Severe burns can leave permanent scars and disabilities that require lifelong medical treatment. Our catastrophic injury lawyers in Indianapolis fight for burn victims to secure compensation for medical expenses, reconstructive surgery, and pain and suffering.

Indianapolis Burn Injury Attorneys

FIGHTING FOR YOU WHEN THE STAKES ARE HIGHEST

There are many ways the skin surfaces of the body can be burned: heat, steam, chemicals, sunlight, fire, and more. These injuries can be accidental or the result of someone else’s negligence. Sadly, burns can lead to devastating, life-changing injuries and even death. They place a physical, psychological, social, and financial burden on the victim.

If you or a family member has suffered a burn injury or death due to the negligence of others, you can take steps to hold them accountable and pursue the compensation you deserve. Start by calling our Indianapolis burn injury lawyers at Wagner Reese for a free consultation. We have been representing accident victims in Indianapolis since 1997.

Protecting Your Right to Compensation

After suffering a serious burn, it’s critical that you:

  • Seek medical attention immediately or have someone help you to a medical facility.
  • Contact an attorney at Wagner Reese for assistance with your burn injury case.
  • Do not agree to anything or sign anything without the assistance of a lawyer.
  • Assemble anything pertinent to your case, such as names and contact information of possible witnesses, and keep all of your medical documentation.

The Long-Lasting Impact of Severe Burn Injuries

A burn injury is one of the most painful injuries a person can experience. The skin is the largest organ in the human body with billions of neuroreceptors. A burn injury exposes these neurons to the air, which causes them to produce high frequency impulses.

Unlike other injuries where pain decreases with time, the pain from burn injuries can worsen because the subsequent wound care is often more painful than the burn itself. The process of treating a burn injury involves frequent dressing changes, followed by other painful procedures like skin debridement, skin grafting, and physiotherapy.

However, a burn victim’s suffering does not end there. Burn injury victims also endure debilitating chronic pain, which often affects their sleep, work, and quality of life. Many times, they lose their sense of touch and ability to perspire in the affected areas.

The skin also loses its elasticity and is prone to infections. Added to that, they must also deal with the trauma of disfigurement. A majority of burn victims suffer psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of their injuries. Sadly, burn victims are often scarred mentally as well as physically.

The Emotional and Psychological Toll of Burn Injuries

The visible damage left by a serious burn injury is only part of the picture. Survivors frequently face a profound psychological burden that continues long after physical wounds begin to heal. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder are common among burn injury victims, and these conditions can be just as debilitating as the physical injuries themselves.

Social withdrawal, difficulty returning to work, strained relationships, and a diminished sense of identity are all documented consequences of severe burn trauma. The visible nature of scarring and disfigurement can affect how survivors perceive themselves and how others interact with them, compounding the emotional damage. According to the American Burn Association, 61% of burn incidents happen at private residences, and many survivors must continue to face their trauma in the very spaces where they live and recover.

Mental health treatment, including counseling and psychiatric care, is a legitimate and recoverable component of a burn injury claim. Wagner Reese works with medical professionals to ensure the full scope of a client’s suffering is documented and pursued as part of their case.

Burn Injuries Caused by Negligence

Burns are defined as damage to the skin tissue as the result of heat, steam, fire, chemicals, sunlight, or electricity, and are categorized by different levels of severity:

  • First-degree: the outer layer of skin is damaged
  • Second-degree: the outer layer of skin and the layer of skin underneath is damaged
  • Third-degree: all layers of the skin are damaged

In America, one person dies almost every three hours and one person is injured every 30 minutes in a fire. Annually, there are around 3,400 burn deaths and 40,000 people require hospitalization due to a burn injury. These injuries often require a long hospital stay with skin grafts and reconstructive surgery, severely inflating the cost of hospital bills.

Many of these burn injuries and deaths are preventable and are caused by negligence. A few examples of burn injuries caused by negligence include workplace explosions, malfunctioning or defective smoke detectors, fires started by a defective product, improperly stored gasoline, blocked fire exits, and building code violations. Fire and gas explosions on another person’s property can also give rise to premises liability claims.

Common Causes of Negligent Burn Injuries in Indiana

Burn injuries caused by negligence can occur in many different settings. When a property owner, employer, product manufacturer, or another party fails to uphold a duty of care, the resulting injuries can be life-altering. Understanding the circumstances that lead to these injuries is an important first step in determining who may be held accountable.

Workplace Burn Accidents

Industrial and construction environments carry a significant risk of burn injuries. Exposure to open flames, chemical agents, electrical equipment, and steam can cause severe burns when proper safety protocols are not followed. When an employer’s failure to maintain safe working conditions leads to a burn injury, victims may have grounds to pursue a claim beyond standard workers’ compensation.

Defective Products

Appliances, vehicles, and consumer products that malfunction due to a design flaw or manufacturing defect can ignite or explode without warning. In these cases, the product’s manufacturer or distributor may be liable for injuries caused by the failure. Our product liability attorneys handle cases involving defective products that have caused serious harm to Indiana residents.

Fire and Gas Explosions on Another’s Property

Property owners have a legal obligation to maintain safe conditions for guests and visitors. When gas leaks, faulty wiring, blocked fire exits, or other hazards on someone’s property result in a fire or explosion, victims may have a valid fire and gas explosion claim under Indiana premises liability law.

What Compensation Can Burn Injury Victims Recover?

Burn injuries carry consequences far beyond the initial trauma. Victims often face years of ongoing medical treatment, lost income, and permanent physical changes that affect every aspect of daily life. When a burn is caused by someone else’s negligence, Indiana law allows victims to pursue compensation that reflects the true weight of their losses.

The types of damages available in a burn injury claim generally fall into two categories: economic and non-economic. Economic damages cover measurable financial losses, while non-economic damages address the more personal toll the injury takes. Depending on the circumstances, a burn injury claim may include compensation for the following:

  • Emergency treatment, hospitalization, and surgeries
  • Skin grafting, reconstructive procedures, and long-term wound care
  • Physical therapy and occupational rehabilitation
  • Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
  • Permanent disfigurement and scarring
  • Pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life

Every case is different, and the compensation available depends on the severity of the injury, the extent of negligence involved, and the long-term impact on the victim’s health and livelihood. An attorney at Wagner Reese can help evaluate the full scope of your damages and build a claim that pursues what you are owed.

Burn Injury Cases Involving Wrongful Death

Tragically, some burn injuries prove fatal. When a victim dies as a result of burns sustained through another party’s negligence, surviving family members may be entitled to pursue a wrongful death claim in Indiana. These claims allow families to seek accountability and recover damages for funeral expenses, medical costs incurred before death, and the loss of financial support and companionship.

Indiana’s wrongful death statute sets specific requirements for who may file a claim and the timeline for doing so. Acting promptly is critical, as delays can weaken the case and reduce the evidence available to support it. The attorneys at Wagner Reese have extensive experience handling catastrophic injury cases that resulted in the wrongful death of a family member, and we approach each case with both legal rigor and compassion for the family’s loss.

Call Wagner Reese for a Free Consultation

The Indianapolis catastrophic injury lawyers of Wagner Reese have been helping victims since 1997, and handle all types of burn injury cases, no matter how serious the burn may be, and we consult with medical experts to evaluate the needs of your situation and your future.

Wagner Reese will help you secure the compensation you deserve as a result of your burn injury. Contact us online or call us at (888) 204-8440 for a FREE review.

How an Indianapolis Burn Injury Lawyer Can Help

Navigating a burn injury claim is rarely straightforward. Insurance companies often move quickly to minimize payouts, and the long-term medical needs of burn survivors are frequently underestimated in early settlement offers. Having an attorney in your corner from the outset makes a meaningful difference in the outcome of your case.

At Wagner Reese, our approach to catastrophic injury representation includes consulting medical professionals, reconstructing the circumstances of the injury, and building a thorough record of both current and future damages. We do not accept lowball offers that fail to account for the true cost of a burn injury. Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf. To learn more about how burns affect victims and what your options may be, contact our office for a free consultation.