What kind of accidents cause burn injuries in Houston

In Houston, a city with a massive industrial sector, an active highway system, and one of the largest concentrations of oil and gas infrastructure in the country, the risk of burn injuries is everywhere. Some of the most common causes of burn injury cases we handle include:

• Industrial and workplace accidents: Refinery explosions, chemical exposure, electrical fires, and equipment malfunctions are a constant hazard in the Houston area's energy sector.

• Motor vehicle accidents: Car and truck collisions can rupture fuel lines and ignite fires, leaving drivers and passengers alike with devastating thermal burns.

• Defective products: Faulty appliances, lithium-ion batteries, e-cigarettes, and recalled consumer goods have all been responsible for serious burn injuries.

• Chemical exposure: Improper storage or handling of hazardous materials can cause chemical burns that eat through skin and tissue without a single flame.

• Electrical accidents: Contact with live wires, faulty wiring, or downed power lines can cause electrical burns that damage tissue far deeper than the surface.

• Premises liability: Negligent property owners who fail to address fire hazards, faulty gas lines, or inadequate safety measures can be held accountable when someone gets hurt.

In every one of these scenarios, a negligent party made (or failed to make) a decision, and left you paying the price. That's exactly the kind of David-vs-Goliath situation We Fight Giants was built for.

Degrees of severity for burn injury victims

Not all burns are the same, and the severity of your injury will play a major role in the value of your claim and the complexity of your medical treatment. Burns are classified by degree, each indicating how deeply the injury penetrates the skin and underlying tissue.

Third and fourth-degree burns are the most catastrophic cases, the ones that require skin grafts, multiple surgeries, and months or years of rehabilitation. These are also the cases where insurance companies are most motivated to low-ball victims, because the payouts can be enormous. Don't let them.

The extensive cost and long term impact of burn injuries

When burn injury victims think about what they're owed, most people think about their immediate medical bills. But the true financial toll of a serious burn injury goes much further than the first hospital stay. Here's what a comprehensive burn injury claim should account for:

Medical costs can be staggering and ongoing. 

Emergency care, hospitalization, surgeries, skin grafts, wound care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and follow-up procedures can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills, sometimes more. For the most severe injuries, medical expenses can continue for the rest of a victim's life.

Lost income is another major factor. 

Burn injuries often require extended time away from work, and in severe cases, victims may never be able to return to their previous occupation. Hiring an attorney who knows how to get lost wages after an accident is a non-negotiable for any serious burn injury claim.

Pain and suffering are real, compensable damages in Texas. 

Burn injuries are known to be among the most painful injuries a human being can endure. The psychological impact (anxiety, depression, PTSD, and social withdrawal) is equally serious. Texas law allows burn injury victims to recover for the full spectrum of their physical and emotional suffering through pain and suffering damages, but you need an attorney who can calculate and prove them to their full extent.

Disfigurement and scarring are separate categories of damage in Texas. 

Severe burn scarring can permanently alter a person's appearance and identity, and the courts recognize this as compensable harm beyond just physical pain.

Long-term impacts extend beyond the medical. 

A burn survivor may struggle with limited mobility, loss of function in affected limbs, difficulty with basic daily activities, and the psychological weight of living with permanent scars. In the worst cases, burns can be fatal, and families of victims who lost their lives due to another party's negligence may be entitled to pursue a claim with a Houston wrongful death lawyer.

How the insurance company will try to beat you

Here's something you need to internalize before you take a single call from an insurance adjuster: their job is not to help you. Their job is to close your claim as quickly and cheaply as possible.

Insurance companies have teams of lawyers, adjusters, and investigators whose entire purpose is to minimize what they pay out on burn injury claims. They'll question the severity of your injuries, dispute whether their policyholder was actually at fault, argue that you had a pre-existing condition, or pressure you into a fast settlement before you understand the full scope of your long-term medical needs.

This is where We Fight Giants steps in. When we walk into a negotiation or a courtroom against an insurance company, we already know what they're going to try. And we're ready for it. If an insurer is dragging its feet, underpaying, or denying a legitimate claim, we will not let that stand. Our team of insurance lawyers in Houston knows how to hold them accountable and won’t stop until you get justice.

Continue reading: Can you sue an insurance company?

Who can be held responsible in burn injury cases?

Determining liability in a burn injury case isn't always straightforward. Depending on where and how the injury occurred, multiple parties may share responsibility. The team at Thiessen Law Firm conducts thorough investigations to identify every liable party and pursue maximum compensation from each.

Parties that may be held liable in a Houston burn injury case include:

• An employer who failed to maintain safe working conditions or ignored known fire hazards

• A property owner who neglected to address dangerous conditions on their premises

• A manufacturer who put a defective product into the stream of commerce

• A driver whose recklessness caused a crash that resulted in a fire

• A chemical company that improperly stored or transported hazardous materials

• A contractor or construction company that violated safety regulations

In serious burn injury cases, liability can extend to corporations with massive legal teams and deep pockets. That's not an obstacle for us; it’s exactly the kind of fight we show up for. If you need a Houston catastrophic injury lawyer, We Fight Giants has the experience and the resources to go toe to toe with anyone on your behalf.

The process of your burn injury claim

One of the biggest sources of stress for burn injury victims and their families is not knowing what to expect from the legal process. Here's a straightforward breakdown of how a burn injury claim typically moves forward with We Fight Giants:

1. Free consultation. You tell us what happened. We listen, ask questions, and give you an honest assessment of your case. There is never a charge, and you never have an obligation.

2. Investigation and evidence gathering. Our team gets to work immediately, collecting accident reports, medical records, witness statements, surveillance footage, expert opinions, and any other evidence needed to build the strongest possible case. In burn injury cases, acting fast matters. Evidence disappears, memories fade, and scenes change.

3. Demand and negotiation. Once we understand the full scope of your damages, we make a demand to the responsible insurance company and enter into negotiations. We are not in the business of accepting lowball offers, and the insurance companies know it.

4. Litigation (if necessary). If the insurance company won't pay what you're owed, we take them to court. We are trial lawyers — and insurance companies know it. When they see our name they know they have a fight on their hands, and this often forces them to come to the table.

5. Recovery. We don't get paid unless you win. Our contingency fee structure means you pay nothing out of pocket to have We Fight Giants in your corner.

Throughout every step of the legal process, you'll have direct access to your Houston burn injury attorney. You won't be handed off to a junior employee and left in the dark. You will always know exactly where you stand.

How skin grafts and reconstructive care change the value of your case

Burn injury victims requiring skin grafts and reconstructive procedures face a medical journey that most people can barely imagine. Skin grafts (surgical procedures in which healthy skin is transplanted to replace destroyed tissue) are often just the beginning. Many patients require multiple rounds of grafting, followed by months of wound care and physical therapy to restore function and reduce scarring.

The costs associated with skin grafts and reconstructive care can be severe. A single grafting procedure can run tens of thousands of dollars, and complex cases may require a dozen or more surgeries over several years. When you add in rehabilitation, compression garments, scar management therapy, and psychological counseling, the lifetime cost of care for a serious burn injury can easily reach seven figures.

Having a skilled burn injury law firm in your corner can make the difference. Accurately projecting future medical costs requires experience, the right experts, and a deep understanding of burn injury medicine. We Fight Giants works with top medical professionals to make sure your claim accounts for every dollar of care you're going to need, not just what you've already spent.

Houston burn injury lawyer FAQ

How long do I have to file a burn injury claim in Texas?

Texas law gives most personal injury victims two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit, but waiting is never a good idea. Evidence erodes, witnesses become harder to locate, and your team needs time to build the strongest possible case. If you've been seriously burned, contact a burn injury lawyer as soon as you're medically able.

What if I were burned at work?

It depends on whether your employer is a Texas workers' compensation subscriber. Many Houston-area employers (particularly in construction and oil and gas) are non-subscribers, which means you can sue them directly for negligence. Even if your employer carries workers' comp, you may still have a third-party claim against a contractor, manufacturer, or other responsible party. We can help you sort through the right path forward.

How much is a burn injury claim worth?

Unfortunately, there is no universal answer. The value of burn injury claims depends on the severity of the injury, the cost of medical bills and future care, the impact on your ability to work, pain and suffering, and disfigurement. We Fight Giants will fight to make sure every dollar you're owed ends up in your hands.

Can burn injury victims recover if the accident was partly their fault?

Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule. As long as you are found to be less than 51% responsible for the accident, you can still recover damages, though your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance companies will try to shift blame onto you to reduce their payout, but an aggressive burn injury law firm can help counter this tactic and make sure they pay.

Don’t throw in the towel. Contact the burn injury lawyers at We Fight Giants.

The insurance company has lawyers. The corporation that hurt you has lawyers. You need lawyers, too. Not just any lawyers will be able to get you what you deserve — hire trial lawyers who know the machine inside out. We Fight Giants was built to stand up for burn injury victims in Houston who are being pushed around by the powerful parties responsible for their suffering.

Mark Thiessen founded We Fight Giants to make it a fair fight for the people. A quadruple board-certified trial lawyer and 13-time Texas Super Lawyer, Mark has built his reputation winning cases that other attorneys won't touch. When you're up against a corporation's legal team trying to minimize what your suffering is worth, that edge matters. When you hire We Fight Giants, you get that pedigree in your corner.

Your consultation is free. You pay nothing unless we win. Get in touch with We Fight Giants today and let us fight for what you deserve.