San Antonio Burn Injury Lawyer

Burn Injuries in Texas

Burns are some of the most
devastating injuries a person can suffer. Not only do they often result in serious physical pain and disfigurement, but they also leave lasting emotional scars. For
victims, the road to recovery can be long and difficult—but you do not have to go it alone.

If you suffered severe burn injuries due to someone else’s negligent or wrongful conduct, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages. We encourage you to reach out to an experienced personal injury lawyer right away to discuss your legal rights and options.

Call the Law Offices of Pat Maloney, P.C. today at (210) 226-8888 or complete an online form tospeak to our San Antonio burn injury attorney during a free, private consultation.

Types of Burns

Burn injuries range in severity from relatively mild to life-threatening. These injuries are categorized and treated according to their severity, as well as how they occur.

The three classifications of burn injuries include:

• First-Degree Burns: The least serious burn, first-degree burns can still be quite painful. They may cause redness of the skin and can lead to scarring. Because they only affect the upper layer of skin (epidermis), first-degree burns can typically be treated at home with standard first aid.
• Second-Degree Burns: A second-degree burn is considered a moderate to severe burn injury. These burns affect both the upper and lower layer of skin (epidermis and dermis, respectively) and may cause severe pain, redness, blistering, swelling, and scarring.
• Third-Degree Burns: Third-degree burns are the most serious type of burn injury, affecting both layers of skin and underlying/surrounding tissue. They can cause severe pain and/or numbness, blackened or whitened skin (“charring”), and visibly destroyed skin.

Some burn injuries may be categorized as “fourth-degree” burns when they go so deep, the surrounding nerves, bones, and tissues are damaged or destroyed.

Burns are also categorized by type. The different types of burns include:

• Thermal Burns: These are caused by contact between hot objects/substances and the skin. Thermal burns include those caused by fires, hot liquids, steam, etc.
• Electrical Burns: Electrical burns occur when a person’s body comes into contact with an electrical current.
• Chemical Burns: These are caused by harmful chemical substances, such as solvents and acids, making contact with the skin.
• Radiation Burns: A person may suffer a radiation burn from the sun (sunburn), as well as certain medical treatments, such as radiation cancer treatment.

Additionally, friction burns and cold burns are often categorized as burn injuries, though neither is truly a “burn.” A friction burn is a combination of a heat burn and an abrasion, or scrape. Road rash is one example of a friction burn. Cold burns, on the other hand, involve damage to the skin caused by extremely cold temperatures. Cold burns are also known as frostbite.

Common Causes of Burn Injuries

Burns can occur in a wide variety of circumstances. Unfortunately, these injuries are often entirely preventable and occur only because another person or party acts carelessly, recklessly, or wrongfully.

Some of the most common causes of burn injuries include:

• Fires, including structure fires
• Explosions
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Defective products
• Unsafe property conditions
• Medical malpractice/negligence
• Improper workplace safety
• Construction accidents
• Oilfield accidents
• Industrial accidents

If you or someone you love suffered serious burns in one of the above circumstances or another incident resulting from another person or party’s negligence, you could have grounds for a personal injury claim.

When to File a Burn Injury Claim

To bring a successful burn injury claim, you will need to establish several elements:

• Duty of Care: First, you must prove that another person or party owed you a duty of care. This might be a motorist on the road, a medical provider, or even a product manufacturer. If that person or party had a duty to act reasonably so as to prevent you from being injured or otherwise harmed, they owed you a duty of care.
• Breach of the Duty of Care: You will also need to prove that the party that owed you a duty of care failed to uphold it. In other words, you must show that the other person or party breached the duty of care by acting negligently or wrongfully or by default.
• Injuries and Damages: To bring a claim for damages, you must prove that you did, in fact, suffer damages. Typically, damages in a burn injury claim are extensive and may include things like current and future medical expenses, current and future lost wages, and current and future pain and suffering.
• Causation: Lastly, you will need to prove that the other person or party’s breach of the duty of care was the proximate cause of your injuries and/or damages. In other words, you have to show that, had the other person or party not breached the duty of care, you would not have been harmed.

At the Law Offices of Pat Maloney, P.C., we understand the serious nature of burn injuries. Our legal team is well-versed in the intricate nuances of catastrophic injury claims and can help you understand your various legal options. In every case, we fight for the maximum compensation our clients are owed.

Trust Our 99% Success Rate

For more than 65 years, people in and around the San Antonio area have trusted the Law Offices of Pat Maloney, P.C. to provide the compassionate legal guidance they needed and the aggressive advocacy they deserved. To date, our firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts for our clients, and we are successful in 99% of the cases we handle.

Led by Attorney Maloney, our team is proud to serve as a voice for the voiceless, helping people fight back against large insurance companies and corporations who seek to take advantage of injured individuals and their families. We are the oldest plaintiffs’ law firm in San Antonio, meaning we have the experience, resources, and reputation to effectively advocate for you.

Call (210) 226-8888 or contact us online to set up a free consultation with a San Antonio burn injury attorney at the Law Offices of Pat Maloney, P.C. Hablamos español.