If you've suffered a burn in an accident that wasn't your fault, you could be eligible to make a no win no fee burn injury compensation claim.
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Burn Injury Claims
A burn injury can be extremely painful and may result in permanent scarring, disfigurement, nerve damage, or loss of mobility. If your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, you could be eligible to make a no win no fee burn injury claim.
Burns can be caused by a variety of accidents, including road traffic collisions, workplace fires, or criminal assaults. Beyond the physical pain, severe burns can also cause emotional distress and have a lasting impact on your life.
Seeking legal advice promptly is essential if you believe your injury was due to another party’s negligence. Compensation for burn injuries can cover pain and suffering, as well as financial losses such as medical treatment, care costs, and lost income.
For a free consultation with an experienced solicitor, call 0800 470 0472 or request a call back. If you choose to proceed, your solicitor will guide you through every step of the claims process, offering support and advice along the way.
Key points about burn injury claims
- Eligibility: You may be able to claim if you sustained a burn injury due to unsafe working conditions or third-party negligence.
- Common Incidents: Burns may result from exposure to heat, chemicals, electricity, or scalding liquids.
- Time Limit: A claim should be made within 3 years of the injury, with exceptions for children and adults lacking mental capacity.
- Compensation: Depends on the severity and location of the burns, psychological impact, scarring, and financial losses.
- No Win, No Fee: Your solicitor will act on a no win, no fee basis, so if they don’t win your claim, you won’t have to pay a penny.
Table of Contents
Am I eligible to make a burn injury claim?
Yes, if you suffered burn injuries because of someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation. The easiest and quickest way to find out whether you have a valid claim is to seek legal advice.
A free consultation over the phone is usually enough for a specialist solicitor to understand the circumstances of your accident and who might be liable for your injury.
You will usually qualify for compensation if:
- You suffered a burn injury in the last three years.
- Another party was responsible for your accident.
- The defendant owed you a duty of care.
Who will pay compensation for a burn injury?
Based on the circumstances of your accident, the responsible party could be another road user, your employer, landlord, or a business owner. Your solicitor will refer to several pieces of legislation to prove their negligence and secure the burn injury compensation you deserve, such as:
- The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, if you were injured at work.
- The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, if you suffered from a burn injury because of an accident in a public place.
- The Road Traffic Act 1988, if your injuries were caused by a road accident.
If your legal adviser believes another party is liable for your injury, they will take care of proving negligence and gathering evidence to support your claim.
How long do I have to make a burn injury compensation claim?
You typically have three years from the date of an accident to start the personal injury claims process. Nonetheless, the sooner you seek legal advice, the easier it is to collect evidence, talk to witnesses and build a strong case.
There are some exceptions to the three-year limitation date, which include:
- If the victim of a burn injury is a child, a claim can be made on their behalf until they turn 18. Afterwards, they will have until their 21st birthday to make a claim themselves.
- There is no time limit to claim compensation on behalf of an adult who lacks the mental capacity to conduct legal proceedings.
- If you suffered a burn injury following an acid attack or other criminal activity, you could make a CICA claim within two years after the assault.
- If the accident leading to your burn injury was due to a faulty product, you could make a claim within three years after the defect was discovered.
How do I make a burn injury claim?
If you believe you suffered a burn injury due to the negligence of another person, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible. If you are able to claim compensation, your solicitor will help you gather relevant evidence to build a strong winning case, such as:
- Medical records stating the degree of the burn you suffered, the treatments received and your recovery prospects.
- Photographs of the accident scene, capturing the exact cause of your burn injury.
- Photographs of your injuries taken regularly during the recovery process.
- Footage of any CCTV covering the area or from a dash cam if you suffered a burn in a road traffic accident.
- Contact details of other individuals involved in the accident and any witnesses.
- Your notes about how the accident happened and how it affected your life.
- Police reports, if you were the victim of an acid attack or were involved in a hit and run accident.
- An accident report if you were injured at work or in a public place. Most businesses must keep an accident logbook, and you are entitled to ask for a copy of the report.
- Evidence of any economic losses you incurred because of your burn injury.
To start your claim, your solicitor will reach out to the defendant, informing them of your allegations of negligence. If they admit liability for your injury, your solicitor will begin to negotiate a suitable settlement for your damages.
If the other side denies responsibility or you cannot agree on a settlement, you may have to issue court proceedings. However, personal injury compensation claims rarely go to trial, and more than 97% of cases settle out of court.
How much compensation can I claim for a burn injury?
The compensation for burn injuries is awarded based on several factors, such as the burn degree and any out-of-pocket expenses you incurred. This will cover two types of damages:
- Special damages or financial losses, such as:
- Medical expenses.
- Lost wages, including future losses if you cannot return to work.
- Costs of care and assistance.
- The cost of physical therapy and counselling.
- General damages, awarded for personal losses, such as:
- Physical pain and suffering.
- Emotional and psychological trauma.
- Loss of a unique career.
- The impact the injury had on your social life and hobbies.
- Scarring and disfigurement.
The Judicial College is part of the Ministry of Justice and publishes compensation guidelines that solicitors and courts use when awarding compensation for general damages. The compensation brackets below are taken from the 18th Edition of these guidelines. The award you may be entitled to will depend on your specific circumstances.
| Injury Type | Description | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Scarring To Other Parts Of The Body | Significant burns covering at least 40% of the body | In excess of £138,000 |
| One disfiguring scar or several noticeable scars on the legs, arms, hands, back or chest | £10,000 - £30,000 | |
| One noticeable scar or several superficial scars on the legs, arms or hands | £3,100 - £10,000 | |
| Scarring To The Face | Facial scarring in a young person, with very disfiguring cosmetic impact and severe psychological consequences | £39,000 - £129,000 |
| Facial scarring causing substantial disfigurement and significant psychological impact | £24,000 - £64,000 | |
| Facial scarring where plastic surgery has reduced, or could reduce, the worst impact, with some additional psychological effects | £12,000 - £40,000 | |
| One or more small facial scars with no major impact on appearance | £5,200 - £18,000 | |
| Minor facial scars with very little impact on appearance | £2,300 - £4,700 | |
| General Psychiatric Damage | Psychiatric damage significantly affecting life, education, work and relationships, but with a more optimistic prognosis | £25,000 - £72,000 |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | PTSD with full recovery within 1-2 years and only minor longer-term symptoms | £5,200 - £11,000 |
Can burn injury claims be made using a no win no fee solicitor?
Yes, if your claim has a fair chance of success, your personal injury solicitor will offer you a no win no fee service (also called a conditional fee agreement).
This is the preferred way of claiming compensation for a burn or scald injury. It involves no upfront solicitor fees, and if your claim is unsuccessful, you do not have to pay a single penny.
You only have to pay a success fee if you receive compensation, as this reflects the risk your solicitor took by offering you a conditional fee agreement. The success fee cannot exceed 25% of certain elements of your compensation, and it will be thoroughly discussed and agreed to at the beginning of the claim.
How are burn injuries classified?
Burn injuries are classified by depth and severity. This will directly affect your pain levels, healing time, long-term complications, and the amount of compensation you may be entitled to.
A first-degree burn is a superficial and painful injury that may appear red but does not blister. It usually heals within 5-10 days without medical intervention. However, repeated sunburn does increase the risk of developing skin cancer.
Depending on the severity, a second-degree burn may take between two weeks and two months to heal and could cause local infections, scarring and contractures.
Victims of a third-degree burn always require hospitalisation and skin grafts. The healing time takes many months and is always incomplete, causing scarring and contractions.
Fourth-degree burns are most often caused by open flames and chemicals. They will always require surgery, grafting and, in many cases, amputation of the affected area. The complications of such a severe burn are often life-changing.
Further details about burns and scalds, including treatment and recovery, can be found on the NHS website.
What are the most common causes of burn and scald injuries?
A burn injury could happen almost anywhere, such as in a road traffic accident, at school, at the workplace, in hospitals or in any other public place. The most common causes leading to a burn injury claim include:
- Explosions and fireworks.
- House fires caused by faulty appliances or electrical systems.
- Open flames due to a traffic collision.
- Workplace accidents caused by faulty equipment, combustibles or other hazards.
Employers, landlords and local councils must take all reasonable measures to prevent fires and fire hazards. Failing to do so might make them liable for your burn injury.
- Commercial machinery used to heat liquids.
- Maintenance of steam pipes.
- Transportation of hot liquids.
- Working in the kitchen.
- Hairdressing salons.
Employers must carry out regular risk assessments to identify potential hazards and maintain a safe workplace. If they fail to do so and you suffer burn and scald injuries, you may be able to make an accident at work claim for compensation.
Chemical spillages, unsafe storage or transport of irritants and inadequate pool chlorination are some of the most common accidents leading to a chemical burn injury.
If you were the victim of an acid attack, you could claim burn injury compensation through the CICA within two years of the assault.
An electrical accident can happen at the workplace or at home, due to faulty appliances, power tools and other electrical devices. Severe burns can cause injury to the brain and internal organs and may even be fatal.
Regardless of how you were injured, a specialist burn injury lawyer could help you claim the compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering. To find out if your case has merit, enter your details into our online claim form or call 0800 470 0472 for a free consultation.
