Were you burned in an accident in League City, TX?
At Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers, we help injured clients understand their rights after a burn injury in League City.
If you were burned at work or on someone else’s property in League City, the cause of the fire or explosion should be investigated by someone who does not work for the company involved. A League City, TX burn injury lawyer arranges that investigation and identifies who is legally responsible. A company’s own investigation is written with the company’s liability in mind.
Our founding attorneys have handled burn injury cases for more than 12 years. One of their results is a $20 million settlement for a burned oilfield worker. We represent burn survivors and their families, never the companies involved. Call us to schedule a free consultation.
Burn Injury Lawyer League City, TX
A burn injury attorney represents people burned by fires, explosions, chemicals, and electricity that another party should have prevented. The work begins with finding the origin and cause of the incident. It continues with documenting a course of treatment that can include grafting, reconstructive surgery, and therapy over several years. A burn injury attorney also deals with the insurers and the employer so the family can stay with the patient.
The CDC counted 398,000 fire or burn-related injuries nationwide in 2021, according to the American Burn Association. Hospitals admit about 29,165 burn patients each year. Flame and flash burns account for 46 percent of burn center admissions.
Types of Burn Injury Cases We Handle in League City, TX
Our burn injury attorneys handle cases from the plants and job sites around Galveston Bay as well as from homes and businesses in League City. The cause of the burn determines who can be held responsible.
- Explosion accidents. A blast produces flash burns along with injuries from the pressure wave and flying debris. We work with fire investigators to find the ignition source and the fuel. Witness accounts of odors, alarms, or earlier leaks often identify the cause.
- Refinery accidents. A unit fire or a release of hot process fluid can burn anyone working nearby. Maintenance records and prior incident reports show whether the plant knew of the hazard.
- Oilfield accidents. Well fires and equipment failures cause some of the deepest burns we see. Several contractors usually share a well site, and each one’s role has to be sorted out.
- Chemical burns. Acids, caustics, and solvents destroy tissue on contact and can keep burning until they are neutralized. Training records show whether workers were warned and given protective equipment. Eye exposure can cause permanent vision loss.
- Electrical burns. Current passing through the body damages muscle and nerves beneath skin that may look only lightly injured. Internal injuries from current are often worse than the skin shows, and they can lead to amputation. These cases focus on who left a line or a panel energized.
- Scald burns. Steam lines, hot water systems, and commercial kitchen equipment cause scalds. A water heater set too high in a rental property can scald a child in seconds.
- Apartment and house fires. Faulty wiring, missing smoke alarms, and blocked exits turn a small fire into a serious one. We examine the landlord’s inspection and repair history. Tenants and their guests can bring claims when a known defect caused the fire.
- Defective products. Batteries, heaters, and appliances that overheat or ignite can support a claim against the manufacturer. The product must be preserved for testing. Recall notices and earlier complaints show what the manufacturer knew.
- Smoke inhalation. Hot, toxic gas injures the airway and lungs, sometimes without visible burns. Breathing problems from these injuries can last for years.
Why Choose Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers as my Burn Injury Lawyer in League City, TX?
No Attorney Fees During a Long Recovery
Burn treatment lasts a long time, and a burn case cannot be resolved until the doctors know what further surgery lies ahead. We handle these cases on a contingency fee for that reason. Clients owe no attorney fees while the case is pending and none at all unless we recover compensation.
A long case also requires investigators, engineers, and medical witnesses, and we retain them when the claim calls for it. Burn claims draw on the resources we use for every serious case as a personal injury lawyer in League City, TX.
A $20 Million Burn Injury Settlement
Our attorneys obtained a $20 million settlement for an oilfield worker who was burned when contractors failed to close a valve on a blowout preventer. They have recovered more than $348 million in total. Other results include $12,742,882 and $3,575,000 in oilfield injury cases.
Mike Streich defended companies and insurers in oilfield, pipeline, and refinery injury cases before he became a plaintiff’s lawyer. Matt Greenberg has handled cases involving oilfield explosions, plant accidents, and chemical releases for more than a decade. He has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers.
Understanding Burn Injury Cases
What Are Important Aspects of a Burn Injury Case?
A League City burn injury attorney has to address several issues that are specific to burns.
- Origin and cause. A fire scene is cleaned up and repaired quickly. An independent investigator needs access before the evidence is gone.
- Depth and extent of the burn. The depth of the burn and the share of the body affected determine the treatment. Deep burns over a large area require grafting and long hospital stays. They also drive the value of the claim.
- Burn center care. Serious burns are treated at burn centers. In Galveston, Shriners Children’s Texas has worked with the University of Texas Medical Branch on pediatric burn treatment since 1966.
- Who the defendants are. A claim against your own employer follows different rules than a claim against a plant owner, a contractor, or a manufacturer. We identify every company involved.
- The filing deadline. A Texas burn injury lawsuit must be filed within the two-year limit that applies to personal injury claims.
What Should You Bring to Your Burn Injury Consultation?
Family members often attend the first consultation while the patient is still in the hospital. These items help us start.
- The name of the hospital or burn center and the treating physicians
- Any incident report, fire department report, or employer accident form
- Photographs of the scene and of the injuries as they heal
- The names of coworkers, neighbors, or others who saw the incident
- Letters or calls from any insurer or company representative
The consultation is free. We explain who may be liable and what an investigation would involve. Families preparing for catastrophic injury consultations should also bring any conflicting medical opinions.
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Burn Injury Cases
Liability rests on negligence. A plant that skipped maintenance, a landlord that ignored a wiring complaint, and a manufacturer that sold a defective heater each failed to use reasonable care. The elements of negligence are the same in each setting. The injured person must show a duty, a breach of that duty, and harm that resulted from it. In a workplace fire, more than one company usually shares that duty.
Burn damages are substantial because treatment continues long after the wound closes. Economic damages include hospital care, grafting, reconstructive surgery, and lost earnings. A person who cannot return to plant or field work after a burn has a claim for lost earning capacity. Texas law also allows noneconomic damages, and it lists disfigurement alongside physical pain and mental anguish. Scarring on the face or hands affects work and daily life. A League City, TX burn injury attorney documents it with photographs and medical testimony. If evidence supports a claim of gross negligence, this may allow an award of exemplary damages as well.
What Is The Burn Injury Case Timeline?
A burn injury case follows the pace of the medical treatment.
- We begin the origin and cause investigation while the patient is still hospitalized.
- We send preservation demands to the property owner, the employer, and any equipment maker.
- We consult fire investigators and engineers, and we test any equipment or product involved.
- Treatment continues through grafting and rehabilitation, which can take a year or longer.
- We value the claim once the surgeons can describe the remaining procedures.
- We negotiate with the insurers and file suit if they refuse to pay fair value.
Most of the waiting in a burn case is medical, not legal. A League City burn injury lawyer uses that time to complete the investigation. If suit is filed, depositions of plant managers and maintenance staff follow, and mediation takes place before trial.
Reach Out to Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation
A burn injury lawyer at Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers will speak with you or your family at no charge. We explain what caused the injury as far as the available facts show and what we would need to prove it. Our fee is contingent on a recovery. We answer new inquiries right away. Contact us to schedule a free consultation about a burn injury in League City, TX.
