Obtenga una consulta gratuita con un abogado de lesiones personales

Valoración de T.V.

"Recomiendo encarecidamente BB&G ... Le daría 10 estrellas si pudiera".

Valoración de G.V.

"¡Estoy muy contenta con la representación de BB&G!".

Valoración de M.S.

"Los abogados de BBG fueron excepcionales. El resultado fue mejor de lo que esperábamos".

Valoración de R.G.

"Desde el momento en que contacté con este bufete me trataron como de la familia".

Valoración de A.H.

"No podríamos estar más contentos con el resultado ni con el excelente servicio".

Valoración de V.A.

"Nos sentimos muy seguros y confiados con su representación".

Valoración de J.P.

"Briskman Briskman & Greenberg es una fuerza legal a tener en cuenta".

Valoración de T.Z.

"Estoy contento con cómo han llevado mi caso y recomiendo llamarles".

Valoración de K.N.

"Proceso muy fácil con la ayuda de estas increíbles personas. Resultado muy feliz".

CONSULTA GRATUITA

CONSULTA GRATUITA

Nuestros abogados

Chicago Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for Fire and Explosion Injuries

A workplace fire or explosion can change a worker’s life in an instant. One moment you’re on the job at a refinery near the Calumet River, a construction site along the Kennedy Expressway, or a manufacturing plant in the Pilsen neighborhood, and the next you’re dealing with severe burns, shattered bones, or worse. If this happened to you, you have rights under Illinois law, and Briskman Briskman & Greenberg is here to help you protect them. As a Chicago abogado de lesiones personales firm with deep roots in Illinois workers’ compensation law, we fight for injured workers every day.

Why Fire and Explosion Injuries Are Among the Most Severe Workplace Injuries
How the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act Covers Fire and Explosion Injuries
What Benefits Fire and Explosion Injury Victims Can Claim in Illinois
Third-Party Claims After a Workplace Fire or Explosion in Chicago
Steps to Take After a Fire or Explosion Injury at a Chicago Workplace
Why Briskman Briskman & Greenberg Fights for Chicago Fire and Explosion Injury Victims
FAQs About Chicago Workers’ Compensation for Fire and Explosion Injuries

Why Fire and Explosion Injuries Are Among the Most Severe Workplace Injuries

Fire and explosion injuries stand apart from most other workplace injuries because of how fast and how completely they can devastate the human body. A single blast or flash fire can cause third-degree burns, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, ruptured eardrums, internal injuries, and permanent vision loss, all at once. These are not injuries that heal in a few weeks.

Workers in Chicago face these risks across many industries. Think about the steel mills along the South Side lakefront, the chemical plants near the Cal-Sag Channel, the construction sites throughout the Loop, and the food processing facilities in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Hot work, which involves open flames, sparks, or heat-generating processes, creates the possibility of fire or explosion at worksites including construction, steel production, food processing, paper manufacturing, fuel storage, and oil and gas production.

Injuries associated with process safety hazards, meaning those that occur when there is an explosion, fire, or chemical release, are less frequent than slips, trips, and falls, but they are often catastrophic when they do happen. That is exactly why the law provides strong protections for workers who suffer them.

The physical consequences alone are staggering. Severe burns require repeated surgeries, skin grafts, and years of rehabilitation. Explosion blasts can rupture organs, collapse lungs, and cause traumatic brain injuries that affect a worker for life. Smoke inhalation can permanently damage the lungs, leading to occupational respiratory conditions that linger long after the fire is out. Workers who survive these events often cannot return to the same type of work, and some cannot work at all.

The financial pressure that follows is just as crushing. Medical bills pile up fast. Lost wages start immediately. Families that depended on that paycheck feel the strain within weeks. Understanding your legal rights from the very beginning gives you the best chance of getting the full benefits you are owed.

How the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act Covers Fire and Explosion Injuries

En workers’ compensation lawyer you choose should understand exactly how Illinois law applies to fire and explosion claims. The governing law is the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, 820 ILCS 305. Under Section 2 of that Act, an employer in Illinois may elect to provide and pay compensation for accidental injuries sustained by an employee arising out of and in the course of employment. In practice, nearly all Illinois employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance.

To obtain benefits under the Act, Section 2(d) requires that an employee show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that he or she sustained accidental injuries arising out of and in the course of employment. For fire and explosion victims, this typically means showing that the incident happened at work, during work hours, and while performing job duties. You do not need to prove your employer was at fault.

The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act also specifically recognizes businesses that work with explosive or flammable materials as extra-hazardous enterprises. Under the Act, any business in which “molten metal, or explosive or injurious gases, dusts or vapors, or inflammable vapors, dusts or fluids” are manufactured, used, generated, stored, or conveyed falls into a specially defined category. This matters because it signals that the legislature understood these risks and built protections around them.

Section 8 of the Act spells out what benefits a covered employee receives. Private industry employers reported over 101,000 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in Illinois in 2023 alone, and workers’ compensation is the primary system designed to address those injuries. Under Section 8(a), your employer must pay for all necessary first aid, medical, surgical, and hospital services required to cure or relieve the effects of your injury. That includes burn treatment, reconstructive surgery, and long-term rehabilitation.

Section 8 also provides for wage replacement, disfigurement compensation, and vocational rehabilitation when a worker cannot return to their previous job. For workers with serious burn injuries, the Act provides up to 162 weeks of compensation for serious and permanent disfigurement to the hand, head, face, neck, arm, leg below the knee, or chest above the axillary line, calculated at the applicable compensation rate.

What Benefits Fire and Explosion Injury Victims Can Claim in Illinois

Illinois workers injured in a fire or explosion can claim several categories of benefits under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, 820 ILCS 305. Knowing what you are entitled to helps you make sure you are not leaving money on the table.

Medical benefits come first. Under Section 8(a) of the Act, your employer must pay for all reasonably necessary medical treatment, including emergency care, surgeries, hospital stays, prescription medications, physical therapy, and follow-up appointments. This obligation does not end after the first visit. It continues as long as treatment is reasonably required to cure or relieve the effects of the injury. For burn victims, that can mean years of ongoing care.

Wage replacement benefits cover the time you cannot work. Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefits apply when you are completely unable to work while recovering. The amount is calculated at two-thirds of your average weekly wage. Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) benefits apply if you can work in a limited capacity but earn less than before. Both types of benefits are governed by Section 8 of the Act.

Permanent disability benefits apply when your injuries leave lasting limitations. Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) compensates for a permanent impairment that does not completely prevent you from working. Permanent Total Disability (PTD) applies when you cannot return to any gainful employment. These distinctions matter greatly in fire and explosion cases, where survivors often face lifelong physical limitations.

Disfigurement benefits are particularly relevant for burn victims. Serious and permanent disfigurement to the face, head, neck, or hands can result in additional compensation under Section 8(c) of the Act, up to 162 weeks at the applicable rate. This is separate from disability benefits and recognizes the profound personal impact of visible scarring.

Vocational rehabilitation is also available under the Act when a worker cannot return to their previous occupation. This can include job retraining, education, and support for finding new employment suited to the worker’s current physical abilities.

Third-Party Claims After a Workplace Fire or Explosion in Chicago

Workers’ compensation is not always the only legal avenue available after a fire or explosion injury. When a party other than your employer caused or contributed to the incident, you may have the right to file a separate civil lawsuit called a third-party claim. This is an important distinction that many injured workers do not realize exists.

Think about a construction site on the Near North Side where a subcontractor’s crew improperly stores flammable materials near an active welding operation. If you are a worker employed by a different company on that same site, and the explosion injures you, the subcontractor responsible for the unsafe condition is a third party. You can file a workers’ compensation claim against your own employer and a civil lawsuit against the subcontractor at the same time.

Other common third parties in fire and explosion cases include equipment manufacturers, chemical suppliers, property owners, and maintenance contractors. If a defective piece of industrial equipment caused the explosion, a product liability claim against the manufacturer may be possible. If a chemical supplier provided a substance without proper safety warnings, that could support a separate civil claim.

En virtud de la Workers’ Occupational Diseases Act, 820 ILCS 310, Section 5(b), where disablement or death is caused by circumstances creating legal liability on the part of a person other than the employer, legal proceedings may be taken against that other person to recover damages, even while the employer’s workers’ compensation obligation remains in place. The same principle applies under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act.

Third-party claims are valuable because they can recover damages that workers’ compensation does not cover, including pain and suffering, full lost wages (not just two-thirds), and loss of a normal life. A workers’ compensation lawyer who understands both systems can help you pursue every avenue of recovery available to you.

Steps to Take After a Fire or Explosion Injury at a Chicago Workplace

The actions you take in the days and weeks after a workplace fire or explosion directly affect your ability to recover full benefits. Getting these steps right matters.

Report the injury to your employer as soon as possible. Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, 820 ILCS 305, you generally have 45 days to provide written notice of a workplace injury to your employer. Missing this window can jeopardize your claim. Do not wait to see how you feel. Report the incident right away, even if you think your injuries are minor, because fire and explosion injuries often reveal their full severity days or weeks later.

Seek immediate medical attention. Your health comes first. Go to the emergency room if needed. Document everything, including your symptoms, your diagnosis, and every treatment you receive. Under Section 8(a) of the Act, your employer is responsible for the cost of all necessary medical care. Make sure your treatment is tied to the workplace incident from the very beginning.

File your workers’ compensation claim with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC), which is the state agency that oversees all workers’ compensation claims in Illinois. The statute of limitations for filing a claim under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act is generally three years from the date of the accident, or two years from the last payment of compensation, whichever is later. Do not let time run out on your claim.

Preserve evidence. If you can do so safely, take photographs of the scene, your injuries, and any equipment or materials involved. Keep records of all medical bills, pay stubs, and communications with your employer or their insurance company. Of the more than 101,000 private industry injury and illness cases reported in Illinois, 64,500 involved days away from work, job transfer, or restriction, which shows how frequently these claims involve serious, documented harm. Strong documentation supports your claim at every stage.

Contact an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer before you speak with your employer’s insurance company. Insurers are not on your side. Their goal is to minimize what they pay out. Having legal representation from the start protects you from accepting a settlement that falls far short of what your injuries actually cost.

Why Briskman Briskman & Greenberg Fights for Chicago Fire and Explosion Injury Victims

Briskman Briskman & Greenberg has represented injured workers throughout the Chicago area for decades. Our firm knows what these cases require, and we work hard to make sure our clients receive every benefit they are entitled to under the law. We handle workers’ compensation claims and, where applicable, third-party civil lawsuits, giving our clients access to the full range of legal remedies available.

We serve workers across Chicago’s diverse industrial communities, from the manufacturing corridors of the West Side to the construction zones near O’Hare International Airport, from the chemical facilities near the Calumet industrial district to the steel operations along the South Side. No matter where in the Chicago area you work, we are ready to help.

Our firm handles these cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you. We want you to focus on healing, not on worrying about legal costs. Three supersectors, including manufacturing, account for the majority of occupational injuries and illnesses in Illinois, and workers in those sectors deserve strong legal representation when the worst happens.

Illinois workers’ compensation law can be demanding to manage on your own. Insurance companies have experienced adjusters and attorneys working to limit your recovery. You deserve the same level of advocacy on your side. Whether you are dealing with a disputed claim, a denial, or questions about your right to pursue a third-party lawsuit, a workers’ compensation lawyer at our firm can guide you through the process.

We also represent workers in cases involving related injuries, including chemical exposure, toxic exposure, burn injuries, amputations, traumatic brain injuries, and occupational illnesses that may result from smoke inhalation or chemical release during a fire. If your injury falls into more than one category, we look at the full picture of your losses.

Call Briskman Briskman & Greenberg today at (312) 222-0010 for a free consultation. You can also reach a workers’ compensation attorney at our firm online. There is no obligation, and speaking with us costs you nothing. Let us review your situation and help you understand your options.

This content is attorney advertising. Briskman Briskman & Greenberg is responsible for this content. Our principal office is located at 166 W. Washington St., Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60602. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes in future cases. Each case is unique and must be evaluated on its own facts.

FAQs About Chicago Workers’ Compensation for Fire and Explosion Injuries

Do I have to prove my employer was negligent to receive workers’ compensation benefits after a workplace fire or explosion in Illinois?

No. Illinois workers’ compensation is a no-fault system under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, 820 ILCS 305. You do not need to prove that your employer was careless or at fault. You only need to show that your injury arose out of and in the course of your employment. This means that as long as the fire or explosion happened while you were doing your job, you are generally entitled to benefits regardless of who caused the incident.

What if my fire or explosion injuries were caused by a contractor or equipment manufacturer, not my employer?

You may have two separate legal claims. You can file a workers’ compensation claim against your own employer and, at the same time, pursue a civil lawsuit against the contractor, equipment manufacturer, or other third party whose negligence contributed to the incident. Under Section 5(b) of the Workers’ Occupational Diseases Act, 820 ILCS 310, and parallel provisions of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, your right to pursue a third party is preserved even when workers’ compensation benefits are being paid. A third-party lawsuit can recover damages that workers’ compensation does not cover, such as pain and suffering.

How long do I have to file a workers’ compensation claim after a workplace fire or explosion in Illinois?

Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, 820 ILCS 305, you generally have three years from the date of the accident to file a claim with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, or two years from the last payment of compensation, whichever is later. You also have 45 days from the date of the injury to provide written notice to your employer. Missing either deadline can seriously harm your claim, so it is important to act quickly and consult with a workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible after the incident.

Can I receive compensation for permanent scarring or disfigurement from a workplace fire?

Yes. Section 8(c) of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act specifically provides compensation for serious and permanent disfigurement to the hand, head, face, neck, arm, leg below the knee, or chest above the axillary line. This compensation can reach up to 162 weeks at the applicable rate and is separate from any disability benefits you receive. Burn scars and other visible, permanent injuries from a workplace fire are recognized under the Act as compensable harm, and you should make sure this category of benefits is included in any settlement or award.

What should I do if my employer’s insurance company denies my workers’ compensation claim after a fire or explosion?

A denial is not the end of the road. You have the right to appeal a denied claim before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. The IWCC, which is the state agency that oversees all workers’ compensation disputes in Illinois, provides a formal hearing process where you can present evidence and testimony to support your claim. An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer can help you gather medical records, witness statements, and expert opinions to build a strong case. Contact Briskman Briskman & Greenberg at (312) 222-0010 to discuss your denial and your options for moving forward.

More Resources About Workplace Accident Types

La experiencia general que tuve con Briskman Briskman & Greenberg fue del tipo que todo el mundo debería recibir de cualquier empresa.

El personal se mantuvo en contacto conmigo por teléfono y correo electrónico, estaban muy bien informados, se aseguraron de que entendiera lo que estaba pasando en todo momento, respondieron a todas mis preguntas, fueron transparentes, y definitivamente superaron mis expectativas. Los recomiendo encarecidamente.

- Brandon Spivey

El nivel de cuidado, atención, empatía y preocupación en relación con mi caso al tratar con Briskman Briskman y Greenberg superó mis expectativas.

Eran extremadamente informados y justos en todos los asuntos relacionados. Dieron ejemplo de excelente servicio y atención al cliente. Me mantuvieron informado y actualizado en todo momento y respondieron a todas mis preguntas. Recomiendo encarecidamente usarlos como lo haría de nuevo.

- Joshua Payton

Me sentí a gusto con la profesionalidad de Briskman y Briskman.

Paul Greenberg especialmente poner mi mente para descansar y en un plazo de un año he resuelto mi caso y estoy muy satisfecho con el resultado. Mi lesión fue devastador, pero trabajar con este bufete de abogados ha puesto un montón de noches estresantes para descansar.

- Nakia Childs

Necesitaba un abogado de lesiones personales y Gavin y su equipo fueron más allá.

Hicieron que el proceso fuera sencillo y me ayudaron en cada paso del camino. Lo que realmente aprecio es que son directos y responden rápidamente a mis preguntas y a cualquier problema con un mensaje de texto o una llamada telefónica. Además, me controlaron continuamente. ¡Estoy contento con la forma en que manejaron mi caso y recomendaría darles una llamada!

- Ted Zakrzewski

Briskman Briskman & Greenberg Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers (BBG) is a legal team you want on your side.

Llevaron mi caso de manera profesional, sensible y muy competente. El personal muestra experiencia en el ámbito jurídico y proporcionó un excelente apoyo y atención al cliente. Gracias BBG por su ayuda con la navegación de un caso muy sensible y difícil para mi familia.

- Robin Albritton

Si ha sufrido un accidente y necesita un abogado excelente, ¡¡¡hable con Paul!!!

Muy agradable y profesional abogado que extremadamente se preocupa por sus clientes. Crucemos los dedos para que nunca vuelva a tener un accidente, pero si es así, ¡sin duda, 10/10 volvería a utilizar Paul!

- Danny S.

Estoy muy satisfecha con la representación de BB&G.

Robert Briskman manejó mi caso de lesiones muy bien. Personalidad divertida y comprensiva y se tomó el tiempo para explicar todo en detalle de todo el caso. Fue maravilloso trabajar con él. Yo recomendaría BB&G a cualquiera y para mí de nuevo en el futuro.

- Ginebra Vanderbilt

Desde el momento en que me puse en contacto con este bufete me trataron como de la familia.

Gavin Pearlman fue honesto y sincero conmigo durante todo el proceso. Sin sorpresas y nunca me mantuvo colgado. Recomiendo encarecidamente estos abogados para sus necesidades.

- Ron Gaber

I cannot say enough good things about the attorneys at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers.

Fueron extremadamente receptivos, profesionales y compasivos durante todo el proceso. Sus habilidades de negociación fueron excepcionales, y fueron capaces de asegurar un acuerdo que superó con creces mis expectativas. Estoy agradecido de haber tenido un equipo tan dedicado".