A serious burn does not end when the fire is out. It means skin grafts, months of painful rehabilitation, permanent scarring, and sometimes a body that never quite works the way it used to. If you were burned because of someone else’s negligence, whether from a fire, a defective product, a chemical exposure, or an electrical accident, you need a Houston personal injury lawyer who understands both the medicine and the money behind a serious burn case.
Blass Law investigates how the burn happened and who is responsible, whether that’s a property owner, an employer, a manufacturer, or another driver.
Common Causes of Serious Burn Injuries
- Fires and explosions: Apartment or building fires caused by faulty wiring, missing smoke detectors, or code violations.
- Defective products: Space heaters, appliances, batteries, or equipment that malfunction and ignite or overheat.
- Chemical burns: Exposure to caustic substances in a workplace or from an unsafely stored product.
- Electrical burns: Contact with exposed wiring or malfunctioning electrical equipment.
- Scalding injuries: Extremely hot water or liquids, often tied to a property owner’s failure to maintain safe water heater settings.
Who Can Be Held Responsible
Depending on how the burn happened, responsibility can fall on a property owner under premises liability law, a manufacturer or seller under Texas product liability law, or an employer. One thing that surprises a lot of injured workers: Texas is one of the only states where private employers are not required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. If your employer is a “non-subscriber,” you may be able to sue them directly for a workplace burn injury, which can mean access to full damages that workers’ comp would not have allowed.
The Real Cost of a Serious Burn
Severe burns often require multiple surgeries, skin grafts, extended hospital stays, and long-term physical and psychological rehabilitation. Scarring and disfigurement can affect a person for life, both physically and emotionally. A serious burn case has to account for all of it: past and future medical care, lost income, and the pain and disfigurement that does not show up on a medical bill.
Statute of Limitations
Texas generally gives you two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, though the deadline can shift depending on who is being sued, for example a governmental entity, a health care provider, or a product manufacturer. Evidence in fire and burn cases, like the source of ignition or a defective product, can be lost or destroyed quickly, so acting fast matters.
Contact a Houston Burn Injury Lawyer
Recovering from a serious burn is hard enough without also fighting an insurance company. If you or a loved one suffered a burn injury because of someone else’s negligence, contact Blass Law today. Call (713) 664-4000 or request a case evaluation online.
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Related Personal Injury Practice Areas
- Houston Personal Injury Lawyer (Overview)
- Car Accident Lawyer
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- Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer
- Rideshare, Lyft & Uber Accident Lawyer
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- Premises Liability Lawyer
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Reviewed by Jay Blass Cohen, founder of Blass Law PLLC — ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist, certified Drug Recognition Expert, and SFST instructor, serving Houston since 2009. This article is general information, not legal advice for your situation. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.