Burn injuries caused by someone else’s negligence in New York can support a personal injury claim for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and the long-term costs of disfigurement and rehabilitation. Burn injury settlements in New York typically range from $150,000 for serious second-degree burns requiring surgery to $5 million or more when injuries are catastrophic, cause permanent disfigurement, or result in wrongful death. Porter Law Group has recovered over $500 million for injured New Yorkers across our offices in Albany, Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, and Syracuse. Call 833-PORTER9 for a free, confidential case review, available 24/7.
Were you or a family member seriously burned because of someone else’s negligence? Porter Law Group can review the circumstances and help you understand your legal options. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
How A New York Burn Injury Lawyer Can Help
Burn injury cases are medically complex and legally demanding. The treatment alone, including emergency care, skin grafts, surgeries, infection management, and physical rehabilitation, can span months or years. The financial impact begins immediately and can continue for the rest of a person’s life.
At the same time, establishing who is responsible for a burn injury often requires expert investigation. An employer may point to an equipment manufacturer. A landlord may blame a tenant. A product company may deny a defect existed. An attorney can cut through those disputes by investigating the origin of the burn, identifying every party whose negligence contributed to the accident, and building a case supported by medical experts, safety specialists, and fire investigators when needed.
Porter Law Group handles burn injury cases across New York State on a contingency-fee basis. There are no upfront costs, and you only pay if we win.
Understanding Burn Degrees And Why They Matter For Your Claim
Burn injuries are classified by degree based on how deep the damage goes into the skin and tissue. Understanding these classifications helps you see why the extent of a burn has a direct effect on medical treatment, recovery time, and the value of a legal claim.
First-degree burns affect only the outermost layer of skin. They cause redness, pain, and minor swelling, and typically heal within one to two weeks without scarring. These burns rarely form the basis of significant legal claims.
Second-degree burns damage both the outer layer of skin and the layer beneath it. They cause blistering, intense pain, a high risk of infection, and often result in lasting scarring. Serious second-degree burns may require skin grafts and can permanently alter a person’s appearance and sensation in the affected area.
Third-degree burns destroy all layers of skin and the underlying tissue. Because the nerve endings are damaged, the area may feel numb even while the injury is severe. Victims almost always require multiple skin graft surgeries, extended hospitalization, and long-term rehabilitation. Permanent disfigurement is common, and the effects on a person’s ability to work, move, and carry out daily life can last a lifetime.
Fourth-degree burns extend through the skin into muscle, tendon, and bone. These are life-threatening injuries. Amputation is sometimes necessary, and the permanent consequences are among the most severe seen in personal injury cases.
According to the American Burn Association, approximately 486,000 people receive medical treatment for burn injuries in the United States each year, with about 40,000 requiring hospitalization. The severity of a burn is the single most important factor in determining the value of a burn injury claim.
Common Causes Of Burn Injuries In New York
Burn injuries in New York arise from a wide range of accidents. What they share is the involvement of someone whose negligence made the accident possible.
Fires and Explosions
Building fires caused by faulty wiring, gas leaks, defective appliances, or fire code violations can trap residents and cause severe thermal burns. Construction site explosions, often from gas line punctures or improper handling of flammable materials, are a serious risk for workers across New York State.
Chemical Burns
Exposure to corrosive acids, industrial cleaning agents, or improperly stored hazardous substances can cause chemical burns in workplace settings, laboratories, and even in residential situations involving consumer products. Chemical burns often do not look severe on the surface but can cause significant internal tissue damage.
Electrical Burns
Contact with live electrical equipment, faulty wiring, or improperly maintained electrical infrastructure can cause burns that damage not just the skin but internal organs and tissue along the path the current traveled through the body. Electrical burns are common in both construction and industrial settings.
Scalding Injuries
Hot liquids and steam are a leading cause of burns in restaurant kitchens, nursing homes, and residential settings. When a property owner or employer fails to maintain safe temperatures or provide proper protective equipment, they may bear responsibility for scalding injuries.
Defective Products
Appliances, electronics, vehicles, and consumer products that malfunction and cause fires or electrical surges can support product liability claims against the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer.
Workplace Accidents
Many serious burn injuries happen on the job at construction sites, industrial facilities, and commercial kitchens. The section below explains how workers’ compensation and third-party liability claims apply to on-the-job burn injuries in New York.
Burn Injuries And Workplace Accidents In New York
Workers who are burned on the job face a specific legal situation that is worth understanding. In most cases, workers’ compensation will cover medical bills and a portion of lost wages regardless of who was at fault. However, workers’ compensation does not cover pain and suffering, and it typically does not replace full lost wages.
When a third party, meaning someone other than your employer or a coworker, contributed to the conditions that caused the burn, a separate personal injury lawsuit may be available. Common third-party defendants in workplace burn cases include equipment manufacturers whose defective products caused an explosion or fire, property owners who failed to maintain safe conditions, contractors who created a hazardous worksite, and utility companies whose negligent infrastructure maintenance contributed to an electrical accident.
Pursuing both a workers’ compensation claim and a third-party lawsuit simultaneously is possible in New York and often produces a significantly larger total recovery than workers’ compensation alone. You can learn more about how these two tracks work together in our article on filing a personal injury case after receiving workers’ compensation.
The Long-Term Impact Of Serious Burn Injuries
One reason burn injury cases are among the most significant in personal injury law is the scale and duration of the recovery process. A serious burn is not an injury that heals fully in a few weeks.
Skin grafting is often necessary for second-degree and nearly always required for third-degree and fourth-degree burns. This surgical procedure involves removing healthy skin from one part of the body and attaching it to the burned area. Most patients require multiple graft procedures, and each one carries risk of infection, complications, and additional scarring.
Physical therapy and occupational therapy help burn survivors rebuild strength, flexibility, and function in affected limbs and joints. Scar tissue contracts as it heals, which can restrict movement and require extended therapeutic intervention to manage.
Psychological effects are significant and often underestimated. Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and social withdrawal are common among people who experience severe burns, particularly when visible scarring affects the face, neck, or hands. These are recognized categories of harm under New York law and are fully compensable as part of a burn injury claim.
The total lifetime cost of care for a serious burn injury can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars for severe cases and well into the millions for catastrophic injuries. Calculating these future costs accurately is essential to ensuring a burn injury settlement reflects the full scope of what the victim will face.
What Compensation May Cover
When a New York burn injury claim succeeds, compensation falls into two primary categories with a third available in limited situations.
Economic damages cover all financial losses tied to the injury. These include emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, surgeries and skin grafts, physical and occupational therapy, future medical care, lost wages from time missed at work, and reduced earning capacity if the injuries limit the victim’s ability to return to their prior work. Property damage, such as the destruction of a vehicle in a fire, may also be included where applicable.
Non-economic damages cover the personal impact of the injury. Pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and the effect on family relationships are all recognized categories in New York. There is no cap on non-economic damages in personal injury cases in New York, which means the full human cost of a catastrophic burn can be presented to a jury without a statutory limit cutting it short.
Punitive damages may be available in cases where a property owner, employer, or manufacturer acted with a deliberate or reckless disregard for the safety of others, such as knowingly ignoring fire code violations or suppressing evidence of a product defect.
How Much Is A New York Burn Injury Case Worth?
The value of a burn injury case depends primarily on the degree of the burn, the body surface area affected, the treatment required, and whether the injury has caused permanent disfigurement or disability. The table below reflects typical outcome ranges in New York burn injury cases.
| Case Profile | Typical Settlement Range |
| Second-degree burns, surgery, scarring, full functional recovery | $100,000 to $500,000 |
| Serious second- or third-degree burns, multiple surgeries, partial disability | $500,000 to $2,000,000 |
| Third-degree burns, permanent disfigurement, long-term care | $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 |
| Catastrophic burns, fourth-degree, amputation, or major disability | $5,000,000 or more |
| Wrongful death from burn injuries | $1,000,000 to $10,000,000 or more |
Cases involving visible disfigurement to the face, neck, or hands tend to produce higher non-economic damage awards because juries recognize the lasting effect on a person’s daily life and sense of self. You can review examples of outcomes from Porter Law Group cases on our Results page.
We’ll explain your rights and what compensation you may be entitled to pursue after a serious burn injury.
What To Do After A Serious Burn Injury In New York
- Get emergency medical care immediately. Even burns that do not appear severe on the surface can cause deep tissue damage, infection, or respiratory harm from smoke inhalation. Do not delay seeking treatment.
- Preserve evidence where possible. If you are able, photograph the scene of the accident, the product or equipment involved, any warning signs or the absence of them, and your injuries before treatment alters their appearance.
- Report the accident. If the burn happened at a workplace, report it to your employer right away. If it happened at a property, notify the owner or manager and request a written incident report.
- Keep records of all treatment. Medical records, prescriptions, therapy appointments, and bills all document the scope of your injury and the cost of your recovery.
- Do not give recorded statements to any insurance company without speaking to a lawyer first. Both product manufacturers and property owners’ insurers may contact you quickly. What you say early can be used to limit your recovery.
- Contact a New York burn injury attorney as soon as possible. Physical evidence at accident scenes disappears quickly, and some claims involving government entities or defective products have strict early deadlines.
How Long Do I Have To File A Burn Injury Claim In New York?
Most New York burn injury personal injury claims must be filed within three years of the date of the accident. Wrongful death claims must be filed within two years of the date of death.
If the burn occurred at a government-owned facility or involved a government entity, a Notice of Claim must be filed within 90 days of the accident. Missing that window typically ends the case against that entity permanently.
Product liability claims related to defective products that caused the burn follow the same three-year statute, but the clock can sometimes start from the date the defect was discovered rather than the date of injury, depending on the circumstances. Speaking with an attorney early protects you from missing any of these deadlines.
Why Choose Porter Law Group
Porter Law Group represents burn injury victims across all of New York State from offices in Albany, Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, and Syracuse. Our attorneys have handled burn injury cases arising from workplace explosions, residential fires, defective products, and chemical exposure, contributing to over $500 million recovered for injured New Yorkers.
No fee unless we win. All burn injury cases are handled on a contingency basis, with no upfront costs to you.
Free consultations, available 24/7. We come to you when you cannot travel, with hospital and home visits available statewide.
Direct attorney access. You will speak with the attorney handling your case. Meet our team on the Attorneys and Staff page, read client experiences on the Testimonials page, and review outcomes on our Results page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file a burn injury claim if I was hurt at work?
Yes, in many cases you can pursue more than workers’ compensation. If a third party, such as an equipment manufacturer, property owner, or contractor, contributed to the conditions that caused the burn, a personal injury lawsuit against that party is available alongside your workers’ compensation claim. These two claims can run at the same time. A third-party lawsuit allows recovery for pain and suffering and full lost wages, which workers’ compensation does not cover.
What if a defective product caused my burn injury?
When a product’s design, manufacturing defect, or failure to warn caused or contributed to a burn, a product liability claim may be brought against the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer. These claims do not require you to prove the company was careless in the traditional sense. They can be based on the fact that the product was unreasonably dangerous when used as intended. An attorney can evaluate whether a product defect played a role in your injury.
How is the value of a burn injury case calculated in New York?
The primary factors are the degree of the burn, the percentage of body surface affected, the number of surgeries and the length of treatment, whether the injury caused permanent disfigurement, and the long-term effect on the victim’s ability to work and live. Visible scarring on the face, neck, or hands typically results in higher non-economic damages. New York does not cap non-economic damages in personal injury cases, so the full human cost of a severe burn can be fully presented.
How much does a burn injury lawyer cost?
Porter Law Group handles burn injury cases on a contingency-fee basis. You pay nothing upfront. You owe no fee unless we win. If we do not recover compensation for you, you owe nothing.
What if someone died from burn injuries in New York?
The estate of the person who died may bring a wrongful death claim under New York Estates, Powers and Trusts Law within two years of the date of death. A separate survival action for the pain and suffering the victim experienced before death can also be brought alongside the wrongful death claim. These cases often produce the largest recoveries because they reflect both the financial loss to the family and the suffering endured before death.
What Clients Say About Porter Law Group
Meet the Attorney
Michael S. Porter, J.D.
Founder and managing partner of Porter Law Group. Harvard University (B.A., 1994), Syracuse University College of Law (J.D., 1997). Former U.S. Army JAG Corps Captain, Airborne Training School graduate. Super Lawyers 14 consecutive years, 10.0 Superb on Avvo, Distinguished rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Over 20 years of trial experience and $500 million in recoveries.
Reviewed by Michael S. Porter, J.D. | Last updated: [April, 2026]
Find A New York Burn Injury Lawyer Near You
Porter Law Group represents burn injury victims throughout New York State from five offices.
- Albany, NY Serving the Capital Region, including Albany, Schenectady, Troy, and surrounding communities across Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady counties. Albany office details
- Buffalo, NY Serving Western New York, including Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and surrounding areas across Erie and Niagara counties. Buffalo office details
- New York City, NY Serving all five boroughs and the surrounding metro area, including Long Island and the Hudson Valley. Burn injury cases in New York City frequently involve building fires in residential and commercial properties, construction site accidents, and defective product incidents across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. New YorkCity office details
- Rochester, NY Serving the Finger Lakes region and Greater Rochester, including Monroe, Ontario, and Wayne counties. Rochester office details
- Syracuse, NY Serving Central New York, including Syracuse, Utica, and surrounding communities in Onondaga, Oneida, and Madison counties. Syracuse office details
For a full list of areas we serve, visit our Locations page.
Speak With A New York Burn Injury Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one suffered a serious burn injury anywhere in New York because of someone else’s negligence, Porter Law Group is ready to help. We will review what happened, explain who may be responsible, and outline your legal options. There is no cost and no obligation to retain our firm.
Call 833-PORTER9 | Available 24/7 | No fee unless we win
