Serious burn injuries can happen in many ways, including fires, explosions, hot liquids, chemicals, electricity, defective products, and contact with dangerous surfaces or equipment. Depending on the severity, a burn may require emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, skin grafting, rehabilitation, and months or years of follow-up care.
Some burns are unavoidable accidents. Others happen because of unsafe property conditions, dangerous products, workplace hazards, or careless conduct. If someone else may have contributed to the accident, our personal injury lawyers in New Jersey can help you understand your options. Contact Shebell & Shebell to discuss what happened and how the injury has affected your life.
How Common Are Burn Injuries?
Burn injuries send hundreds of thousands of people to medical providers each year.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were approximately 398,000 fire or burn-related injuries in 2021, along with approximately 252,000 injuries involving hot objects or substances.
Another analysis from The Burden of Burns: An Analysis of Public Health Measures identified 698,555 burn-related insurance claims in 2020. That number should not be interpreted as 698,555 individual burn victims because the same patient may have had multiple healthcare visits or claims during the year. Instead, it reflects the significant number of healthcare interactions associated with acute burn injuries.
Hospital data also shows how serious some of these injuries can become. National estimates identified approximately 29,165 burn-related hospital admissions per year, including:
- 795 inpatient deaths
- 15,280 admissions involving less severe burns that did not require surgery
- 9,340 admissions involving deep burns requiring surgery without prolonged ventilation
- 1,290 admissions involving extensive burns requiring surgery and prolonged ventilation
These numbers include everything from relatively limited burns to life-threatening injuries requiring intensive medical care. The consequences of a burn depend heavily on its cause, depth, size, location, and the overall condition of the injured person.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries
Burns are often associated with open flames, but fire is only one possible cause. Hot liquids, electricity, chemicals, defective products, and friction can all damage the skin and underlying tissue.
Fires and Explosions
Fires can cause severe thermal burns within seconds. Common examples include:
- House and apartment fires
- Vehicle fires following crashes
- Workplace fires
- Gas explosions
- Industrial explosions
- Fires involving machinery or equipment
Explosions can be particularly dangerous because victims may suffer burns along with blunt-force injuries, cuts, smoke inhalation, or other trauma.
A fire-related injury may also raise questions about what caused the fire. Faulty electrical systems, defective appliances, unsafe fuel systems, poor maintenance, or failure to address a known fire hazard may all need to be investigated.
Scalds and Hot Surfaces
Scalds occur when the skin is exposed to hot liquids or steam. These injuries can happen quickly and may be more serious than they initially appear.
Potential sources include:
- Boiling water
- Hot coffee or other beverages
- Steam
- Faulty hot water heaters
- Restaurant equipment
- Cooking appliances
- Industrial piping
- Heated machinery and tools
Burns can also result from direct contact with hot metal, cookware, heating equipment, machinery, or other heated surfaces.
Whether someone may be legally responsible depends on the circumstances. For example, a burn caused by an unexpectedly dangerous water temperature at a rental property raises different issues than a kitchen accident at home.
Electrical Burns
Electrical burns occur when electrical current travels through the body or when someone comes into contact with an electrical source.
These accidents may involve:
- Exposed wiring
- Overhead or underground power lines
- Defective appliances
- Faulty electrical equipment
- Construction sites
- Industrial machinery
Electrical injuries can be especially serious because the visible burn on the skin may not reflect the full extent of internal damage.
Construction workers, electricians, utility employees, and industrial workers may face greater exposure to electrical hazards, but consumers can also be injured by defective or poorly maintained electrical products.
Chemical Burns
Chemical burns occur when corrosive or irritating substances damage the skin, eyes, respiratory system, or other tissue.
Potential sources include:
- Acids
- Alkalis
- Industrial chemicals
- Cleaning products
- Solvents
- Battery chemicals
- Pool chemicals
- Hair and salon products
Chemical exposures can happen in workplaces, businesses, homes, laboratories, automotive facilities, and salons.
Because these injuries involve different substances and exposure methods, they can raise unique medical and legal issues. Learn more in our guide to chemical burn injuries.
Friction, Radiation, and Other Burns
Not every burn involves heat or chemicals.
Friction burns can occur when skin rubs forcefully against a rough surface. Road rash following a motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian accident is a common example. Industrial machinery can also cause friction burns.
Radiation burns may occur through excessive radiation exposure, including certain medical circumstances. In some cases, an injury associated with improper radiation treatment may raise questions about whether accepted medical practices were followed.
The cause matters because different accidents can involve very different potentially responsible parties.
How Serious Are Burn Injuries?
Burns are commonly classified by how deeply they damage the skin and underlying tissue. The degree of the burn helps doctors evaluate its severity and determine what type of treatment may be necessary.
First-Degree Burns
First-degree burns affect the outer layer of skin, known as the epidermis.
They commonly cause:
- Redness
- Tenderness
- Pain
- Dry or irritated skin
These burns are generally more superficial than deeper burn injuries and often heal without extensive medical intervention. However, the location and size of any burn can still affect how seriously it should be treated.
Second-Degree Burns
Second-degree burns extend through the outer skin and into part of the underlying dermis.
They may cause:
- Significant pain
- Blistering
- Redness
- Swelling
- Moist or damaged skin
Some second-degree burns heal with relatively limited treatment, while deeper injuries may require more substantial wound care and can result in permanent scarring.
Third-Degree Burns
Third-degree burns are full-thickness injuries that destroy the epidermis and dermis and may damage tissue underneath the skin.
The affected area may appear:
- White
- Brown
- Blackened
- Charred
- Leathery
Some victims experience less sensation in the deepest part of the burn because nerve endings have been destroyed.
Third-degree burns frequently require specialized medical treatment and may involve surgery, skin grafting, rehabilitation, and long-term scar management.
Fourth-Degree Burns
Fourth-degree burns extend beyond the skin and into deeper structures such as fat, muscle, tendons, or bone.
These are extremely serious injuries and can cause permanent loss of function, extensive tissue destruction, disability, or life-threatening complications.
Treatment and recovery can be prolonged, particularly when a large area of the body is affected.
Long-Term Effects of Severe Burns
A severe burn can remain a major medical issue long after the initial wound closes.
Scarring is one of the most visible consequences. Deeper burns may permanently change the color, texture, thickness, or appearance of the skin. Scars may also tighten over time, creating contractures that restrict movement.
Other possible long-term effects include:
- Permanent disfigurement
- Nerve damage
- Chronic pain
- Numbness or altered sensation
- Reduced mobility
- Joint stiffness
- Muscle weakness
- Recurrent infections
- Fragile or sensitive skin
- Permanent disability
Burns involving smoke or heated air may also cause respiratory injuries. Some victims experience lasting breathing problems following significant smoke inhalation or airway damage.
Treatment for serious burns may involve:
- Skin grafts
- Multiple surgical procedures
- Scar revision
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Pain management
- Reconstructive treatment
- Long-term wound care
There can also be a significant emotional impact. Visible scars, changes in appearance, chronic pain, reduced independence, and the trauma of the accident itself can affect a person’s confidence, relationships, employment, and overall quality of life.
For these reasons, the impact of a burn injury should not be measured only by the initial hospital bill or the amount of time it takes for the wound to close.
Where Burn Injuries Commonly Happen
Burns can happen almost anywhere, but certain environments create greater exposure to fire, heat, electricity, chemicals, and dangerous equipment.
Common settings include:
- Homes and apartment buildings
- Construction sites
- Factories and industrial facilities
- Restaurants and commercial kitchens
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Warehouses
- Workplaces involving electrical systems
- Stores and commercial properties
- Hair salons and personal-care businesses
The setting often provides important clues about what caused the accident and who had responsibility for maintaining safe conditions.
A burn in an apartment building, for example, may involve questions about electrical systems or property maintenance. A factory burn may involve machinery, workplace procedures, or protective equipment. A vehicle fire may require investigation into both the crash and the design or condition of the vehicle.
Who May Be Responsible for a Burn Injury?
Determining responsibility starts with understanding exactly how the burn occurred.
Burn cases can involve individuals, businesses, property owners, manufacturers, employers, contractors, and other parties depending on the circumstances.
Negligent Individuals or Businesses
A person or business may potentially be responsible when careless conduct or a failure to address a known danger causes a burn injury.
Examples may include:
- Improperly handling hot liquids
- Leaving dangerous equipment accessible
- Failing to repair a known electrical hazard
- Ignoring unsafe workplace practices
- Failing to warn people about a burn hazard
- Improperly maintaining heating or cooking equipment
The fact that a burn happened does not automatically establish negligence. The surrounding facts need to show whether someone had a responsibility to act differently and whether that failure contributed to the injury.
Property Owners
Property owners and businesses may be responsible for maintaining reasonably safe conditions on property they control.
Potential burn hazards can include:
- Faulty wiring
- Unsafe heating systems
- Dangerous appliances
- Exposed electrical components
- Unreasonably hot water
- Improperly stored chemicals
- Fire hazards that were not corrected
The legal issues can depend on who controlled the property, whether the hazard was known or should have been discovered, and what steps were taken to address it.
Manufacturers and Defective Products
Some burns happen because a consumer or industrial product fails in a dangerous way.
Potentially defective products can include:
- Appliances
- Batteries
- Electrical equipment
- Industrial machinery
- Fuel systems
- Heating devices
- Pressure-operated products
- Chemical containers
- Safety equipment
A product may need to be investigated when it unexpectedly overheats, catches fire, explodes, leaks a dangerous substance, or fails to protect the user as intended.
Product-related cases may involve the manufacturer, distributor, seller, or another company in the chain of distribution depending on the circumstances.
Employers and Third Parties
Burn injuries are also a significant workplace hazard.
Employees can be exposed to flames, hot equipment, chemicals, electricity, steam, welding operations, machinery, and other hazards as part of their jobs. When a burn arises out of employment, New Jersey workers’ compensation may provide benefits for qualifying injuries.
Some workplace accidents also involve a separate third party. For example, a contractor may create an electrical hazard, a manufacturer may supply defective equipment, or another company on a construction site may cause a fire or chemical release.
In those situations, both workers’ compensation and a potential third-party personal injury claim may need to be evaluated.
Workers’ Compensation and Workplace Burn Injuries
Burns suffered while performing job duties may qualify for New Jersey workers’ compensation. The system provides benefits that can include authorized medical treatment, temporary wage replacement, and compensation for permanent disability.
Workplace burns may result from fires, explosions, hot equipment, electricity, chemicals, steam, or other job-related hazards. Our workers’ compensation attorneys in New Jersey can help injured workers understand their benefits and whether another party may also be responsible.
A separate third-party claim may be possible when a contractor, property owner, equipment manufacturer, or another company contributed to the accident. In those situations, both workers’ compensation and personal injury issues may need to be evaluated.
Compensation for a Burn Injury
Compensation in a personal injury case depends on how the burn happened, its severity, and the short- and long-term impact on the injured person.
Potential damages may include:
- Emergency medical treatment and hospital bills
- Surgery and skin grafts
- Future medical care
- Rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Permanent disability
- Emotional distress
A relatively limited burn and a severe burn requiring multiple surgeries will not have the same impact. The value of a claim should account for the individual circumstances rather than a general settlement estimate.
What to Do After a Serious Burn Accident
Seek Appropriate Medical Care
Serious burns should be medically evaluated promptly, especially when the injury involves electricity, chemicals, smoke or airway exposure, deep tissue damage, or a large area of the body.
Follow the instructions of qualified medical professionals and keep records of treatment, diagnoses, procedures, and follow-up care.
Document What Happened
When possible, preserve information that shows where the accident happened and what caused it. This may include:
- Photos of the burn
- Photos or video of the accident scene
- Incident or workplace reports
- Product names and identifying information
- Witness contact information
- Medical records
Preserve Evidence
Physical and electronic evidence can disappear quickly after an accident. Damaged products, machinery, clothing, workplace records, surveillance footage, emails, text messages, and maintenance records may all become important depending on the case.
Avoid throwing away a product or piece of equipment that may have caused the burn before its potential role in the accident has been evaluated.
How a Burn Injury Lawyer Can Help
A burn injury lawyer can investigate what caused the accident, identify potentially responsible parties, and preserve evidence before it is lost.
Depending on the case, that may involve reviewing workplace or product records, working with appropriate experts, documenting permanent injuries and future medical needs, calculating lost income, communicating with insurers, and determining whether workers’ compensation, a third-party claim, or both may apply.
An attorney can also pursue a settlement or litigation when appropriate while the injured person focuses on treatment and recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions About Burn Injuries
Can I Sue for a Burn Injury?
You may have a personal injury claim if another person, business, property owner, or manufacturer caused or contributed to the burn through negligence or a defective product. Whether a claim exists depends on how the accident happened.
What Are the Most Common Types of Burn Injuries?
Common types include thermal burns from flames or hot surfaces, scalds from hot liquids or steam, electrical burns, chemical burns, friction burns, and radiation burns.
Can Burns Cause Permanent Scarring?
Yes. Deeper burns can permanently change the skin and may cause scarring, discoloration, contractures, or disfigurement. Severe burns may require skin grafts or additional procedures.
Can I File a Claim for a Burn Caused by a Defective Product?
Potentially. Burn injuries involving defective appliances, batteries, electrical equipment, machinery, or other products may require investigation into how the product was designed, manufactured, labeled, or sold.
Are Workplace Burns Covered by Workers’ Compensation?
Qualifying burns that arise out of employment may be covered by New Jersey workers’ compensation, which can provide medical treatment, wage replacement, and permanent disability compensation.
How Much Is a Burn Injury Case Worth?
There is no standard value. Factors can include burn severity, medical expenses, future treatment, lost income, permanent scarring, disability, pain and suffering, and available evidence of liability.
How Long Do I Have to File a Burn Injury Claim in New Jersey?
Many New Jersey personal injury actions must generally be filed within two years after the claim accrues, although exceptions and different deadlines may apply depending on the circumstances.
Workers’ compensation has separate timing rules. New Jersey states that a formal workers’ compensation claim petition generally must be filed within two years of the injury or the last payment of compensation, whichever is later, with different rules applying to certain occupational illnesses.
Speak With Shebell & Shebell About a Burn Injury
Serious burns can leave lasting medical, financial, and emotional consequences. Determining whether someone is legally responsible requires looking at how the accident happened, what caused the burn, and who had responsibility for preventing the hazard.
If you or a loved one suffered a serious burn, schedule a consultation with Shebell & Shebell’s personal injury lawyers in New Jersey to discuss your injuries and legal options.
