Recognized burn injury representation for injured clients throughout Houston.
If you have sustained a burn injury due to another party’s negligence in Houston, an attorney experienced in burn injury litigation can help you pursue compensation for the extensive medical treatment, permanent scarring, and long-term rehabilitation that these injuries require. Burn cases involve complex medical evidence, multiple potential defendants, and damages calculations that must account for years or decades of future care.
Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers represents burn injury victims on the plaintiff side throughout Texas. Our attorneys bring more than two decades of combined trial experience to catastrophic injury litigation and handle burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis. If you need a Houston, TX burn injury lawyer, contact our firm for a free consultation.
Burn Injury Lawyer Houston, TX
A burn injury lawyer represents individuals who have been burned through another party’s negligence, a defective product, an unsafe premises, or a workplace safety failure. What separates burn injury cases from most other personal injury claims is the medical trajectory. A severe burn does not heal and resolve. It requires emergency stabilization, surgical debridement, skin grafting, and then months or years of reconstructive procedures, scar management, and physical rehabilitation. The treatment costs for a serious burn injury are among the highest in all of personal injury litigation.
According to the American Burn Association, approximately 486,000 people receive medical treatment for burn injuries in the United States each year. Roughly 40,000 of those patients require hospitalization, and 3,400 die from their injuries. Houston’s petrochemical corridor, heavy industrial economy, and dense traffic volume create conditions where burn injuries from workplace incidents, vehicle fires, and chemical exposure occur at a rate that exceeds most other metropolitan areas.
Types of Burn Injury Cases We Handle in Houston
Burn injuries result from a variety of accidents, and the cause of the burn determines which parties can be held liable. The legal analysis in a burn case depends on whether the injury occurred at work, in a vehicle, on someone else’s property, or through a defective product.
At Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers, we handle burn injury cases including the following:
- Workplace accidents. Flash fires, arc flash events, steam burns, and contact with superheated surfaces injure workers at manufacturing plants, construction sites, and processing facilities across Houston. When the employer is a non-subscriber to workers’ compensation, the injured worker can sue the employer directly for negligence.
- Refinery accidents. The Houston Ship Channel corridor is home to one of the largest concentrations of petrochemical facilities in the world. Explosions, chemical releases, and process failures at these plants produce severe burn injuries during both routine operations and turnaround maintenance.
- Oilfield injuries. Well blowouts, pipeline ruptures, and equipment failures on drilling rigs and production sites cause burns that frequently require immediate helicopter transport to a regional burn center. The firm recovered $20 million for a burned oilfield worker.
- Car accidents. Post-collision fires from ruptured fuel lines, electrical system failures, and fuel tank defects cause thermal burns to occupants who are unable to exit the vehicle. Truck accidents involving tanker trucks carrying flammable materials create additional fire and explosion hazards.
- Chemical burns. Exposure to corrosive chemicals, acids, and industrial solvents causes tissue destruction that deepens over time if the substance is not removed. Chemical burn injuries are common in laboratory, manufacturing, and petrochemical settings.
- Electrical burns. Contact with live electrical systems causes burns that travel through the body along the path of the current, damaging internal tissue in addition to the skin. Arc flash events in industrial settings produce temperatures that can exceed 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Scalding injuries. Contact with hot liquids, steam, and pressurized hot water causes scald burns. These injuries are common in restaurant and food service settings, in industrial environments with steam lines, and in residential settings involving defective water heaters.
- Defective products. Household appliances, electronics, children’s products, and automotive components that malfunction and ignite or overheat cause burn injuries to consumers. The manufacturer and other parties in the chain of distribution may bear liability.
- Wrongful death. When a burn injury results in death, Texas law allows the surviving spouse, children, and parents to pursue wrongful death claims against the responsible parties.
Why Choose Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers as My Burn Injury Lawyer in Houston, TX?
Results in Catastrophic Injury Litigation
Burn injury cases involve some of the highest damages values in personal injury law because the injuries are severe, the treatment is prolonged, and the physical and psychological effects are often permanent. Representing burn injury victims requires attorneys who can match the preparation and resources of the corporate defendants on the other side.
Matt Greenberg has served as lead trial counsel in cases that produced record-setting verdicts and settlements in catastrophic injury litigation. He holds a J.D. from Baylor Law School, is licensed in Texas, Louisiana, and Arizona, and has been recognized by Super Lawyers, Lawdragon, and the National Trial Lawyers.
Mike Streich graduated cum laude from the UH Law Center and spent nearly a decade defending corporations and insurance syndicates, including Lloyd’s of London, in catastrophic injury and death cases involving oilfield, pipeline, and refinery incidents. Many of those defense-side cases involved severe burn injuries. That background gives him direct knowledge of how industrial defendants and their insurers evaluate burn injury claims. He has been named a Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers in multiple years.
Together, our attorneys have recovered over $375 million for injured clients, including a $20 million burn injury recovery involving an oilfield worker. As your personal injury lawyer in Houston, our firm handles every burn injury case on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we obtain a recovery.
What Is Important to Understand About a Burn Injury Case?
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Burn Injury Cases
The damages in a burn injury case reflect two realities. The first is the cost of treatment, which is staggering. Burn injury hospital stays cost roughly twice as much as standard hospitalizations, and patients with severe burns may require multiple surgeries over a period of years. The second is the permanence of the harm. Severe burns produce scarring, disfigurement, and functional limitations that do not fully resolve.
Economic damages include:
- Emergency care, burn unit hospitalization, and surgical debridement
- Skin grafting, reconstructive surgery, and scar revision procedures
- Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and rehabilitation
- Compression garments, wound care supplies, and ongoing medical appointments
- Lost wages and diminished future earning capacity
Non-economic damages include:
- Physical pain during treatment and recovery
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Permanent disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of enjoyment of daily activities
- Loss of consortium for spouses
Liability in burn injury cases depends on the circumstances. In workplace cases, the employer, a general contractor, and equipment owners may share responsibility. In product liability cases, the manufacturer and the retailer may be liable. In vehicle fire cases, the at-fault driver and a vehicle or component manufacturer may bear fault. Texas comparative negligence reduces the recovery by the plaintiff’s share of fault and bars recovery entirely if the plaintiff’s fault exceeds 50 percent.
What Are Important Aspects of a Burn Injury Case?
Burn injury claims present medical and legal challenges that require attention from the outset.
- The treatment timeline is long. Severe burns require initial stabilization, followed by surgical grafting, then months of wound care and rehabilitation. Some patients undergo reconstructive procedures for years after the initial injury. Settling the case before the full scope of medical treatment is known is one of the most costly errors a burn injury patient can make.
- Disfigurement is a significant component of damages. Visible scarring on the face, hands, and arms affects the burn survivor’s self-image, employment prospects, and personal relationships. Juries tend to award substantial non-economic damages when they can see the permanent physical effects of the burn.
- Psychological injuries accompany most serious burn cases. Post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal are documented consequences of severe burns. Mental health treatment records are part of the damages evidence.
- Life care planning is often required. For serious burn injuries that produce permanent disability, a qualified professional must project the lifetime cost of medical care, therapy, and assistance with daily living. These projections can run into the millions of dollars.
What Is the Burn Injury Case Timeline?
The timeline for a burn injury case tends to be longer than for most other personal injury claims because the medical treatment extends over a prolonged period.
- Investigation begins immediately. The attorney identifies the cause of the burn, preserves physical evidence, and determines which parties are liable. In industrial burn cases, employer safety records and equipment maintenance logs are critical evidence.
- Medical treatment continues for an extended period. Burn patients may require hospitalization for weeks or months, followed by outpatient surgical procedures over a period of years. The case cannot be fully valued until the treating physicians establish a long-term prognosis.
- The firm retains medical, economic, and life care planning professionals to document the full scope of the injury and project future costs.
- A demand is prepared and negotiations begin with the defendant’s insurer or legal department.
- If fair terms are not offered, suit is filed. Burn injury cases in Harris County generally take two to four years from filing to resolution due to the complexity of the medical evidence.
What Should You Bring to Your Burn Injury Consultation?
Organizing your documentation before the consultation helps the attorneys evaluate the claim. You may not have all of these items at this stage. Bring whatever documentation is available:
- Hospital and burn unit records, including surgical notes and discharge summaries
- Photographs of the burn injuries at various stages of treatment
- Records from follow-up surgeries, wound care, and rehabilitation
- The accident or incident report from the employer, property owner, or law enforcement
- Employment records documenting income before the injury
During the consultation, we review the medical evidence, identify the responsible parties, and provide a direct assessment of the claim. There is no charge for this meeting.
What Are Important Texas Legal Resources for Burn Injury Cases?
Texas law provides the legal framework for burn injury claims. The following resources help injured individuals and their families understand the statutes that apply.
- The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Texas is two years from the date of injury under Chapter 16 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
- Texas negligence law follows a proportionate responsibility framework. The plaintiff’s recovery is reduced by their share of fault, and recovery is barred if the plaintiff bears more than 50 percent of the responsibility.
- Texas does not cap economic damages in most personal injury cases, including burn injury claims. Non-economic damage caps apply in certain limited categories.
- The Texas Legislature website provides access to the Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
- Our firm monitors Texas legal changes that may affect burn injury claims and employer liability.
Reach Out to Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation
If you or a family member has sustained a burn injury in Houston, TX, our attorneys are available for a free and confidential case review. We handle burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning no upfront costs and no attorney fees unless we recover compensation. Contact us to schedule a consultation at a time that works for you.
Burn Injury Statistics in Houston
Burn injuries represent a significant medical and legal issue in the United States. According to the American Burn Association, approximately 486,000 people receive medical treatment for burn injuries each year, and roughly 40,000 require hospitalization. The CDC reported 398,000 fire or burn injuries and an additional 252,000 contact burn injuries treated in emergency departments in 2021. Approximately 3,400 people die from burn injuries annually.
Houston’s burn injury caseload is driven in part by the city’s industrial economy. The Ship Channel petrochemical corridor, oilfield operations across the region, and the construction sector all produce burn injuries at rates that exceed those of most other metropolitan areas. Workers at refinery and chemical facilities face daily exposure to flammable chemicals, pressurized systems, and high-temperature processes. According to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, 127 offshore fires were reported in 2022 alone, and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board has identified the Houston Ship Channel corridor as a primary site for high-consequence chemical incidents.
Long-Term Effects of Severe Burn Injuries
Severe burns produce consequences that extend far beyond the initial wound. Understanding these long-term effects matters in a legal case because the damages calculation must account for every aspect of the burn survivor’s future medical, psychological, and functional needs.
1. Permanent scarring and disfigurement. Severe burns destroy the skin’s ability to regenerate normally. The scar tissue that forms is thicker, less elastic, and visually distinct from the surrounding skin. Hypertrophic scars and keloids may develop and require additional surgical revision. Facial burns are particularly devastating because they are impossible to conceal and affect the survivor’s interactions with others permanently.
2. Contracture and loss of mobility. When scar tissue forms over a joint, it can tighten and restrict the range of motion. Burn contractures in the hands, elbows, knees, and neck may require multiple surgical releases followed by intensive physical therapy. Some patients never regain full function in the affected joints.
3. Chronic pain. Many burn survivors experience persistent pain at the injury site, including nerve pain that does not respond well to standard pain management. The damaged nerve endings in burn scars can produce abnormal sensations including hypersensitivity, tingling, and burning.
4. Temperature regulation problems. Severely burned skin loses its ability to regulate temperature and produce sweat. Burn survivors with large affected areas may be unable to tolerate heat or cold and face restrictions on outdoor activity and employment.
5. Psychological effects. PTSD, depression, anxiety, body image disturbance, and social withdrawal are documented psychological consequences of severe burn injuries. The traumatic impact of the injury itself, combined with the prolonged and painful treatment process, produces lasting mental health effects that require professional treatment.
6. Infection risk. Burn wounds are vulnerable to bacterial infection during the healing process. Even after the wound has closed, the affected skin remains more susceptible to infection than normal tissue. Repeated infections can delay healing and require additional hospitalization.
7. Loss of earning capacity. Severe burns, particularly those affecting the hands, arms, and face, can prevent the survivor from returning to their prior occupation. The economic loss calculation must account for the difference between the survivor’s pre-injury earning trajectory and their diminished capacity after the burn.
8. Ongoing medical costs. Scar management, compression garments, moisturizing regimens, sun protection, and follow-up surgical procedures continue for years after the initial injury. Life care planners project these costs over the survivor’s remaining lifetime, and the total can reach into the millions of dollars for severe cases.
Houston Burn Injury Lawyer FAQs
What are the different degrees of burn injuries?
First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of skin and typically heal without surgical intervention. Second-degree burns penetrate into the dermis and may require grafting if they are deep. Third-degree burns destroy the full thickness of the skin and always require surgical treatment. Fourth-degree burns extend into muscle, tendon, or bone and represent the most severe category.
How long does treatment for a severe burn injury take?
Treatment for a serious burn can extend over years. The initial hospitalization may last weeks or months. Skin grafting, scar revision surgeries, and reconstructive procedures are performed in stages. Physical therapy and scar management continue indefinitely for many patients.
Who can be held liable for a burn injury?
It depends on how the burn occurred. Potentially liable parties include employers, property owners, general contractors, equipment manufacturers, chemical suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, and the at-fault driver in a collision. In maritime accidents involving vessel fires, the vessel owner may also bear liability.
What is a life care plan, and why does it matter?
A life care plan projects the burn survivor’s future medical needs and associated costs. For severe burns, this plan may cover decades of surgical procedures, therapy, wound care, and assistance with daily living. It is a critical component of the damages evidence because it establishes the full financial impact of the injury.
Should I accept the insurance company’s settlement offer?
Not before having an attorney evaluate it. Burn injury claims involve treatment costs that extend over years and sometimes decades. An early settlement offer almost certainly fails to account for the full scope of future medical expenses, lost earning capacity, and non-economic damages.
Can I file a claim if I was burned at work?
If your employer does not carry workers’ compensation insurance, you can sue the employer directly for negligence. If your employer is a workers’ comp subscriber, your claim against the employer is generally limited to comp benefits, but you may have third-party claims against other parties at the job site, including the general contractor and equipment manufacturers.
What evidence is important in a burn injury case?
Medical records documenting the burn severity, treatment, and prognosis are essential. Photographs of the injuries at each stage of treatment support the damages claim. Workplace records, safety logs, equipment maintenance histories, and any applicable OSHA investigation reports help establish how the burn occurred and who is responsible. Preparing for a consultation with these materials organized improves the attorney’s ability to evaluate your case.
How much is a burn injury case worth?
The value depends on the severity of the burn, the total body surface area affected, the location of the burn (face and hands carry higher values), the projected cost of future treatment, and the impact on earning capacity. Severe burn injury cases carry some of the highest damages values in personal injury litigation.
How much does it cost to hire a burn injury lawyer?
We handle burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay no upfront attorney fees, and you owe nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
What should I do immediately after a burn injury?
Seek emergency medical treatment. If the burn occurred at work, report the incident to your employer and document the circumstances. Photograph the scene, the equipment involved, and your injuries. Do not give recorded statements to the employer’s insurer or investigators without consulting an attorney.
Local Information for Houston Burn Injury Cases
Where Burn Injuries Are Most Common in Houston
Burn injury risk in Houston concentrates along the Ship Channel industrial corridor and in the city’s commercial and construction sectors.
- The Houston Ship Channel corridor from Pasadena through Deer Park and La Porte contains the largest concentration of petrochemical facilities in the region. Explosions, chemical releases, and process fires at these plants are a persistent source of severe burn injuries.
- Construction sites across the metropolitan area produce electrical burns from contact with live systems, chemical burns from concrete and industrial solvents, and thermal burns from welding and cutting operations.
- Oilfield staging and operations areas in Chambers, Liberty, and Galveston counties expose workers to blowout fires, pipeline explosions, and equipment failures that cause burns.
- Commercial kitchens and food service operations are a significant source of scald burns and grease burns for restaurant workers across the Houston area.
What Are Important Local Resources for Houston Burn Injury Cases?
Individuals who have sustained burn injuries in Houston may need to contact the following agencies and facilities. These are listed for reference purposes only.
- Memorial Hermann, a Level I trauma center with burn care capabilities: (713) 704-4000
- UTMB Health Burn Center in Galveston, a verified burn center serving the greater Houston region: (409) 772-1255
- Harris Health System (Ben Taub Hospital), a Level I trauma center: (713) 873-2000
- American Burn Association for burn treatment resources and verified burn center locations
Listing these resources does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers.
About Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers
Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers is a Houston-based injury law firm focused on catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. Matt Greenberg’s trial work has been covered by media outlets including ABC, FOX, and CBS. Mike Streich previously defended companies in catastrophic injury cases involving oilfield, pipeline, and refinery incidents, many of which involved severe burn injuries. He is a member of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association.
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Contact Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers
Burn injury cases involve prolonged medical treatment, permanent disfigurement, and damages calculations that must account for decades of future care. At Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers, we provide free consultations for Houston burn injury cases. Our contingency fee structure means no upfront costs and no attorney fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Contact us to schedule your free case review with a Houston, TX burn injury attorney.
