Lansing Burn Injury Lawyer

Thermal burns result from contact with flames, hot surfaces, scalding liquids, or steam. These injuries commonly occur in house fires, apartment fires, kitchen accidents, hot water heater malfunctions, and industrial settings. Landlords, property owners, and employers may be liable when they fail to maintain safe premises or equipment. We handle thermal burn cases involving negligent maintenance of heating systems, missing smoke detectors, blocked fire exits, and workplace safety violations.

Chemical burns happen when skin or eyes contact corrosive substances like acids, bases, solvents, or cleaning products. These injuries frequently occur in manufacturing facilities, laboratories, construction sites, and due to improperly labeled products. Employers have specific duties under Michigan law to provide proper protective equipment, training, and safety protocols when workers handle hazardous chemicals. We represent victims of chemical burns caused by workplace negligence, defective products, and hazardous material spills.

Electrical burns and electrocution injuries occur when the body contacts electrical current from power lines, defective wiring, faulty appliances, or workplace equipment. These burns often cause deep tissue damage beyond what’s visible on the skin surface and may affect the heart and nervous system. Construction workers, electricians, utility workers, and maintenance personnel face heightened risk. Our burn injury lawyers in Northeast Michigan hold negligent contractors, property owners, and employers accountable for electrical injuries caused by code violations, improper maintenance, and inadequate safety measures.

Car crashes, truck accidents, and motorcycle collisions can cause severe burns when vehicles catch fire or occupants contact hot metal, fluids, or electrical components. Defective fuel systems, negligent maintenance, and crash impact can all contribute to burn injuries. We pursue compensation from at-fault drivers, trucking companies, and vehicle manufacturers when their negligence causes burn injuries in traffic accidents throughout mid-Michigan.

Burns can result from medical negligence during surgical procedures, radiation therapy, laser treatments, or use of heating devices. Healthcare providers must follow established protocols to prevent burn injuries to patients. When medical professionals fail to meet the standard of care, resulting in burns, victims may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim in addition to other legal remedies.

First degree burns affect only the outer skin layer (epidermis), causing redness, pain, and mild swelling. While painful, these burns typically heal within a week without scarring and rarely require legal action unless they cover extensive TBSA or occur with other injuries.

Second degree burns damage both the epidermis and underlying dermis layer, causing blistering, severe pain, swelling, and potential scarring. These burns often require medical treatment and may necessitate skin grafts if extensive. Recovery can take several weeks to months.

Third degree burns destroy all skin layers, potentially affecting fat, muscle, and bone beneath. The burned area may appear white, black, or charred, and victims often feel no pain in the affected area because nerve endings are destroyed. These catastrophic injuries always require immediate medical care, surgery, and extensive rehabilitation.

Fourth degree burns extend through all skin layers into muscle, tendon, and bone. These life-threatening injuries typically result in permanent disability and may require amputation. Victims face the highest risk of infection, organ failure, and death.

We meet with you at our office, your home, or the hospital to discuss your burn injury, review medical records, and assess the legal merits of your claim. This consultation costs nothing, and you’re under no obligation to hire us.

Our team immediately begins gathering evidence including accident reports, photographs, witness statements, safety inspection records, and maintenance logs. We work quickly to preserve evidence before it disappears and identify all potentially liable parties.

We collaborate with your treating physicians and consult independent medical experts to document the full extent of your injuries, necessary future treatment, and long-term prognosis. This medical foundation is essential to recovering fair compensation.

Burn injury cases often involve multiple defendants including property owners, employers, manufacturers, and contractors. We investigate all potential sources of liability and insurance coverage to maximize your recovery.

We prepare a comprehensive demand package presenting the evidence and damages in your case, then negotiate aggressively with insurance companies. Many burn injury cases in Michigan settle within 12 to 18 months through skilled negotiation.

If insurance companies refuse fair settlement offers, we’re fully prepared to take your case to trial in Ingham County Circuit Court or other Michigan venues. Our courtroom experience and reputation encourage favorable settlements.

Once we secure compensation through settlement or verdict, we handle all paperwork to ensure you receive your funds promptly, coordinate resolution of medical liens, and provide guidance on managing your settlement.

• All past and future medical expenses related to burn treatment, including emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, skin grafts, rehabilitation, medications, and medical equipment
• Lost wages from time off work during recovery
• Lost earning capacity if burns cause permanent disability preventing you from returning to your previous occupation
• Property damage if burns occurred in an accident that also damaged your vehicle or belongings
• Home modifications needed to accommodate burn-related disabilities
• Vocational rehabilitation and retraining costs

• Physical pain and suffering from the burns and ongoing discomfort
• Emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and trauma resulting from the injury
• Disfigurement and permanent scarring, particularly when visible
• Loss of enjoyment of life when injuries prevent you from participating in activities you previously enjoyed
• Loss of consortium for spouses affected by the victim’s injuries

Michigan law generally provides three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit for burn injuries. This deadline is strictly enforced. If you miss it, you lose your right to compensation regardless of how strong your case may be. Certain exceptions may shorten or extend this timeframe, particularly for medical malpractice burns or injuries to minors. Consulting a burn injury lawyer in Michigan promptly ensures you don’t forfeit your rights.

Michigan follows a modified comparative negligence rule, meaning you can recover damages even if you were partially at fault for your burn injury, as long as you were less than 50% responsible. Your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you’re found 20% at fault and your total damages are $500,000, you would recover $400,000. Insurance companies often attempt to exaggerate your fault to reduce their payout, making experienced legal representation crucial.

If your burn injury occurred in a motor vehicle accident, Michigan’s no-fault insurance system initially covers your medical expenses and wage loss through your own auto insurance, regardless of who caused the crash. However, you may also pursue a third-party liability claim against the at-fault driver for non-economic damages if your injuries meet Michigan’s serious injury threshold, which burn injuries frequently do given their severity and permanence.

Property owners throughout the Greater Lansing area owe visitors a duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions. When burns result from hazards like defective heating systems, missing fire protection, or dangerous conditions the owner knew or should have known about, victims may recover damages under premises liability principles. The owner’s specific duty depends on whether you were an invitee, licensee, or trespasser at the time of injury.

Most workplace burn injuries are initially handled through Michigan’s workers’ compensation system, which provides medical benefits and partial wage replacement without requiring proof of employer fault. However, workers’ compensation generally prohibits lawsuits against your employer except in cases of intentional injury. You may still pursue third-party claims against equipment manufacturers, contractors, or others whose negligence contributed to your burn injury. Our attorneys help you navigate both systems to maximize your recovery.

When defective products cause burn injuries, such as faulty appliances, flammable clothing, or defective electrical equipment, you may have claims against manufacturers, distributors, and retailers under Michigan product liability law. These claims may proceed on theories of design defect, manufacturing defect, or failure to warn, depending on your case circumstances.

Seek immediate medical attention for all burns beyond minor first-degree injuries. Burn severity isn’t always apparent initially, and prompt treatment prevents infection and documents your injuries.

Call 911 or get to an emergency room if burns are extensive, deep, involve the face, hands, feet, or genitals, or if you’re experiencing shock symptoms.

Document the scene if safely possible by taking photos of the hazard that caused your burns, the surrounding area, and your injuries.

Report the incident to your employer if it occurred at work, to the property owner if on someone else’s premises, or to police if involving a vehicle.

Preserve evidence including burned clothing, defective products, or other physical items related to your injury.

Follow all medical advice and attend every appointment. Insurance companies scrutinize medical records and may claim you’re not seriously injured if you miss treatments.

Keep detailed records of all medical care, expenses, lost work time, and how the burns affect your daily life.

Avoid giving recorded statements to insurance companies before consulting an attorney. These statements can be used against you later.

Contact a Michigan burn injury attorney as soon as possible to protect your rights and begin the legal process while evidence is fresh.

Monument Legal handles burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no upfront costs or attorney fees.

We only get paid if we recover compensation for you, taking our fee as a percentage of your settlement or verdict. We advance all case expenses including expert fees, investigation costs, and court filing fees. If we don’t win, you owe us nothing.

This arrangement makes experienced legal representation accessible to all burn injury victims regardless of financial circumstances.

Michigan’s statute of limitations generally gives you three years from the date you suffered your burn injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, this deadline can be shorter for certain cases like medical malpractice burns, and specific circumstances may extend the deadline.

Missing this deadline typically destroys your right to compensation, so consulting a burn injury attorney in Northeast Michigan promptly is essential. We recommend contacting us as soon as possible after your injury to protect your rights and preserve crucial evidence.

The value of your burn injury case depends on numerous factors including burn severity and degree, total body surface area (TBSA) affected, need for surgery and skin grafts, extent of permanent scarring and disfigurement, impact on your ability to work, pain and suffering experienced, your age and occupation, and the strength of evidence proving liability.

Third and fourth degree burns typically result in higher settlements than first or second degree burns due to greater severity and permanence. While we cannot predict your exact recovery without reviewing your case, serious burn injuries in Michigan often result in settlements or verdicts ranging from tens of thousands to millions of dollars depending on these factors.

Most burn injury cases in Michigan resolve within 12 to 24 months, though complex cases may take longer. The timeline depends on factors including the severity of your injuries and length of treatment, how quickly you reach maximum medical improvement, whether liability is disputed, the number of parties involved, and whether the case settles or goes to trial.

We cannot begin negotiating your full settlement until you’ve completed treatment or your doctors determine your long-term prognosis, as settling too early often means leaving compensation on the table. While we work efficiently, we prioritize maximizing your recovery over rushing to a quick but inadequate settlement.

While Michigan law doesn’t require you to hire an attorney, serious burn injuries almost always benefit from experienced legal representation.

Insurance companies employ teams of lawyers and adjusters working to minimize what they pay you, and they often make lowball offers to unrepresented victims who don’t know the true value of their claims. Burn injury cases involve complex medical evidence, liability analysis, and damage calculations that require legal and medical expertise.

Attorneys also handle all negotiations and paperwork while you focus on recovery. Statistics show that injury victims with attorneys recover substantially more compensation than those who handle claims themselves, even after attorney fees.

Yes, you can still recover damages in Michigan even if you were partially responsible for your burn injury, as long as you were less than 50% at fault.

Michigan follows a modified comparative negligence rule that reduces your compensation by your percentage of responsibility. For example, if your total damages are $300,000 and you’re found 25% at fault, you would recover $225,000.

Insurance companies routinely attempt to exaggerate your fault to reduce their liability, so having an attorney who can effectively counter these arguments is essential to protecting your full recovery.

Workplace burn injuries in Michigan are typically covered by workers’ compensation insurance, which provides medical benefits and partial wage replacement without requiring you to prove employer negligence.

However, workers’ compensation doesn’t cover pain and suffering and usually prevents you from suing your employer directly. You may still have third-party claims against equipment manufacturers, contractors, property owners, or others whose negligence contributed to your injury.

Our attorneys help you navigate both the workers’ compensation system and identify all available third-party claims to maximize your total recovery.

Chemical burns often involve unique liability issues compared to thermal burns.

Employers must provide proper safety equipment, training, and hazard warnings when workers handle dangerous chemicals. Product manufacturers have strict duties to properly label chemicals and provide safety data sheets. Chemical burn cases may proceed under theories of negligence, premises liability, product liability, or workplace safety violations depending on how exposure occurred.

These cases often require specialized medical testimony about the specific chemical involved and its effects on human tissue. Whether your burns resulted from chemicals or thermal sources, Monument Legal has the expertise to build a compelling case.

Most burn injury cases in Michigan settle through negotiation before trial, but we prepare every case as if it will go to court.

This thorough preparation actually encourages favorable settlements, as insurance companies know we’re ready to present your case to a jury if necessary. If we do need to file a lawsuit and proceed to trial in Ingham County Circuit Court or another Michigan venue, we’ll guide you through every step of the process and prepare you for any testimony.

Many cases settle even after a lawsuit is filed, often during mediation or just before trial. Our goal is always to secure maximum compensation for you, whether through settlement or verdict.

Burn injury victims in Lansing, East Lansing, and throughout Michigan can pursue both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages include all medical expenses for emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, skin grafts, medications, rehabilitation, future medical care, lost wages and earning capacity, and other financial losses. Non-economic damages compensate for physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent scarring and disfigurement, disability, and loss of enjoyment of life.

In cases of extreme negligence or intentional misconduct, punitive damages may also be available. The specific damages you can recover depend on your case circumstances, which we’ll evaluate during your free consultation.