Recovering Personal Injury Compensation After a Severe Fire in NYC

Burn injuries are almost always catastrophic. Did you know that you can recover compensation from burn injuries just like you can any other personal injury?

Our law firm has helped many clients do just that. Here’s what you need to know about recovering compensation for a burn accident. 

Types of Burn Accidents

There are several types of burn injuries that typically lead to injury suits:

• Electrical burns.
• Inhalation burns from inhaling smoke, steam, or toxic fumes.
• Chemical or acid burns.
• Thermal burns from building fires or car accidents.
• Radiation burns. 
• Scalding water burns.

Most burn accident cases involve second or third degree burns, scarring, and disfigurement in addition to the pain and loss caused by the injuries. 

Causes of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries can happen anywhere, but most of the cases we handle fall into the following categories.

• Burns from a truck or car accident.
• Workplace injuries where there is a responsible third-party.
• Burns from defective or unsafe products.
• Burst pipes full of scalding water. 
• Burns from a building fire. 

One of the most famous burn cases right now in New York involves a victim who was burned by a teacher while attending science class. This resulted in a $60 million award, the highest ever awarded in New York. It was life-altering for the victim. 

When can you launch a personal injury suit for a fire? 

You can launch a personal injury suit if your burn injuries are the result of another person’s negligence. You also can launch a personal injury suit if your burn injury results in losses. 

You’ll need to prove liability. That means you’ll need to prove someone who owed a duty of care to you either did what they shouldn’t have done, or didn’t do what they should have done.

Examples include:

• You’re renting a property and the property owner failed to maintain the wiring.
• The gas company cut corners and caused an explosion, and you got hurt.
• Your boiler or stove was improperly manufactured.
• An electrician fails to wire an electrical outlet properly and causes a fire. 
• Someone else’s reckless behavior causes a fire.
• Problems at a campground or campfire site. 

If the fire is in your own house and you are the property owner, you may be able to recover some funds from your own homeowner’s policy and health insurance policies, but you will not be able to recover personal injury funds because you were the person responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the home. 

If you were injured at work workers compensation will cover some of your losses, but you should look into a third-party lawsuit as well if applicable. 

If you’ve been injured in a fire or explosion, we can help. Contact our office to get a free case review today. 

See also:

What is New York’s Serious Injury Threshold for Personal Injury Cases? 

Understanding Comparative Negligence in a Personal Injury Case