Burn injuries happen in an instant but can leave permanent damage. When severe enough, they go beyond the skin and cause extensive injuries to the underlying muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. Consequently, many burn victims undergo skin grafts, surgery, and months in the ICU, followed by months of rehabilitation. Even after you’re out of the hospital, these injuries affect your ability to work, care for yourself and your family, and live without pain.

At Nowlan Personal Injury Law, we work with people who’ve been burned because someone else was negligent. If you’re getting calls from an insurance adjuster or being pushed to settle before you know what the injury will cost you, our experienced burn injury lawyers will step in, aggressively negotiate a fair settlement, and fight to ensure you have the resources to rebuild your life.

Why Hire Us for Your Burn Injury Claim?

Burn injuries cause trauma that can last long after the pain subsides. Depending on the burn severity, you could have visible scars, experience difficulty walking or using your hands, or, in extreme cases, undergo amputation. These are distressing outcomes, which is why our compassionate and supportive burn injury lawyers will go the extra mile to fight for you.

• We Build Claims That Reflect Long-Term Impact: Severe burns can damage nerves, restrict movement, and leave lasting scars. These injuries change how you work, live, and interact with loved ones. When that happens due to negligence, we demand financial compensation that reflects the true extent of your damages.
• We Investigate Thoroughly: Burns can come from chemical spills, unsafe wiring, product failures, or open flames. We collect evidence at the scene and, when necessary, consult with experts to determine who was at fault. Depending on what happened, liable parties may include contractors, manufacturers, or property owners.
• We Take Your Future Needs into Account: Third-degree burns and fourth-degree burns in particular require skin grafts, long hospital stays, and long-term care after discharge. We look out for you by making sure that your compensation claim reflects what you’re going to need, both now and in the future.
• We Push Back When Insurers Try to Limit Your Claim: Insurance companies will try to pay as little as possible, even with severe burn cases. They may question your treatment, delay decisions, or offer less than the claim is worth. Our burn accident lawyers deal with them directly so you don’t have to.
• We Hold Negligent Parties Accountable: Some burns happen because safety measures weren’t followed or equipment wasn’t working properly. We review maintenance logs, inspection reports, and witness statements to identify what went wrong and who should be held responsible for your injuries.

At Nowlan Personal Injury Law, we take burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You won’t pay anything upfront, and we cover the cost of preparing your case. If we don’t recover money for you, you owe no legal fees whatsoever.

What Compensation Can You Get for Burn Injuries?

With severe burns, the medical costs kick in immediately, but long-term damages can continue to build. We’re talking about mobility issues, disfigurement, and chronic pain, and the need for ongoing medical attention. If someone else is responsible for the accident, you have the right to pursue compensation for both the damage already done and the challenges ahead.

• Medical Bills: Emergency care, hospitalization, wound treatment, skin grafting, and physical therapy are common after a severe burn. Our burn injury attorneys use your medical records and physician assessments to calculate these expenses.
• Lost Income: If the injury prevents you from working during rehabilitation, your lost wages may be included in the claim. If you can’t return to your former job or have limited capacity, the claim may also include future earnings. We document these losses using wage records and medical restrictions specified by your healthcare team.
• Pain and Suffering: Burn injuries can cause intense physical pain, sleep disturbance, and emotional distress. This part of the claim reflects the daily impact on your comfort, mobility, and mental well-being. 
• Severe Scarring and Disfigurement: Burn injuries may result in visible damage, restricted movement, and long-term changes to your body. If the injury affected your appearance or function, these consequences can be included in your claim.
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life: If you’re no longer able to take part in activities you once enjoyed, like hiking, riding a bike, or doing crafts, you may be entitled to compensation for these losses. Any impact on your social life and family relationships is also taken into account.

How We Build a Burn Injury Case

Burn cases require careful preparation. You’re dealing with medical evidence, multiple parties who may deny fault, and injuries that don’t heal quickly. We begin by reviewing how the injury happened, who allowed the risk to exist, and how the injury has changed your daily life. From there, we build your case using medical treatment records, expert witnesses, and your documented losses.

Here’s how we approach it:

• We Investigate What Happened: Our burn injury attorneys examine how the burn occurred. That includes reviewing incident reports, scene photos, and witness statements. We also determine if safety violations, code breaches, or equipment failure played a role.

• We Identify All Responsible Parties: Many burn cases involve more than one company or individual. We review contracts, emails, maintenance records, and safety logs to find out who had control over the area or equipment involved. Our goal is to hold every liable party accountable for the role they played in the accident.

• We Collect Medical Records and Treatment History: We gather full documentation of your medical care, including emergency treatment, hospital stays, surgery, skin grafts, infection control, and rehabilitation. If doctors have outlined long-term treatment needs, we include those as part of your claim. These records show the scale and duration of your recovery.

• We Document How the Injury Affects Your Life: We speak with you, your family, and your treating physicians to understand the impact on your physical movement, daily routine, and ability to take care of yourself. We also collect photos, written statements, and timelines to show how your life has changed since the injury occurred.

• We Calculate Your Financial Losses: We determine that you’ve already lost and what you’re expected to lose in the future. This includes missed wages, reduced earning ability, unpaid medical bills, and out-of-pocket costs. We use your employment records and medical assessments to prepare a complete financial picture.

• We Prepare for Trial If Needed: While most cases settle,  we prepare your claim as if it will be presented to a jury. That means gathering evidence from the start, anticipating defenses, and documenting every loss. This approach puts pressure on the defense and protects you from unfair settlement offers.

A well-prepared burn case shows how the injury happened, how it could have been prevented, and how your life has changed. We build every case with those points in mind.

How Long Do You Have to File a Burn Injury Claim in Wisconsin?

In Wisconsin, you have up to three years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, including cases involving burns. If you wait longer than that, the court will likely dismiss your claim, even if your case is strong. This three-year window applies to most claims against individuals, businesses, or insurers. However, if the injury resulted in a wrongful death, the deadline is shorter. In those cases, the claim must be filed within two years from the date of death.

If your injury involved a government agency or public employee, the deadline is even tighter. You must provide written notice of the claim within 120 days of the incident. Failing to meet that requirement could prevent you from filing a lawsuit later. Some exceptions apply for minors or individuals who are legally unable to act. In those cases, the deadline may be delayed until two years after the person turns 18 or regains legal capacity.

Even though the law gives you time to file, waiting can weaken your case. Evidence can disappear, and witnesses may become harder to reach. If you’ve suffered a burn injury and are considering legal action, it’s in your best interest to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.

Common Causes of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries occur in a wide range of settings, including construction sites, vehicles, residences, and commercial properties. In many cases, the injury could have been prevented if safety protocols had been followed or known hazards had been corrected. 

Below are some of the most common causes of burn injuries:

• Fires and Explosions: Gas leaks, exposed flame sources, and electrical failures can ignite fires or trigger blasts. These events usually happen in industrial areas, older buildings, or around improperly stored fuel, although house fires can result from unattended kitchen stoves or discarded matches.
• Chemical Exposure: Strong acids, solvents, and industrial cleaners can cause serious skin damage or respiratory injury. These chemical burns may occur when dangerous substances are mishandled, mislabeled, or stored without proper safeguards.
• Scalding Liquids or Steam: Boiling water, uninsulated pipes, and malfunctioning equipment can cause thermal burns. These cases are common in food service, manufacturing, and maintenance settings where safety systems are missing or ignored.
• Electrical Burns: Contact with exposed wiring, damaged outlets, or faulty tools can send current through the body, damaging skin, nerves, and internal tissue. These electrical burns usually happen when the electrical source in question is left unmarked or too accessible.
• Car Fires: Motor vehicle accidents may lead to fires due to ruptured fuel tanks, battery failure, or excessive engine heat. When a vehicle ignites after impact, occupants can suffer burns before they have a chance to get out safely.
• Defective Products: Household appliances, portable heaters, and lithium batteries can cause burn injuries when they overheat or catch fire during normal use. If the product failed due to poor design or manufacturing flaws, the company responsible may be liable.

Every burn injury has a cause. Our burn accident lawyers investigate what happened, determine who should have prevented it, and pursue the compensation you’re owed.

Types of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries vary in severity. Some heal with minimal treatment, while others need surgery, grafting, and long-term support. The type of burn also shapes your legal claim and the damages available to you.

• First-Degree Burns: A first-degree burn affects only the outer layer of skin. It may cause redness, pain, and minor swelling. Fortunately, most of these burns heal without medical treatment or lasting effects like scarring.
• Second-Degree Burns: A second-degree burn reaches deeper skin layers and can lead to blisters, skin discoloration, and long-term sensitivity. These injuries, which may require wound care, involve a higher risk of scarring.
• Third-Degree Burns: A third-degree burn destroys all layers of skin and may extend into muscle or bone. The skin may appear dry, white, or charred, and the area may lose sensation due to nerve damage. Treatment usually includes grafting, surgery, and physical rehabilitation.
• Fourth-Degree Burns: A fourth-degree burn is the most severe type of burn injury. It extends through all layers of the skin and into the underlying fat, muscle, and sometimes bone. Fourth-degree burns are life-threatening and require immediate emergency care.
• Inhalation Injuries: Inhalation injuries result from breathing in smoke, steam, or chemical vapors. This exposure can damage the lungs and airways, even when no surface burns are present. Prompt treatment may prevent long-term respiratory complications.

Get a Free Consultation From a Burn Injury Lawyer Now

If you’ve suffered a serious burn because someone else was careless or negligent, you have the right to hold them accountable for your medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and disfigurement. But to recover what you’re owed, you need a personal injury law firm that knows how to prepare a case the right way.

At Nowlan Personal Injury Law, we help people who’ve been burned due to negligence, unsafe property conditions, or dangerous products. For more information or to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury attorney, please call our law firm at 608-478-5655. We’re ready to get to work for you!