The cost of treating a serious burn injury begins mounting long before you leave the hospital.
From emergency care and skin graft procedures to ongoing wound treatment, physical therapy,
and potential reconstructive surgeries, recovery can span months or even years.
If your injuries were caused by someone else’s negligence, you may have the right to seek
compensation for both your medical expenses and the impact the injury has had on your life.
The Tulsa burn injury attorneys at Graves McLain Injury Lawyers represent individuals who
have suffered severe injuries throughout Oklahoma. We pursue fair compensation on a
contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we recover on your behalf.
Call (918) 359-6600 today for a confidential and complimentary consultation.
Burn injuries create legal and financial challenges that set them apart from most other personal
injury claims. The treatment timeline is longer, the medical costs are higher, and the long-term
effects on a survivor’s quality of life are often severe and permanent.
Researchers estimate that roughly 600,000 people in the United States suffer a burn injury
requiring emergency care each year. Of the approximately 29,165 burn admissions to hospitals
annually, 4.4% involve extensive burns requiring surgical treatment and prolonged mechanical
ventilation, with an inpatient mortality rate of 17.8%.
Several factors make burn claims more difficult to resolve than a typical car accident or slip and
fall case. The severity of burns affects not only the medical treatment plan but also the
categories and amounts of compensation available.
Burn cases often involve the following:
Because these injuries affect nearly every part of a survivor’s daily life, calculating the true value
of a burn injury claim requires a thorough accounting of both current and future losses. A
settlement accepted too early may leave years of medical costs and lost income unaddressed.
The degree and extent of a burn directly influence the compensation a claim may recover. More
severe burns generally mean longer hospital stays, more surgeries, and a greater impact on the
survivor’s ability to work and live independently.
Burns are classified by depth of tissue damage:
Both the cause and the classification of a burn factor into the legal strategy for pursuing
compensation. A third-degree chemical burn from a workplace spill raises different liability
questions than a second-degree scald from a defective appliance.
Your burn injury attorney’s approach to evidence, liable parties, and damages calculations shifts
depending on those details.
Severe burn injuries often require extensive medical treatment and long-term care, but you don’t have to navigate the recovery process alone—explore our guide on common catastrophic injuries to see how lifetime rehabilitation and compensation are calculated.
Burn injury claims demand a legal team that understands both the medical complexity and the
financial stakes involved. Graves McLain Injury Lawyers invests significant time and resources
into each case because burn survivors need more than a quick settlement offer from an
insurance company.
Graves McLain builds burn injury cases by working with medical professionals to document the
full extent of current and future treatment needs. The team gathers evidence from the accident
scene, employer records, product data, and insurance files before entering negotiations.
One former client described working with the firm this way:
“They handled my case with such care and consideration. Through text and phone calls, they
kept me informed every step of the way, answered my questions, and settled my case for more
than I ever expected. I was 100% free from stress and worry, which allowed me to focus on
recovering from my injuries.”Sylvia S., Graves McLain Client
The firm handles all burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay no attorney fees
unless Graves McLain recovers compensation on your behalf.
If you or a loved one suffered a serious burn injury in Oklahoma, call (918) 359-6600 to speak
with a Tulsa burn injury attorney at Graves McLain. The consultation is free.
Burn injuries that lead to legal claims involve evidence that another party’s negligence,
recklessness, or failure to maintain safe conditions caused the harm. Not every burn qualifies. A
claim requires a connection between someone else’s conduct and the injury you suffered.
Oklahoma’s oil, gas, and industrial sectors create workplace hazards that contribute to burn
injuries, and residential and commercial properties across the Tulsa area present risks tied to
fire, chemicals, and faulty electrical systems.
Oklahoma’s energy and construction industries expose workers to fire, explosions, chemical
exposure, and electrical hazards on a daily basis.
When workplace burn injuries happen, workers may have a workers’ compensation claim, and a
separate third-party claim may apply if someone besides the employer helped cause the injury.
A third-party liability claim may apply when someone other than the employer contributed to the
injury. Equipment manufacturers, subcontractors, or property owners may share liability
depending on the circumstances.
Car, truck, and motorcycle crashes may cause burn injuries when fuel lines rupture, batteries
ignite, or hazardous cargo catches fire. Truck accidents involving tanker vehicles or improperly
secured loads of flammable materials pose a heightened burn risk on Oklahoma highways like
I-44 and the Broken Arrow Expressway.
Property owners have a legal duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions for visitors. Faulty
wiring, missing smoke detectors, improperly stored chemicals, or failure to address known fire
hazards may all support a burn injury claim under Oklahoma premises liability law.
Graves McLain has recovered $250,000 on behalf of a client who suffered severe burns during
a welding course where proper safety instruction and equipment were not provided.
Appliances, space heaters, electrical equipment, and industrial machinery may cause burn
injuries when they malfunction due to design or manufacturing defects. These claims target the
manufacturer, distributor, or retailer rather than an individual.
Burn injury claims often involve multiple liable parties, making it essential to identify everyone
responsible in order to pursue the full compensation available.
In burn injury cases, liable parties may include:
Each liable party may carry separate insurance coverage. Identifying all potential sources of
recovery can significantly affect the total compensation available.
Oklahoma follows a modified comparative negligence rule under Okla. Stat. tit. 23, § 13. An
injured person may recover compensation as long as their share of fault is 50% or less.
Damages are reduced in proportion to the survivor’s percentage of fault. If fault exceeds 50%,
Oklahoma law bars any recovery.
Oklahoma law allows injured people to pursue both economic and non-economic damages after
a burn injury caused by negligence. The categories of compensation reflect the scope of harm
that serious burns inflict.
Economic damages cover the measurable financial losses tied to the burn injury. These include
the following:
Burn injuries often require treatment that extends well beyond the initial hospitalization.
Documenting both current bills and projected future costs is essential to pursuing a claim that
reflects the true financial impact.
Non-economic damages address the personal toll that burns take on a survivor’s life. These
include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and disfigurement.
Permanent scarring that is visible in daily interactions may significantly increase the
non-economic value of a claim.
Evidence in a burn injury case may include fire investigation reports, safety inspection records,
maintenance logs, product recall notices, witness statements, and photographs of the scene
and injuries. Medical records documenting the type, severity, and expected treatment timeline of
the burns also play a central role.
The timeline for a burn injury case depends on the severity of injuries, the complexity of liability,
and whether the case settles or goes to trial. Many burn cases take longer than other personal
injury claims because treatment may continue for months or years. Settling before the full scope
of medical needs is clear may result in compensation that falls short of actual costs.
Oklahoma law may pause the statute of limitations for minors, giving them extra time after they
turn 18 to file a claim. A parent or legal guardian may file a claim on the child’s behalf before
that deadline. Pediatric burn cases often involve higher treatment costs and unique challenges
related to growth, scarring, and psychological impact, all of which factor into the claim’s value.
Workers’ compensation provides medical coverage and partial wage replacement without
requiring proof of fault. A personal injury lawsuit requires proof of negligence but allows
recovery of the full range of damages. When a third party beyond the employer contributed to
the burn, both claims may proceed at the same time.
Oklahoma’s statute of limitations gives burn injury survivors two years from the date of the
injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 95(A)). Claims against government
entities require written notice within one year. Missing either deadline may permanently bar your
claim.
Likely, yes. Legal representation after a serious burn injury may protect the long-term value of
your claim. Insurance companies often push for early settlements before the full cost of
treatment is known. A burn injury attorney may evaluate your current and future damages,
handle insurer communications, and pursue the compensation available under Oklahoma law.
Graves McLain handles all burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis. There are no
upfront fees. The firm collects a fee only if it recovers compensation on your behalf.
Insurance companies count on burn survivors being overwhelmed. While you are focused on
wound care, surgeries, and therapy, adjusters are building a case to minimize your
compensation.
Every week without legal representation is a week that critical evidence, from safety inspection
records to maintenance logs, may disappear.
Oklahoma’s two-year statute of limitations does not wait for your recovery to finish. The strength
of your claim depends on what happens now.
Call (918) 359-6600 to speak with a Tulsa burn injury attorney at Graves McLain. Your
consultation is free, and you pay no fees unless the firm recovers compensation on your behalf.
