Injury Attorney Serving Longmont, Broomfield & Surrounding Areas in Colorado
According to the American Burn Association, hundreds of thousands of burn injuries require medical treatment each year. While many burns are preventable, they still happen — often due to unsafe conditions or another party’s negligence. If you or a loved one was harmed, you may have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit and pursue compensation.
At Jeffress Law, PC, our attorneys have decades of experience helping burn injury victims and their families. Led by Christopher W. Jeffress, who has practiced since 1991 and began his career representing insurance companies, we offer unique insights and unparalleled support.
Causes of Burn Injuries
While burn injuries can occur because of mistakes at home, they frequently happen because of the negligence of another person. Here are some of the common causes:
- Car Accidents: High-speed collisions and vehicle fires often result in severe burn injuries. Faulty vehicle components, such as fuel tanks or electrical systems, can also ignite and cause burns.
- Truck Accidents:Â Large trucks carrying flammable materials or hazardous chemicals can cause catastrophic fires and explosions during collisions, resulting in serious burn injuries to drivers and passengers.
- Bus Accidents:Â Bus accidents can result in fires that trap passengers inside, leading to significant trauma. These incidents are often compounded by delays in evacuation and emergency response.
- Motorcycle Accidents:Â Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to burn injuries from road rash and fuel tank explosions in crashes. Protective gear can help, but severe accidents can still result in serious burns.
- Pedestrian Accidents:Â Pedestrians involved in vehicle accidents may suffer from contact with hot surfaces, vehicle fires, or chemical spills. These injuries can be particularly devastating due to the lack of protective barriers.
- Boat Accidents:Â Boat fires, often caused by fuel leaks, engine malfunctions, or onboard cooking equipment, can lead to severe injuries. Being in open water can delay rescue efforts, worsening the trauma sustained.
- Drunk Driving Accidents:Â Accidents caused by impaired drivers are often severe, leading to fires and explosions that cause burn injuries. The unpredictable nature of these accidents increases the risk of catastrophic burns.
- Workplace Accidents: Industrial settings often involve hazardous materials, machinery, and chemicals, increasing the risk of burns. Accidents involving hot surfaces, electrical equipment, or chemical spills can cause significant burn injuries.
- Defective Products:Â Faulty appliances, electronics, or other consumer products can malfunction, leading to burns. This includes incidents involving defective space heaters, kitchen appliances, and electrical devices.
- Electrical Accidents: Contact with live electrical wires, faulty wiring, or malfunctioning electrical equipment can result in severe electrical burns. These injuries are often more complex due to the internal damage they can cause.
- Chemical Exposure: Exposure to hazardous chemicals at home or work can cause chemical burns. These injuries occur when skin comes into contact with strong acids, alkalis, or other corrosive substances.
- Scalding Accidents: Hot liquids or steam can cause scalding burns, particularly in kitchen or bathroom accidents. These injuries are common in both domestic and commercial settings.
Degrees of Burns
Burns are categorized by degree based on how deeply they damage the skin and tissue:
- First-degree burns: These involve only the outer layer of skin and typically cause redness, mild swelling, and pain.
- Second-degree burns: These extend deeper into the skin and often lead to blistering, intense pain, and possible scarring.
- Third-degree burns: These destroy both the outer and underlying layers of skin and may appear white, charred, or leathery, sometimes with little pain due to nerve damage.
- Fourth-degree burns: These reach beyond the skin into muscle, tendons, or bone and are extremely serious, often requiring surgery and long-term medical care.
Who Can Be Held Accountable for a Burn Injury?
Responsibility for a burn injury depends on how the accident happened and who had a duty to prevent it. Here are some examples of people who may be held liable:
- Negligent drivers: If a crash caused a vehicle fire or explosion.
- Property owners and landlords: When unsafe wiring, faulty smoke detectors, or code violations contribute to a fire.
- Employers: For workplace burns tied to poor training, missing safety equipment, or hazardous conditions.
- Manufacturers: If a defective product — such as an appliance, battery, or electrical component — overheats or malfunctions.
In some situations, multiple parties may share responsibility.
Types of Compensation You Can Expect From Burn Injury Claims
Compensation from a burn injury claim can include medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and long-term care expenses. The attorneys at Jeffress Law, PC, will work to ensure all aspects of your injury are accounted for in your claim.
Statute of Limitations for Filing a Burn Injury Lawsuit
In Colorado, the statute of limitations for filing a burn injury lawsuit is usually two years from the date of the injury. However, some situations, such as burn injuries caused by a motor vehicle accident, may allow three years to file.
Missing the deadline can prevent you from recovering compensation, so it’s important to speak with a burn injury attorney as soon as possible to protect your rights.
How a Burn Injury Lawyer Can Help With Your Case
A burn injury lawyer can help you by investigating the circumstances of your injury, identifying liable parties, and advocating for your right to compensation. They will guide you through the legal process and work to secure funds for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and rehabilitation.
Hiring an experienced burn injury lawyer is crucial because they have the knowledge and expertise to handle the complexities of these cases. They understand the long-term impacts of this kind of trauma and can ensure you receive the maximum compensation for ongoing care and recovery.
Why Choose Jeffress Law, PC, for a Burn Injury Attorney in Boulder, CO?
At Jeffress Law, PC, we understand the profound impact burn injuries can have on your life, and we are committed to providing the personal care and attention you need during this challenging time. Our firm’s unique approach stems from our small size, which allows us to offer a level of dedication and personalized service that larger firms simply cannot match.
Led by Christopher Jeffress, a Top 10 Attorney, our team leverages years of experience and a deep understanding of insurance company tactics to help you secure the maximum compensation you deserve. Chris’s extensive experience handling significant cases makes him a particularly empathetic and effective advocate for burn injury victims.
FAQs
Depending on what caused the fire, you may be able to file a claim.
Landlords and property managers can be held accountable for unsafe conditions, including faulty wiring, broken smoke detectors, code violations, and neglected maintenance. In some cases, a third party may also be liable, such as a negligent contractor or a manufacturer of a defective appliance.
A burn injury attorney can review the facts and determine who should be held accountable.
Yes. Many burn injury claims include compensation for scarring, skin discoloration, and permanent disfigurement — especially when injuries affect visible areas like the face, neck, arms, or hands. These injuries can impact confidence, daily comfort, and long-term quality of life, and they may require skin grafts, scar revision, or ongoing dermatologic care.
Your claim may also include emotional distress and the ways scarring affects work, relationships, and day-to-day activities.
If your burn injury causes nerve harm, reduced range of motion, or chronic pain, your case may involve significant long-term damages.
Severe burns can affect muscles, tendons, and nerves, leading to ongoing weakness, sensitivity, or stiffness — especially around joints. These complications often require physical therapy, occupational therapy, medications, and sometimes additional surgery.
A burn injury attorney can help document your injuries and pursue compensation that reflects both current struggles and future needs.
Future medical costs are based on the care you’re expected to need over time. This may include surgeries, skin grafts, follow-up burn care, prescription medication, physical therapy, counseling, and scar treatment. In serious cases, long-term home assistance or specialized rehabilitation may also be included.
Attorneys often work with medical providers and financial experts to estimate the cost of continued treatment and recovery. The goal is to pursue compensation that accounts for both today’s bills and tomorrow’s care.
Discuss Your Case Today
For help with your case and to discover more about our contingency fee policy, contact our office today. Please fill out our contact form, call us at 303-993-8685, or text 303-225-9101. We are humbled to serve clients in the Boulder, Fort Collins, Longmont, Loveland, and Broomfield areas. Contact us today for your free case review.
