring clients. Get yours by calling (866) 634-4525.