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Belleville Burn Injury Lawyer
Burn injuries are among the most painful and life-altering injuries a person can suffer. Whether caused by a car accident on Interstate 64, a workplace fire near Belleville’s industrial corridors, a defective product, or a dangerous property condition, the physical and emotional toll can last a lifetime. If someone else’s negligence caused your burns, you have legal rights under Illinois law, and Briskman Briskman & Greenberg is here to help you pursue them.
Table of Contents
- How Burn Injuries Happen and Why They Are So Serious
- Common Causes of Burn Injuries in Belleville, IL
- Illinois Laws That Protect Burn Injury Victims
- What Compensation Can You Recover After a Burn Injury?
- Why Burn Injury Claims Require Prompt Action
- FAQs About Belleville Burn Injury Claims
How Burn Injuries Happen and Why They Are So Serious
Burn injuries do not happen only in house fires. They occur in car crashes, construction accidents, chemical spills, electrical incidents, scalding liquids, and defective consumer products. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), approximately every 60 seconds someone in the U.S. sustains a burn injury serious enough to require treatment. That number reflects just how common these injuries are, and how quickly a routine situation can turn catastrophic.
In Belleville and throughout the greater St. Clair County area, burn injuries happen on job sites, in warehouses, in apartment buildings, and on the road. A rear-end collision on Route 15 can rupture a fuel tank and cause a vehicle fire in seconds. A construction worker near Scott Air Force Base can be exposed to electrical arcs or flammable chemicals without proper safety precautions. A tenant in an older Belleville apartment building can suffer severe burns because a landlord failed to maintain smoke alarms or address a known fire hazard.
Burn injuries are classified by degree, with third-degree and fourth-degree burns destroying skin layers, nerve endings, and underlying tissue. Even second-degree burns can require skin grafts, extended hospital stays, and months of painful rehabilitation. Today, 96.8% of those who suffer burn injuries will survive, but survival alone does not tell the full story. Many survivors face permanent scarring, chronic pain, limited mobility, and serious psychological trauma, including PTSD and depression. These are not minor inconveniences. They are life-changing consequences that deserve full and fair compensation.
The financial burden that follows a serious burn injury is enormous. Medical bills, reconstructive surgery, occupational therapy, lost income, and long-term care can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. If another party’s negligence caused those burns, Illinois law gives you the right to hold them accountable.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries in Belleville, IL
Understanding what caused your burn injury is the first step in building a strong legal claim. Many burn injuries in the Belleville area trace back to a specific act of negligence or a dangerous condition that someone else had a duty to prevent.
Car and truck accidents are a leading cause of burn injuries. When a vehicle catches fire after a collision, passengers can suffer severe burns before they can escape. Accidents on highways like I-255 and Route 460, which run through and around Belleville, create serious fire risks, especially when commercial trucks carrying flammable cargo are involved. A crash caused by a distracted or drunk driver that results in a fire can give rise to a personal injury claim against that driver.
Workplace accidents are another major source of burn injuries. Illinois workers in construction, manufacturing, and warehouse settings face daily exposure to open flames, electrical hazards, hot machinery, and caustic chemicals. When employers fail to follow safety protocols required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), workers can suffer severe burns. In those situations, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305) may provide benefits, but a separate personal injury claim may also be available against a negligent third party, such as a subcontractor or equipment manufacturer.
Defective products, including faulty appliances, lithium-ion batteries, and gas-powered equipment, can cause sudden fires and explosions. Premises liability cases arise when landlords or property owners fail to maintain safe conditions, leaving tenants and visitors exposed to fire hazards. Chemical burns can result from exposure to toxic substances on job sites or in commercial spaces. Each of these situations involves a party whose negligence created the danger, and Illinois law holds those parties responsible.
Illinois Laws That Protect Burn Injury Victims
Illinois has a strong legal framework that protects people injured by the negligence of others. If you suffered a burn injury because of someone else’s careless or reckless conduct, several key laws govern your right to compensation.
Under the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure, 735 ILCS 5/13-202, burn injury victims generally have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline is firm. Missing it can permanently bar you from recovering any compensation, regardless of how serious your injuries are. Do not wait to speak with an attorney.
Illinois also follows a modified comparative fault rule under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. This means that even if you were partly at fault for the incident that caused your burns, you can still recover damages as long as your share of the fault does not exceed 50%. However, any award you receive will be reduced in proportion to your percentage of fault. For example, if a jury finds you 20% at fault and awards $500,000, you would receive $400,000. Insurance companies often try to inflate a victim’s share of fault to reduce what they owe, which is exactly why having experienced legal representation matters.
When multiple parties share responsibility for a burn injury, 735 ILCS 5/2-1117 governs how liability is divided. Under this provision, all defendants found liable are jointly and severally liable for a plaintiff’s past and future medical and medically related expenses. Any defendant whose fault is 25% or greater is also jointly and severally liable for all other damages. This is important in burn injury cases because multiple parties, such as a property owner, a contractor, and an equipment manufacturer, may all share fault.
If a burn injury results in serious and permanent disfigurement, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305) provides additional protections for workers. Under that Act, employees with serious and permanent disfigurement to the face, head, neck, hand, arm, leg, or chest above the axillary line may be entitled to compensation for up to 162 weeks at the applicable rate. This is separate from compensation for lost wages and medical expenses, and it reflects the long-term impact that visible burn scars have on a person’s life and livelihood.
When a burn injury causes death, the Illinois Wrongful Death Act (740 ILCS 180) allows surviving family members to bring a claim. Under this Act, if the death was caused by a wrongful act or neglect that would have entitled the injured person to sue had they survived, the responsible party remains liable. Surviving spouses, children, and other dependents may recover damages for their loss.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Burn Injury?
Burn injury victims in Illinois can pursue compensation for a wide range of losses. The goal of a personal injury claim is to make you as whole as possible, given the harm you have suffered. While no amount of money can undo what happened, a full and fair settlement or verdict can provide the financial stability you need to rebuild your life.
Economic damages cover your measurable financial losses. These include emergency room costs, hospitalization, surgeries, skin grafts, physical therapy, occupational therapy, prescription medications, and future medical care. Burn injuries often require multiple surgeries over many years, so it is critical that your claim accounts for the full cost of future treatment, not just what you have already paid. Lost wages, both past and future, are also recoverable. If your burns prevent you from returning to your previous job or limit your earning capacity permanently, that loss belongs in your claim.
Non-economic damages cover the human cost of your injury. Burn survivors often deal with intense physical pain, permanent disfigurement, emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, and a dramatically reduced quality of life. Illinois law allows recovery for all of these harms. The visible nature of burn scars, especially on the face, neck, and hands, can affect a person’s self-image and social relationships for the rest of their life. These losses are real, and they deserve real compensation.
In cases involving particularly reckless conduct, such as a drunk driver who caused a vehicle fire or an employer who knowingly ignored safety violations, punitive damages may also be available. Punitive damages are not meant to compensate the victim but to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct in the future.
Como Chicago abogado de lesiones personales team serving clients in Belleville and across the greater St. Clair County area, Briskman Briskman & Greenberg works to identify every category of damages you are entitled to and fights to recover the full value of your claim. Our firm handles burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. You may still be responsible for certain case costs, so we will explain all fee arrangements clearly before you make any decisions.
Why Burn Injury Claims Require Prompt Action
Burn injury cases are time-sensitive in ways that go beyond the two-year filing deadline under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. Evidence disappears quickly. Vehicle wreckage gets destroyed. Surveillance footage gets overwritten. Witnesses move away or forget details. The sooner an attorney can begin investigating your case, the stronger your claim will be.
Burn injuries also require careful medical documentation. The full extent of your injuries may not be clear for weeks or months after the initial incident. Scar tissue forms slowly. The need for additional surgeries may not be apparent right away. An attorney who understands burn injury cases knows how to work with medical experts to document the long-term impact of your injuries and present that evidence effectively.
Insurance companies move fast after serious accidents. Adjusters may contact you within days of the incident and ask for recorded statements or offer quick settlements. Those early offers rarely reflect the true value of a serious burn injury claim. Accepting a settlement before you understand the full scope of your medical needs and future losses can leave you without the resources you need for the years ahead.
If your burn injury happened at a workplace near Belleville’s industrial parks, on a construction site, or in connection with a commercial vehicle accident, there may be multiple liable parties, including employers, contractors, equipment manufacturers, and property owners. Identifying all of them requires a thorough investigation that should begin as soon as possible.
Briskman Briskman & Greenberg has been fighting for injured people in the Chicago area and throughout Illinois for decades. Our firm is located at 205 W Randolph St., Suite 925, Chicago, IL 60606. If you or a loved one suffered a burn injury in Belleville or anywhere in the surrounding region, call us at (312) 222-0010 for a free consultation. There is no obligation, and we are here to answer your questions and help you understand your options.
FAQs About Belleville Burn Injury Claims
How long do I have to file a burn injury lawsuit in Illinois?
Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, most personal injury claims in Illinois, including burn injury cases, must be filed within two years of the date of the injury. If you wait too long, you lose your right to seek compensation entirely. Certain exceptions exist, such as claims involving minors or government entities, but the safest approach is to contact an attorney as soon as possible after your injury.
Can I file a claim if I was partly at fault for the accident that caused my burns?
Yes, in most cases. Illinois follows a modified comparative fault rule under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. As long as your share of fault does not exceed 50%, you can still recover damages. Your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found 25% at fault, you recover 75% of the total damages awarded. Insurance companies often try to assign more fault to victims than is warranted, so legal representation is important.
What if my burn injury happened at work? Can I still sue?
Workplace burn injuries are covered by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305), which provides benefits regardless of fault. However, if a third party, such as a subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, or property owner, contributed to your injury, you may also have a separate personal injury claim against that party. Workers’ compensation and a personal injury lawsuit are not always mutually exclusive, and pursuing both may be appropriate depending on the facts of your case.
What types of compensation are available in a burn injury case?
Burn injury victims can pursue economic damages, including medical bills, future medical costs, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity. They can also seek non-economic damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent disfigurement, and loss of quality of life. In cases involving extreme recklessness, punitive damages may also be available. Each case is different, and the value of your claim depends on the severity of your injuries, the extent of your losses, and the facts surrounding the incident.
What should I do right after suffering a burn injury caused by someone else’s negligence?
Seek medical treatment immediately, even if your burns seem minor at first. Some burn injuries worsen over the following days. Document everything you can, including photos of the scene, your injuries, and any hazardous conditions that contributed to the incident. Collect the names and contact information of any witnesses. Do not give recorded statements to insurance adjusters before speaking with an attorney. Contact Briskman Briskman & Greenberg at (312) 222-0010 for a free consultation to learn about your legal rights and options.
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