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Pritzker Olsen Attorneys

Burned in a Fire:
Lawyer, Lawsuit and Settlment

The following lawsuit and settlement information involving someone burned in a fire is provided by Pritzker Olsen law firm. Our lawyers have been interviewed and quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Lawyers USA and others. Attorney Fred Priztker is in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Mr. Pritzker won over $2.9 million dollars for a familiy involved in an apartment fire. Contact Fred regarding this settlment and your case. He represents burn victims and their families nationwide.

Lawsuit against Landlord, Home Owner, Property Owner, Manufacturer, or other Party

In our cases involving severe burns, our lawyers:

Gather and preserve evidence (should be done as soon after the fire as possible)
Determine all liable parties, meaning all persons, corporations, and others who could be found at fault for the fire in a court of law and thus responsible to compensate the burned person
Hire experts in the fields of engineering, accident reconstruction and medicine to determine the cause of the fire, the severity of the pain and suffering (off the charts in sever burn cases), the estimated future medical expenses, the emotional pain suffered as a result of disfigurement and other legal issues that will determine the amount of compensation obtained

These are huge expenses, and you should know that our law firm pays these expenses during the litigation process, and our law firm is not paid unless our lawyers win your case.

It is also important to note the importance of hiring a law firm with the resources to win full and adequate compensation. Our law firm has the resources necessary to hire the best experts and dig until we find the evidence we need to win.

Compensation for Person Severely Burned in a Fire

Burns are classified according to severity, which is based on the amount of tissue damage.

Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Degree Burns. These burns involve the epidermal, dermal, subcutaneous and tissues under the subcutaneous layer (muscle, bone, etc). Skin is always lost. Muscle and/or bone is also either permanently damaged or lost. Surgery is always required and also long-term therapy.
Third-Degree Burns. A third-degree burn involves the epidermal, dermal and subcutaneous (under the skin) tissue. There is always skin loss. Third degree burn can also involve muscle, tendon and ligament tissue. Third-degree burns are characterized by charring and catastrophic damage to both skin and the subcutaneous tissue. In cases where subcutaneous tissue is completely burned, the burn victim can develop compartment syndrome, a life-threatening situation.
Second-Degree Burns. Deep second-degree burns (burns that damage the dermis) can take weeks or months to heal. Because the dermis was damaged, new skin covering the wound is weak, prone to blistering and breakdown. Wound areas can undergo severe scarring.

In addition to the direct burn injuries, complications from severe burns include infection, fluid loss (possibly leading to kidney failure), over-resuscitation (too much water, leading to edema, hypoxia or airway obstruction), and death.

The major cause of death after burns is respiratory tract injury or complications in the respiratory tract. These include:

Inhalation injury
Aspiration in unconscious patients
Bacterial pneumonia
Pulmonary edema
Posttraumatic pulmonary insufficiency

When someone has been severely burned in a fire, a lawsuit on their behalf generally seeks compensation for the following:

Medical expenses, which are always substantial and can include extended hospital stays, multiple surgeries, physical therapy, and long-term nursing care
Cost of care
Lost income, including an estimate of future income the burn victims will not be able to earn due to the burn injuries
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Disability
Disfigurement
Loss of quality of life
Other damages

Burned in an Apartment Fire

If you live in an apartment building or other common-living environment, the owner of the building has a responsibility to make sure you are safe. If you are injured in a fire, burned by an appliance, or scalded by a defective faucet, you may have a case against your landlord. If a defective product is involved, you may also have a case against the manufacturer, distributor and retailer of the product.

Burned in a House Fire

Homeowner's insurance covers house fires. In addition, if the house is being rented, the landlord may also be liable. If a defective product was involved, the manufacturer may be liable. If you hired someone to do maintenance or remodeling on your house, and the fire was caused by something that person did, you will have a claim against that person, the company they work for and others.

Burned in a Fire at Work

Work-related burns are a leading cause of occupational injury in the
United States. An estimated 20 to 30 percent of all hospitalizations
due to burn injuries result from workplace exposures.

When someone is burned in a fire at work, the status of the person's employment will determine who can be sued and for how much. If the burn victim is an employee and the employer is at fault, the employee is limited to workers' compensation. If the burn victim is an employee and a company other than the employer is at fault, the employee may sue that company. This is called a third-party claim, and the employee can recover pain and suffering and other damages (even multimillion dollar amounts depending on the case). If the burn victim was a contract worker, the worker may sue whoever is at fault.

If your loved one was burned in a fire or explosion, contact Pritzker Olsen law firm at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form for a free consultation.

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Firm News

Fred Pritzker Listed in The Best Lawyers in America

Fred Pritzker has been notified that he will again be listed in The Best Lawyers in America for his work in personal injury and wrongful death litigation.

Burn Injury Lawsuit Settled

Our law firm settled a case involving an apartment fire. Two people died, and two others were injured, one seriously. Learn about a burn injury lawsuit, scald burn, and apartment fire.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Elliot Olsen spoke at the annual Minnesota Association for Justice Brain Injury Seminar. They represent brain injury survivors in personal injury cases throughout the nation.

Burn Injury Compensation

Medical expenses
Pain and suffering, including physical pain, suffering, emotional distress, disfigurment, disability, mental impairment
Lost earnings, including lost potential earnings
Cost of care

Burn Attorney

Information on a burn injury lawsuit, including liability of any of the following:

An employer
A property owner
The owner of a vehicle
The driver of a vehicle
A manufacturer
A utility company
A propane company
A person who serviced a propane tank, vehicle, piece of equipment, etc.
A landlord
An insurance company

Burn Brain Damage

Brain damage associated with fires is usually cerebral hypoxia (also referred to as cerebral anoxia), a condition where there is an absence of oxygen to the brain.

This is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The result of each case is determined by the specific facts and the applicable law.