A serious burn can mean painful treatment, time away from work, and lasting scars or physical limitations. When someone else caused the accident, you may also face questions about who is responsible and whether the available insurance will cover your losses.
A Baltimore burn injury lawyer from Jenner Law will investigate what caused the accident, identify those responsible, and pursue compensation for your injuries and other losses. Our firm has 70 years of combined legal experience and the resources to handle complex cases involving companies and parties who may be legally liable.
Our Baltimore personal injury lawyers take a compassionate approach to these cases, and members of our team have completed trauma and cognitive interview training through Baltimore’s Center for Hope. We explain what to expect, give you time to discuss difficult experiences, and work with you to reduce the burden of participating in your case during treatment and recovery.
How Our Baltimore Burn Injury Attorneys Investigate Your Case
A burn injury claim can become complicated quickly. An accident may involve a vehicle, unsafe property, defective product, electrical system, workplace, or several parties whose actions contributed to what happened.
Our investigation addresses both how the injury happened and what you may need in the years ahead. Depending on the circumstances, our Baltimore burn injury lawyers may work with fire investigators, engineers, product experts, treating physicians, and life-care planners to establish responsibility and document your losses.
Our team will:
- Investigate the cause of the fire, explosion, chemical exposure, or other event, using appropriate experts when needed.
- Identify potentially responsible parties and available insurance coverage.
- Gather photographs, videos, witness statements, and fire department, inspection, and maintenance records.
- Take steps to preserve relevant evidence, including a suspected defective product, and arrange an inspection of the scene when appropriate.
- Document medical needs, lost income, and the effects of the injury on daily life, with expert assistance when needed.
- Handle communications and negotiations with insurance companies.
- Prepare each case with the possibility of trial in mind and pursue settlement when it serves our client’s interests.
Prompt action can matter because repairs, cleanup, or disposal of damaged equipment may remove evidence needed to explain what happened. Contacting a lawyer early can help preserve that evidence.
Our Experience Is Backed by Significant Case Results
Our attorneys’ verdicts and settlements include recoveries of $250 million, $200 million, and $52 million in complex cases. These results reflect our experience handling complex litigation for injured clients. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
For a free legal consultation with a burn injury lawyer call,
(888) 585-2188
Burn Injuries and Related Complications
Serious burns may require prolonged treatment, repeated procedures, and rehabilitation. The Johns Hopkins Burn Center at Bayview treats adult burn patients in the Baltimore area, and recovery may continue long after a patient leaves the hospital.
A fire, explosion, or other burn incident can cause several injuries at once, including:
- Thermal burns from flames, hot surfaces, steam, or hot liquids
- Chemical burns from acids or other harmful substances
- Electrical burns that may damage tissue below the skin
- Smoke or toxic-fume inhalation injuries
- Damage to muscles, nerves, or other tissue, including the eyes
- Scarring, disfigurement, and loss of movement
- Head injuries, broken bones, or other trauma suffered during the incident or while escaping
Complications can include infection, ongoing nerve pain, itching, sensitivity, and restricted movement. The effects may extend to sleep, work, relationships, and self-confidence, while family members take on caregiving and household responsibilities.
Determining Liability After a Burn Accident in Baltimore
The person or company that may be liable for a burn injury is not always easy to see at first. A fire may destroy some of the evidence needed to determine where it began.
Depending on the circumstances, legally responsible parties may include:
- Drivers or vehicle owners
- Landlords or property owners
- Property management companies
- Businesses
- Contractors or subcontractors
- Maintenance companies
- Employers of negligent workers
- Manufacturers or distributors
- Utilities or other entities responsible for equipment or property
Some cases involve more than one responsible party. Identifying all potential defendants becomes especially important when a person has catastrophic injuries, and one insurance policy does not provide enough coverage for the losses.
If you were burned on the job, Maryland’s workers’ compensation law generally limits your claim against your own employer, but you may still have a lawsuit against a contractor, equipment manufacturer, property owner, or other third party whose negligence caused the injury.
Maryland’s Contributory Negligence Rule Can Affect a Claim
An insurance company or defendant may argue that your own actions contributed to the accident. If they prove that you failed to use reasonable care for your safety and that this contributed to your injuries, state law may prevent you from recovering damages. The defendant has the burden of proving contributory negligence.
This makes the details leading up to a fire, explosion, collision, or other accident especially important. Jenner Law can investigate the full sequence of events and respond to allegations that you contributed to what happened.
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Insurance Limits Matter in a Severe Burn Injury Case
Burn treatment can become expensive, particularly when a person needs hospital care, surgery, skin grafting, rehabilitation, or future medical procedures. An insurance policy does not automatically provide enough money to cover all those losses.
The available insurance depends on how the injury happened and who caused it. A claim might involve automobile liability coverage, a commercial liability policy, property insurance, product liability coverage, or another source.
Our Baltimore brain injury attorneys will request and review available policy information and investigate whether additional policies or responsible parties exist.
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Compensation Should Reflect the Full Effect of a Burn Injury
A burn injury claim should account for the full course of recovery, including anticipated treatment and lasting changes in daily life. We gather medical records, photographs, employment information, and accounts from you and those who know you to document both financial losses and personal harm.
Depending on the circumstances, recoverable damages may include:
- Emergency care, hospital stays, surgery, and skin grafting
- Follow-up care, rehabilitation, medication, and medical supplies
- Future treatment and procedures
- Lost earnings and reduced future earning capacity
- Physical pain and suffering
- Permanent scarring, disfigurement, and physical limitations
- Mental and emotional suffering and impaired quality of life
When appropriate, we work with treating physicians and life-care planners to identify future care needs and their anticipated costs, and with vocational or economic experts to assess the effect on your ability to earn a living. We also document changes in ordinary activities that medical bills alone cannot show.
Maryland Sets Deadlines for Burn Injury Lawsuits
Under Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-101, injured parties must file a civil action within three years from the date it accrues unless another law provides a different deadline. This statute commonly governs Maryland personal injury lawsuits.
Maryland generally requires eligible family members to file a wrongful death action within three years after the person’s death under Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-904(g), subject to statutory exceptions.
Shorter notice deadlines can apply when a government entity is involved. A claim against Baltimore City, a county, or another local government generally requires written notice within one year of the injury, and claims against the State of Maryland have their own notice requirement.
For a child’s personal injury claim, the three-year filing period generally does not begin to run until the child turns 18. However, earlier notice requirements may still apply, and evidence can disappear long before a filing deadline. Parents should seek legal advice promptly rather than assume they can wait until their child reaches adulthood.
Attorney Fees and Case Expenses
Jenner Law handles burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis. Our attorney’s fee is a percentage of the compensation recovered, and we charge no attorney’s fees or case expenses unless there is a recovery. The written fee agreement explains the percentage and how expenses are handled, and we will review those terms with you before you decide whether to hire us.
What to Expect When You Contact Jenner Law
When you contact Jenner Law, our team will ask about what happened, the injuries involved, and the treatment you or your loved one has received. This information helps our attorneys evaluate whether we can help and explain the next steps.
If available, photographs, incident reports, insurance correspondence, and information about your medical treatment can help us review your situation. You do not need to gather every record before reaching out. If treatment or caregiving makes an office visit difficult, let us know so we can discuss arrangements for the consultation.
Contact Jenner Law online for a free consultation. Our brain injury attorneys in Baltimore will listen to your concerns, answer your questions, and discuss the legal options that may be available.
Call or text (888) 585-2188 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form