Fighting for Burn Injury Victims in Dallas
A serious burn can leave you facing scarring, lost income, and a difficult future. When another person or company causes an accident, the Dallas personal injury lawyers at The Law Office of Fidel Alex Martinez, PLLC can investigate what happened and help you pursue compensation for your losses.
You should contact a Dallas burn injury attorney right away if:
- You suffered severe or deep burns.
- Your burns were caused by another person’s negligence.
- You were injured in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident.
- You suffered electrical or chemical burns at work.
- You were burned in a construction site accident.
- A defective product causes a fire, explosion, or burns.
- You have permanent scarring or disfigurement.
- Your injuries prevent you from working or require ongoing medical care.
- You lost a loved one who suffered fatal burn injuries because of another party’s negligence.
Who Is Responsible for Your Burn Injury?
If a vehicle crash, workplace accident, defective product, or another dangerous condition caused your burns, you may have a personal injury claim. Call (972) 639-8170 for a free case review.
A Winning Personal Injury Law Firm
Choosing among burn injury attorneys in Dallas is an important decision. The attorney handling your claim should understand serious personal injury cases and the long-term consequences that catastrophic injuries can create.
Fidel Alex Martinez represents injured people and families who are dealing with the consequences of preventable accidents. We take the time to understand how the injury has affected your life and develop a legal strategy based on your situation. Our legal team can handle communications with the insurance company insurers while you concentrate on your medical treatment.
Here’s what sets our firm apart:
- A dedicated focus on personal injury representation, allowing our legal team to concentrate on helping people who have been seriously injured because of negligence.
- A history of achieving favorable client outcomes while helping injured individuals and families pursue compensation for the financial and personal consequences of accidents.
- Bilingual services, including Spanish-speaking support, so Spanish-speaking clients can communicate comfortably with our team and better understand their rights and legal options.
- Client-focused legal strategies tailored to individual circumstances, because every burn injury claim involves different injuries, damages, responsible parties, and challenges for the injured person.
- Experience managing complex injury cases, including injuries that may require extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and consideration of long-term financial losses.
- No attorney's fee unless we get you compensation, allowing you to pursue your personal injury claim without paying attorney's fees upfront for our representation.
- Featured on Univision, reflecting the firm's visibility within the community and its commitment to serving injured individuals and Spanish-speaking families.
- Free consultations for prospective clients, giving you an opportunity to discuss your burn injury, ask questions, and learn about your potential legal options without an initial consultation fee.
What's the Legal Process for a Burn Injury Claim?
A burn injury claim begins with an investigation into how the accident occurred and who was responsible. Although the specific process can vary depending on the circumstances, a claim may involve the following steps:
- Initial case review: Your attorney can discuss the accident with you, review available evidence, and determine whether another party's negligence may have contributed to your injuries.
- Investigation and evidence gathering: Depending on the case, evidence might include photographs, videos, police or incident reports, medical records, witness statements, safety records, product information, maintenance documents, or employment records.
- Identifying responsible parties and insurance coverage: Your attorney can determine which parties may be responsible and identify applicable insurance policies.
- Evaluating your losses: Your medical expenses, lost wages, anticipated treatment, pain, scarring, and other losses can be evaluated before a demand for compensation is presented.
- Settlement negotiations: Many burn injury claims involve negotiations with insurance companies or other responsible parties in an effort to reach an appropriate resolution.
- Filing a lawsuit when necessary: If the parties cannot reach an appropriate resolution, filing a lawsuit may be necessary. Litigation can include written discovery, depositions, testimony from qualified professionals, mediation, and potentially a trial.
Who Is Liable for Your Injuries?
Multiple parties may contribute to an accident that causes burn injuries. Identifying all potentially liable parties is an important part of investigating your case. Depending on the circumstances, responsible parties may include:
- Negligent drivers: A driver who causes a collision that results in a vehicle fire may be held liable for resulting burn injuries.
- Trucking companies: A trucking company may share responsibility when an accident involving a commercial truck causes a fire or explosion.
- Property owners: Owners may be liable if dangerous conditions on their premises contribute to a fire or burn injury.
- Construction companies and contractors: Construction companies, contractors, and subcontractors may be responsible for unsafe practices or hazardous conditions that lead to burn injuries.
- Equipment and maintenance companies: Businesses responsible for maintaining or repairing equipment may be liable if their negligence contributes to a fire or explosion.
- Product manufacturers and distributors: Manufacturers and others in the distribution chain may be held responsible when defective machinery, batteries, appliances, electrical components, or other products cause burn injuries.
Determining liability requires a thorough investigation of the accident, the conditions that contributed to it, and the actions of each party.
What Causes Burns?
Burns can be classified based on what caused the injury. Understanding the different causes of burns can help identify potential hazards and the types of injuries that may result from exposure.
Electrical Burns
Electrical burns occur when electrical current passes through the body. They may result from exposed wiring, power lines, faulty appliances, electrical equipment, lightning, or workplace machinery. These injuries can damage nerves, muscles, internal organs, and the heart even when the visible skin injury seems small.
Thermal Burns
Thermal burns occur when heat damages skin and underlying tissue. Common causes include flames, steam, boiling liquids, hot machinery, heated surfaces, and explosions. The seriousness of the injury depends partly on the temperature, duration of exposure, and depth of tissue damage.
Radiation Burns
Radiation burns result from exposure to radiation. Possible causes include ultraviolet exposure, medical radiation treatment, and certain industrial accidents. Symptoms may develop after the initial exposure rather than immediately.
Chemical Burns
Chemical burns result from contact with corrosive substances such as strong acids, alkalis, solvents, and industrial or household cleaning agents. These substances can injure the skin, eyes, and deeper tissue.
The Four Degrees of Burn Injuries
Burns are also classified by the depth of tissue damage. The four degrees of burns include:
- First-degree burns: Affect only the outer layer of skin.
- Second-degree burns: Extend into the second layer of skin and may cause severe pain and blistering.
- Third-degree burns: Damage all layers of skin and may extend into deeper tissues.
- Fourth-degree burns: Extend beyond the skin and can damage underlying structures, including muscles, tendons, and bones.
You Don’t Have to Face the Insurance Company Alone
After a serious burn accident, our Dallas burn injury lawyer can gather evidence, identify liable parties, and handle your claim while you focus on recovery. Call (972) 639-8170 to learn more today.
Medical Treatment for Burns
Treatment for burn injuries depends on the severity, location, size, and cause of the burn. While minor burns may respond to basic first aid, severe burns often require emergency medical attention and specialized care. Depending on the extent of the damage, treatment may include:
- Wound care: Cleaning and dressing burns to promote healing and reduce the risk of complications.
- Removal of damaged tissue: Procedures to remove dead or damaged tissue and support healing.
- Infection prevention and treatment: Antibiotics and other medical interventions to prevent or address infections.
- Surgery: Procedures to repair damaged tissue and address complications caused by severe burns.
- Skin grafting: Transplanting healthy skin to areas where the original skin has been severely damaged.
- Physical therapy: Exercises and treatments to improve mobility, flexibility, and strength.
- Pain management: Medications to relieve pain and discomfort during treatment and recovery.
- Ongoing rehabilitation: Long-term care to address scarring, restricted movement, and other lasting effects of burn injuries.
Recovery from a serious burn injury can take months or even years. Some individuals require multiple surgeries, follow-up appointments, and extensive rehabilitation. Burns involving the face, hands, joints, or large portions of the body may result in lasting physical limitations and significant changes to daily life.
Medical records play an important role in burn injury claims. They can help establish the severity of the injuries, document the treatment received, and demonstrate the need for future medical care. These records may also support a claim for compensation by showing the financial impact of ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.
What Types of Accidents Cause Serious Burns?
Burn injuries can happen almost anywhere, but certain accidents present an especially high risk of fire, explosions, chemicals, electricity, or contact with dangerously hot surfaces.
Car Accidents
A severe car collision can damage fuel systems, electrical components, batteries, and other vehicle systems, potentially causing fires. Burn victims may suffer additional injuries from the initial impact. Determining whether another driver's negligence caused the collision is therefore an important part of the claim.
Truck Accidents
Commercial trucks can carry large fuel supplies, batteries, hazardous materials, and other substances capable of contributing to fires or chemical exposure. Truck crashes can also involve several responsible parties, including drivers, trucking companies, contractors, maintenance providers, or manufacturers.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcyclists have little physical protection when a crash occurs. In addition to impact injuries and road rash, riders can suffer burns from fuel fires, explosions, exhaust systems, engines, and other heated motorcycle components.
Work Accidents
Employees in factories, restaurants, warehouses, industrial facilities, utilities, and other workplaces can encounter hot machinery, chemicals, steam, electricity, and flammable substances. A workplace injury, such as a burn, should be investigated carefully to determine whether someone other than the worker's employer may have contributed to the accident.
Construction Accidents
Construction sites can expose workers to electrical lines, welding equipment, chemicals, flammable materials, machinery, and explosions. A subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, property owner, maintenance provider, or another third party may potentially bear responsibility depending on how the accident happened.
Defective Products
Defective batteries, appliances, power tools, electrical components, industrial machines, heaters, and other products can overheat, ignite, explode, or expose users to electricity or chemicals. Preserving the product after an accident can be extremely important because it may provide evidence of a design, manufacturing, or warning problem.
Compensation Available for Burn Accident Victims
A burn injury claim is intended to seek compensation for losses resulting from an accident. The damages available will depend on the circumstances and evidence in the individual case.
Compensation may include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Physical pain
- Mental anguish
- Physical impairment
- Disfigurement
- Other legally recoverable damages
Scarring and disfigurement can be particularly significant in burn cases. Severe burns can permanently alter a person's appearance and may restrict movement when scar tissue develops around joints. Some victims also require reconstructive procedures and extensive rehabilitation.
Accurately evaluating a serious claim therefore means looking beyond the bills that have already arrived. Future treatment, employment consequences, and the long-term effect of the injury should also be considered.
Filing a Wrongful Death Claim in Texas
When a person dies because of another party’s wrongful act, neglect, carelessness, unskillfulness, or default, surviving family members may have grounds to file a wrongful death claim in Texas. State law allows the deceased person’s surviving spouse, children, and parents to bring the action for their benefit.
A wrongful death claim may seek compensation for losses such as lost earning capacity, lost care and support, lost companionship and society, mental pain and anguish, and certain expenses associated with the death.
What Clients Are Saying
He handled everything for us, and it was great! -Bailee Flores (5-Star Google Review)
Amazing experience. He handled everything for us, and it was great! Definitely recommend The Law Offices of Fidel Alex Martinez!
Very great service-Magali Perez (5-Star Google Review)
Everything was really easy and safe. Also, he takes his job very seriously. I completely recommend The Law Office of Fidel Alex Martinez. Very great service, by the way.
Start With a Free Consultation in Dallas
The Law Office of Fidel Alex Martinez, PLLC provides free consultations and contingency-fee representation, so there is no attorney's fee unless a recovery is obtained. Regardless of your immigration status, you have the right to pursue a claim for compensation. Bilingual services, including Spanish-speaking support, are also available.
To find out how we can help, call (972) 639-8170 today.
Serious Accidents, Serious Results.
Frequently Asked Questions About Burn Injuries
How can a burn injury lawyer help with my case?
A Dallas burn injury lawyer can investigate the accident, identify potentially responsible parties, collect evidence, evaluate your damages, negotiate with insurance companies, and pursue compensation on your behalf. Fidel Alex Martinez can also explain your legal options and help you understand what to expect throughout the claims process.
What compensation can I recover after a burn injury?
Depending on your case, compensation may be available for medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, physical pain, mental anguish, disfigurement, physical impairment, and other legally recoverable damages. Serious cases may also involve anticipated medical treatment and other future losses.
Who can be held liable for a serious burn?
Potentially liable parties can include negligent drivers, trucking companies, property owners, contractors, subcontractors, manufacturers, maintenance companies, and other businesses. Some accidents involve multiple responsible parties, making a thorough investigation especially important.
What should I do after suffering a serious burn?
Seek appropriate medical attention and follow your healthcare provider's treatment instructions. When possible, preserve photographs, accident reports, witness information, damaged products, and other evidence, and speak with an attorney before accepting an insurance settlement.
Can I file a claim for a burn that happened at work?
If a contractor, subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, property owner, or another third party contributed to the accident, a lawyer can investigate whether a separate personal injury claim may be available.