Oakland Burn Injury Lawyers

Burn injuries may require lengthy, expensive treatment. Years of undergoing skin grafts and other procedures can leave a person physically, emotionally and mentally drained. The last thing a person should have to think about during this time is how he or she will pay for medical care, ongoing recovery costs, lost wages, and other damages and expenses.

At Winer, Burritt & Scott, LLP, our trusted Oakland personal injury lawyers are assertive advocates, skilled negotiators and proven litigators. Our partner attorneys have more than 60 years of combined experience. We help our clients obtain maximum compensation for their injuries. We handle all aspects of your case so that you can put all of your energy into recovery.

We accept burn injury cases and other personal injury matters on a contingency basis so you will not pay an attorney fee unless we first recover compensation for you. Call us at (510) 433-1000 to arrange a free consultation with one of our dedicated Los Angeles, San Francisco or Oakland-based burn injury lawyers.

Why Are Burn Injury Cases So Complex?

Even when the scars and other effects of a burn injury are readily apparent, those responsible for your burns often raise a wide range of defenses to try and escape responsibility for their actions. To counter these defenses, it is often necessary to conduct extensive investigations and consult with mechanical engineers, metallurgists, fire investigators, accident reconstructionists and human factors experts. It is also necessary to address issues related to comparative fault, determination of liability, proof of damages and the availability of insurance.

How Long Do I Have Do Bring A Burn Injury Claim?

In California, burn injury claims can usually be brought up to two years from the date of the accident. However, if your case is against a California government entity, including cities, counties, municipal services and government-run transportation companies, you must file your claim within six months of the accident.

Type of Burn Injuries

In our decades of legal practice, we have seen nearly all types of burn injury. Our understanding of the nuances in these cases and other personal injury and employment law matters has helped us recover upward of $200 million in verdicts and settlements for clients throughout California. Today, we use the experience and legal knowledge that led to those successful results to help clients who are injured in burn accidents involving:

• Flash (thermal): These injuries are caused by intense heat exposure over a very short time frame and are commonly caused by explosions involving gasoline, propane, natural gas or flammable liquids.
• Flame (thermal): Direct contact with flames, typically involving exposure to intense heat over a longer time frame than flash injuries. These injuries are prevalent in house fires, auto accidents and industrial accidents.
• Scalds (thermal): Contact with hot (150 degrees Fahrenheit and above) liquids, including oil, tar, grease, water and some industrial solvents.
• Inhalation: Superheated air enters the respiratory system and causes thermal damage. It also introduces airborne toxins, which are the byproducts of combustion, into the body. Inhalation is frequently cited as one of the leading causes of fire deaths.
• Chemical: These injuries result when alkaline substances, bases or strong acids come into contact with the skin. Industrial chemicals, cleaning solutions and hazardous manufacturing byproducts are some of the main causes of chemical burns.
• Electrical Burns: Injuries caused by electricity can damage the contact site as well as other parts of the body. The extent of the damage is difficult to judge from external observation, so medical treatment and assessment are necessities. These injuries can be caused by both AC and DC current. They frequently involve downed power lines, unsafe wiring or exposure to electrical hazards at construction sites.
• Radiological: In rare instances, burns can be caused by alpha, beta or gamma radiation. It is vital to seek medical care for decontamination and documentation of the injuries.
• Explosions
• High-voltage overhead wires
• Medical devices such as hypothermia blankets
• Burns caused by industrial cleaning products
• Fire in the workplace, at home or elsewhere
• Defective electric blankets
• Flammable baby blankets

According to the U.S. Fire Administration — a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — 79 percent of injuries resulting from residential building fires were caused by smoke inhalation and thermal burns. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), someone in the U.S. is injured in an accidental fire every 30 minutes, and a fire-related fatality occurs every 169 minutes.

If you have lost a loved one due to these or other types of burn injuries, we also have the knowledge and experience to bring a wrongful death lawsuit against those responsible for your loss.

Please view our Burn Injury FAQ for more information.

Significant Burn Injury Cases

• $4,000,000 — 50-Year-Old Electrician Suffers Severe Burn Injuries in an Electrical Accident
• Confidential settlement — 15-Year-Old Boy Has Severe Degloving Burn-Like Injuries When He Collides With a MUNI Bus While on a Skateboard
• $950,000 — For a woman electrocuted by power wires downed in a storm
• $450,000 — For a security guard who suffered electrical burns while working at a construction site

Contact Our Bay-Area Personal Injury Lawyers

Our client-centered approach to the law allows us to serve the legal needs of injured people throughout California. To see how this approach can benefit you, contact us at (510) 433-1000 toll free. We offer free initial consultations and pursue all cases on a contingency fee basis.