Burn injuries can be incredibly painful, life-changing, and emotionally devastating. When someone else’s negligent or reckless actions cause such harm, working with an experienced Grand Junction burn injury lawyer can help you seek justice and pursue the compensation you deserve. Taking legal action may be an important step toward rebuilding your life after such a significant disruption.
At Veritas Injury Lawyers, our seasoned catastrophic injury attorneys have over 60 years of combined experience representing accident victims across the Western Slope and mountain communities of Colorado and Utah. We have extensive knowledge of both thermal and chemical burn cases and the unique medical and financial challenges they present. Our team is dedicated to helping clients recover damages so they can move forward with healing and stability.
Types of Burn Injury Cases We Represent
We represent burn injury victims after a car accident or an accident in an industrial setting, including factories and warehouses. Burn injuries are classified as:
- First-degree burns. As the least severe type of burn, these are largely superficial and cause reddened, swollen, and painful skin.
- Second-degree burns. Often caused by serious sunburn or boiling water, these injuries are painful and can result in permanent skin damage.
- Third-degree burns. Burning through the layers of the skin, these injuries can appear to be black and white and extend into the tissue.
- Fourth-degree burns. The most severe and damaging type of burn, this extends past the skin and into both muscle and bone.
Whether due to an explosion, fire, boiling water, electrocution, or more, we will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident. We hold all liable parties accountable, including the other driver, your employer, and more.
We Understand How Insurance Companies Think
Grand Junction burn injury attorney Gary Doehling worked for years on the other side of the aisle with large insurance companies. Now, he uses this experience to provide a distinct advantage to our clients. He understands firsthand the tactics that insurers utilize to attempt to pay injury victims far less than what they deserve.
Your burn injury may leave you with mounting medical expenses, considerable property damage, an inability to return to work, and devastating pain. We leverage our reputation as aggressive trial lawyers to maximize the compensation you receive and are unafraid to challenge large insurance companies in court.
Recoverable Damages in Burn Injury Cases
Burn injuries are rarely limited to medical bills alone, and the financial toll can extend far beyond the emergency room. State law allows injury victims to pursue both economic and non-economic damages when someone else’s negligence causes a burn.
Economic damages are the calculable costs of the injury. These typically include emergency treatment, debridement, skin grafting, reconstructive surgery, scar revision procedures, prescription medications, and long-term physical or occupational therapy.
If your burn happened in a vehicle fire, workplace explosion, or house fire, you may also be entitled to compensation for damaged personal property. Lost income is another major component, particularly for clients whose recovery keeps them away from ranching, agricultural, tourism, or outdoor recreation jobs that are common throughout the Grand Junction area.
Non-economic damages compensate for the human cost of a burn injury rather than a dollar figure on a receipt. Physical pain, permanent scarring, disfigurement, post-traumatic stress, and the loss of activities you once enjoyed all fall into this category.
State law places a limit on non-economic damages in most personal injury cases under Colorado Revised Statutes § 13-21-102.5, though a court can allow a higher award when the evidence clearly supports it. Because these caps and their exceptions can significantly affect a burn injury settlement, having a Grand Junction burn injury attorney who understands how insurers value these claims can make a meaningful difference in the outcome of your case.
We also pursue punitive damages when appropriate, such as in cases involving a defective product, a reckless property owner, or an employer who ignored known fire hazards. Every burn case we evaluate is reviewed individually, since the appropriate categories of damages depend heavily on how the injury occurred and who may be held responsible.
What Affects the Value of a Burn Injury Claim?
Not all burn injury claims carry the same value, and several factors shape what fair compensation looks like in your case. The severity and degree of the burn matter greatly, but so does the percentage of the body affected, often measured using a medical guideline called the rule of nines.
A burn covering a small area of the body may still result in a high-value claim if it affects the face, hands, or other highly visible areas where scarring can affect both appearance and daily function. The number of surgeries required, if skin grafts are necessary, and whether the injury causes permanent nerve damage or restricted mobility all factor into the overall value of a claim.
Where and how you were injured also plays a role. A burn suffered on the job at one of the Western Slope’s energy, agricultural, or industrial employers may involve different liability questions than one caused by a defective product or a negligent property owner.
Under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-21-111, your compensation can be reduced if you are found partially at fault, and barred entirely if you are found equally responsible or more responsible than the party from whom you are pursuing recovery. This makes it important to have a clear, well-documented account of how the accident happened from the very beginning.
Our team draws on established relationships with burn specialists, plastic surgeons, and rehabilitation providers throughout Colorado and Utah to help fully document the true cost of your recovery, both now and in the future. We also rely on our attorneys’ insurance defense background to anticipate how an adjuster is likely to undervalue a claim, so we can push back with the medical and financial evidence needed to support a stronger settlement.
Contact a Grand Junction Attorney About Your Burn Injury
Recovering from a serious burn takes time, patience, and the right support system, and you should not have to navigate the claims process alone while you focus on healing. From documenting the true cost of your medical care to standing up to insurance adjusters who may try to minimize your injury, our team is prepared to handle every stage of your case with the compassion and diligence you deserve.
If you or someone you love suffered burn injuries because of another party’s negligence, a Grand Junction burn injury lawyer at Veritas Injury Lawyers could help you understand your options and pursue the compensation you are owed. Reach out today to discuss the details of your case.
