Fort Worth Burn Injury Attorney
A burn injury affects far more than the surface of your skin. Fort Worth burn injury lawyers at Stephens Law represent people living with the physical pain, emotional trauma, and financial burden that severe burns create.
Burn injury claims in Texas often involve multiple liable parties, complex medical evidence, and damages that stretch decades into the future. Our legal team handles these cases across Tarrant County, Weatherford, and throughout North Texas.
Whether your burns came from a workplace explosion, a vehicle fire, a defective product, or another party’s negligence, you may have the right to pursue compensation that reflects the true cost of your recovery. Call our firm at (817) 420-7000 any time for a free case evaluation.
Why Do Fort Worth Burn Victims Choose Stephens Law?
Burn injury cases demand substantial resources, detailed medical records, and an attorney willing to commit to a long legal fight. Jason Stephens directs the strategy on every burn injury case our firm accepts, working alongside medical and financial professionals to document the full scope of the harm.
Stephens Law has recovered more than $300 million for clients after fees and expenses across all practice areas. Every burn case is different, and prior recoveries do not predict the outcome of a new claim.
How We Approach a Fort Worth Burn Injury Claim
We start by identifying who caused the burn and what legal theory applies, whether that is negligence, premises liability, product liability, or a safety violation by an employer.
From there, we build a damages model that accounts for every surgery already completed and every procedure you may need in the years ahead.
Burn cases often involve input from plastic surgeons, pain management doctors, vocational counselors, and mental health professionals. We coordinate that entire process so you focus on healing rather than legal paperwork.
What Types of Burns Lead to Legal Claims in Texas?
Burns are classified by depth, and the classification directly affects both the treatment you need and the value of your legal claim. The American Burn Association uses a system that sorts burns into degrees based on how many layers of skin and tissue are damaged.
First-Degree and Second-Degree Burns
A first-degree burn damages only the outer layer of skin, called the epidermis, and usually heals on its own.
A second-degree burn, also called a partial-thickness burn, reaches the second layer of skin, known as the dermis, and often produces blisters, swelling, and serious pain. Deeper second-degree burns may need skin grafts and leave permanent scars. Early medical treatment can improve healing and may help prevent scars after burn injury, although the outcome often depends on the severity and depth of the burn.
Third-Degree and Fourth-Degree Burns
A third-degree burn, also called a full-thickness burn, destroys the epidermis and the dermis and may damage the fat layer beneath. A fourth-degree burn extends into muscle, tendon, or bone.
Both types always require surgery, often including multiple skin graft procedures, and they produce permanent scarring and loss of function. These burns drive the largest damage claims in Fort Worth and across Texas.
What Causes Burn Injuries That Lead to Lawsuits in Fort Worth?
Burn injuries caused by another party’s negligence or a defective product may give rise to a legal claim in Texas. The cause of the burn determines which parties are liable and which legal theories apply.
Vehicle Fires and Fuel System Failures
Car, truck, and 18-wheeler crashes on Fort Worth highways sometimes spark fires when fuel systems rupture on impact. A vehicle fire may produce third- and fourth-degree burns within seconds.
Liable parties may include the at-fault driver, the vehicle maker, or a parts supplier whose defective fuel line or gas tank design fed the fire.
Workplace Burns and Industrial Accidents
Fort Worth’s industrial and energy sectors expose workers to thermal burns from hot equipment, chemical burns from caustic substances, electrical burns from high-voltage systems, and flash burns from explosions.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to assess fire and burn hazards, provide proper protective gear, and maintain safe conditions.
When an employer breaks those rules and a worker suffers burns, the injured worker may have a claim outside of workers’ compensation against a negligent third party, the equipment maker, or the property owner.
Burn Hazards in Fort Worth’s Industrial and Energy Corridors
Fort Worth sits at the center of one of the largest natural gas producing regions in the country. Workers on drilling sites, pipeline construction projects, refineries, and petrochemical facilities throughout the Fort Worth Basin face daily exposure to flammable gases, high-pressure systems, and volatile chemicals.
Flash fires and gas explosions on these sites produce some of the most severe burn injuries our firm handles.
These cases often involve multiple contractors operating under separate safety plans on the same site, and liability may extend to the well operator, the general contractor, the equipment supplier, and the company responsible for monitoring gas levels.
Our firm secured a multi-million-dollar recovery for a worker who suffered third-degree burns across more than 40% of his body after a gas line rupture on a North Texas drilling site where the operator had failed to install required blowout prevention equipment.
Every case is different, and that result does not predict future outcomes.
Defective Products and Household Appliances
Defective space heaters, faulty wiring, broken gas grills, and flammable consumer products cause burn injuries in homes and businesses throughout Tarrant County.
Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 82, the state’s product liability statute, manufacturers and sellers may be held liable when a defective product causes injury, even without proof of negligence in some situations.
Texas law recognizes three types of product defects that may support a burn injury claim:
- A design defect, meaning the product’s blueprint made it unreasonably dangerous even when built correctly
- A manufacturing defect, meaning an error in production made a specific unit dangerous while others stayed safe
- A marketing defect, meaning the manufacturer failed to include adequate warnings or instructions about burn hazards
If a defective appliance or piece of equipment caused your burn, avoid throwing it away or fixing it before talking to an attorney. The product itself is often the single most important piece of evidence in these cases. A Fort Worth personal injury lawyer can help preserve this evidence and determine whether a product liability claim may be available.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Burn Injury in Fort Worth?
Burn injury victims in Texas may pursue both economic and non-economic damages. Burn cases tend to produce higher totals than many other injury claims because the medical treatment is long, the pain is severe, and the scarring is often permanent. The specific categories our clients commonly pursue include:
- Past and future medical bills, including emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, skin grafts, physical therapy, and scar revision procedures
- Lost income during recovery and reduced earning power over the remainder of a career
- Pain and suffering tied to the extreme physical discomfort of burn treatment
- Mental anguish, emotional distress, and psychological harm, including post-traumatic stress
- Disfigurement and physical impairment from permanent scarring and loss of range of motion
An early settlement offer from an insurer almost never accounts for the full financial picture in a burn case. Treatment costs pile up over years and sometimes decades, and accepting a low offer early locks you out of recovering the difference later.
If you or a family member suffered a serious burn in the Fort Worth area, call (817) 420-7000 to talk with our legal team.
How Does Texas Comparative Fault Apply to Burn Injury Claims?
Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 33. A jury assigns a percentage of fault to every party, and your damages are reduced by the percentage assigned to you.
If your share exceeds 50%, you recover nothing. Laws governing fault allocation differ from state to state, so the rules described here apply specifically to Texas.
How Defendants Argue Fault in Burn Cases
Defendants in burn injury cases frequently claim that the injured person misused the product, ignored safety warnings, or skipped workplace safety steps. In industrial burn cases, the employer and the equipment maker often point fingers at each other while both try to shift blame to the injured worker.
Countering these arguments requires physical evidence, safety records, and testimony from professionals who understand the industry standards that were violated.
What Is the Deadline to File a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Texas?
You have two years from the date of the burn to file a personal injury lawsuit under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003. This filing window, called the statute of limitations, is a hard deadline. Texas courts dismiss burn injury cases filed after it expires, no matter how severe the injury.
Product Liability and the 15-Year Statute of Repose
If a defective product caused your burn, a separate deadline called the statute of repose may also apply. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 82.008, product liability claims are generally barred if filed more than 15 years after the manufacturer first sold the product.
Limited exceptions exist for products covered by an express warranty for a longer period and for injuries involving latent diseases.
Claims Against Government Entities
If a government-owned building, vehicle, or piece of equipment contributed to your burn, the Texas Tort Claims Act requires you to send formal written notice to the government entity within six months. Missing this shorter window may eliminate your ability to pursue a claim, even if you file a lawsuit within two years.
Ask Stephens Law
Do I need a lawyer for a burn injury in Fort Worth?
Burn injury claims involve specialized medical evidence, multiple potential defendants, and insurance companies that aggressively dispute both liability and the extent of damages.
Our Fort Worth burn injury attorneys handle every aspect of the claim, from finding liable parties and working with burn care professionals to negotiating with insurers and preparing for trial.
What if my burn happened at work?
Workers’ compensation, often called workers’ comp, covers medical bills and a portion of lost wages but does not compensate you for pain and suffering damages.
If a third party’s negligence or a defective product played a role in your workplace burn, you may pursue a separate personal injury claim against that party alongside your workers’ comp benefits.
What if a defective product caused my burn?
Texas product liability law under Chapter 82 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code allows you to hold the manufacturer, distributor, or seller of a defective product liable for burn injuries caused by design flaws, manufacturing errors, or inadequate safety warnings.
Under a strict liability theory, you do not need to prove the manufacturer acted carelessly. Keeping the product intact as evidence is one of the most important steps after a product-related burn.
How much does it cost to hire a burn injury lawyer at Stephens Law?
You pay nothing out of pocket. We take burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning we collect a fee only from the compensation we recover. If the case does not result in a recovery, you owe no attorney fees.
FAQs for Fort Worth Burn Injury Lawyers
How long do I have to file a burn injury lawsuit in Texas?
You have two years from the date of the injury to file suit under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003.
Burns caused by defective products face an additional 15-year statute of repose from the date the manufacturer first sold the product. Claims against government entities require formal written notice within six months.
What types of burn injuries lead to the largest claims?
Third-degree and fourth-degree burns typically produce the highest damage calculations because they require multiple surgeries, extensive skin grafting, and years of follow-up care.
Burns covering a large percentage of the body, burns to the face or hands, and burns that cause permanent disfigurement or loss of function tend to carry the greatest long-term costs.
What if I was partly at fault for the burn?
Texas uses a modified comparative fault system. You may still recover damages as long as your share of responsibility does not exceed 50%. Your total recovery goes down by the percentage of fault a jury assigns to you.
Defendants in burn cases often argue the injured person misused the product or ignored warnings, which makes strong liability evidence the core of any effective burn injury claim.
What is the difference between a burn injury claim and a workers’ compensation claim?
Workers’ compensation provides no-fault benefits for medical bills and a portion of lost wages but does not cover pain and suffering. A burn injury lawsuit allows you to seek broader compensation from a negligent third party, a product manufacturer, or a property owner.
You may pursue both types of claims at the same time if your workplace burn involved third-party negligence or a defective product.
What does a burn injury lawyer do for my case?
A burn injury lawyer identifies every liable party, preserves physical and documentary evidence, coordinates with burn care physicians and reconstructive surgeons, calculates damages that account for decades of future treatment, negotiates with all insurers involved, and takes the case to trial if negotiations fail to produce a fair resolution.
Start Your Fort Worth Burn Injury Claim With Stephens Law
Burn injury claims grow harder to prove with every week that passes. Fire scene evidence gets cleared, defective products get tossed out or repaired, and the defendant’s insurer starts building a version of events designed to limit what they pay. Getting legal help early gives your case the strongest possible start.
Jason Stephens stays closely involved in every burn injury case at our firm and commits the preparation these claims demand from the first day. Each case turns on its own facts, and outcomes vary accordingly.
Stephens Law is available at (817) 420-7000 for a free consultation on your burn injury claim. Our firm charges no fee unless we recover compensation for you.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. For guidance specific to your situation, contact a qualified attorney.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Fort Worth, TX
Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents – Fort Worth Office
1300 S University Dr #300
Fort Worth, TX 76107, United States
Phone:
(817) 420 7000
Open 24 hours
