San Diego
Burn Injury Lawyer

San Diego Burn Injury Attorney

If you suffered severe burns due to negligence by another party, you may face serious injuries that are either severe or permanent. Some severe burns have the potential to cause death. There are several reasons a victim could receive burns through no fault of their own. When these injuries are caused by someone’s carelessness, a San Diego burn injury lawyer can help you file a claim.

Hire a Burn Injury Lawyer at Kenneth M. Sigelman & Associates

If you sustained any kind of burn injury because of someone else’s negligence, a San Diego Burn Injury Lawyer at Kenneth M. Sigelman & Associates can help you pursue the compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses. Kenneth Sigelman is both a medical doctor and an experienced lawyer, limiting the additional professionals needed to understand complex medical documentation.

The Importance of Burn Severity in an Injury Claim

The severity of the burns you suffer greatly impacts the outcome of a claim. More serious burns can result in higher medical costs and bigger consequences on your quality of life, which also increases the amount you should receive in a settlement. Factors to consider include:

• Burn degree. First-degree burns are the least-severe type of burn, while third-and fourth-degree burns go much deeper and cause much more severe injuries, requiring more costly treatment and long-term complications.
• Surface area. When the burns cover more surface area of the skin, this also increases the costs of treatment and the impact on someone’s life, which means more damages are needed.
• Location. Where the burn is located also affects case value. Facial burns and burns that impact daily life functions can result in more damages.

Causes of Burn Injuries

There are several ways a victim could receive burn injuries related to negligence, including the following:

• Power lines too close to the ground
• Power lines improperly maintained or improperly insulated
• Faulty electrical wiring in homes, hospitals, schools, or other buildings
• Manufacturing defects of electrical wiring or power lines
• Trucking accidents involving hazardous or toxic materials
• Wildfires, such as the nine major fires in the San Diego area in 2023

• Building and apartment fires, where a property owner may be liable
• Vehicle fires caused by faulty car parts
• Lithium-ion battery fires, including the Gateway Energy Store fire in San Diego in 2026, where the manufacturer of the defective product might be liable
• Workplace injuries, like from chemical exposure or fires, like the 39 deaths from workplace fires and explosions in California from 2015 to 2024

Determining Liability

If you suffered burns, there may be several parties to hold liable for your injuries and losses, including:

• Utility company (private or public)
• Home contractor
• Business contractor
• Electrician (or the employer of the electrician)
• Manufacturer
• Truck driver
• Trucking company
• Government entity

Deadline to File a Personal Injury Claim In California

If you are a victim of someone else’s negligence that resulted in any type of burn, you may be facing serious pain and suffering, medical bills, the need for continuing medical treatments or hospitalization, or lifelong suffering due to your injuries. In the State of California, you only have two years from the date of the accident that caused your burn injuries to file a claim to receive compensation for your injuries and losses.

If your claim is against a government entity, the time frame is very different for filing a claim. There will be substantially different paperwork to file prior to ever actually filing a claim in court. Visit with an experienced San Diego personal injury attorney today so that your legal rights are protected and you do not lose the opportunity to file a claim to receive the compensation you deserve.

Treatment for Burn Injuries

Getting treatment for burn injuries can involve intensive and difficult medical care, including:

• Debridement to remove devitalized tissue
• Grafting healthy skin in place of damaged tissue
• Reconstructive surgery
• Compression garments to reduce scarring

The UC San Diego Health Burn Center offers care for burn victims in the area based on decades of experience.

Severe burn injuries tend to take much longer to heal, even with extensive treatment. It’s important to wait until you have reached maximum improvement to assess the value of your claim, or else you may undervalue your claim. It takes time for medical professionals to assess the long-term impact of your injuries on your life, which is important for getting fair compensation.

Damages Available for Burn Injury Claims

There are many damages available for burn injury claims, depending on the specific consequences of your injuries. Economic damages might include:

• Immediate medical costs
• Long-term treatment needs
• Lost income
• Reduced earning capacity

In burn cases, noneconomic damages are often especially significant. There are many separate categories of these damages to consider, including:

• Scarring
• Disfigurement
• Psychological harm
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma
• Disability
• Reduced enjoyment or quality of life

When you hire a burn injury lawyer, they help you assess each of these categories and determine your damages.

Workplace Burn Injury Compensation

When your burn injuries occur at work, such as scalding from hot liquids or chemical fires, you may have multiple options for compensation. You can recover workers’ compensation benefits, but you may also be able to file a claim against a third party, like a product manufacturer, to recover damages not covered by workers’ comp.

These hazardous incidents are especially likely at industrial worksites, at construction sites, and in firefighting jobs.

Contact a San Diego Burn Injury Lawyer Today

There are few practicing medical malpractice lawyers in San Diego who are also medical doctors. Ken Sigelman, J.D., M.D., is a doctor who is licensed to practice law in California and Florida and before the U.S. Supreme Court.

For more than 20 years, Dr. Sigelman, an award-winning trial lawyer, has had an exceptional record of verdicts, settlements, and arbitration awards. If you suffered any burn injuries because of someone else’s negligence, contact our experienced and compassionate attorneys at 866-971-8956 or online today for a free consultation.