Top-Rated San Francisco Burn Injury Lawyers

California Burn Injury Lawyers

You deserve full and fair compensation for the pain and trauma of a burn injury. Put our experience to work for you!

You survived the trauma of a severe burn in a car accident. Now you want answers. Why did this happen to you? Who hurt you and how can you hold them accountable?

A burn is one of the most painful injuries you can suffer. Plus, it brings expensive medical bills and a stressful recovery period. Your life and career have been completely disrupted. Survival was a miracle, but now you’re dealing with the stress of moving forward from your accident.

Every year, there are about 486,000 burns in the United States and 5% of all burns happen on the nation’s streets and highways. Although burn injuries in car accidents are less common than other injuries, they’re often much more severe. People with burns need emergency room care, highly-specialized burn treatment, plus a series of extensive surgeries and grafts to repair the damage.

Trusted Burn Injury Lawyers

As burn injury lawyers, our team at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers has seen hundreds of clients with trauma and burns from road accidents. Our clients come to us when they’re struggling to cope with being burned and are facing a growing pile of expensive medical bills.

We offer caring and compassionate legal representation at this difficult time in your life. Contact us now for a free burn accident evaluation. Below is some helpful information about burns and taking legal action against the person who caused your injuries.

How Do Burn Injuries Happen?

The U.S. Fire Administration tracks about 170,000 vehicle fires each year. You might be surprised to learn that in about one-fourth of all of these fires, no root cause is ever determined. Fires are difficult to investigate because the evidence burns away.

When a source of the fire can be found, it’s usually one of these four main causes of burn injuries

Mechanical/equipment malfunctions
Spilled fluids and vapors
Electrical fires/failures
Car accidents and rollovers

In terms of road accidents, fuel tank ignition is the #1 cause of fires and explosions that cause burns to the human body. The other main causes of car accident-related burns include contact with electrical system components, hazardous fluids and materials, and exploding batteries. Vehicle design flaws are another known cause, although these are somewhat more difficult to track down and prove.

When a vehicle ignites in a road collision, there’s a much higher chance of burns that are so severe they cause death. About 60% of all fatal road fires arise directly from road accidents. Most of these are high-speed freeway crashes and semi-truck crashes, which are among the top causes of road-related burn injuries.

Traffic crashes come with a significant risk of post-collision fuel-fed fires (PCFFF). Although the average person probably isn’t familiar with PCFFF, it’s a term that’s commonly used among firefighters and personal injury attorneys who handle burn cases. PCFFFs involve combustions and explosions that are life-threatening with a high risk of severe inhalation damage and burns.

Why a Burn Injury Changes Your Life

When someone heads to the hospital with burns, they’ll probably leave the hospital with significant scarring and huge medical bills. Burn trauma is among the most complex and expensive types of injuries treated in U.S. hospitals. Burns require medical expertise and resources you can only find in fully-equipped emergency centers.

Your costs could vary widely depending on your care. The average U.S. cost of treating severe burn injuries is about $200,000. However, when it comes to major traffic accidents with chemical spills and extreme impacts, severe burn-related costs can easily reach $1 million. You may need surgery, skin grafts, scar treatment, and ongoing rehabilitation to restore movement.

As you begin to cope with your burn injuries, daily life probably won’t be as it used to be. Little things are now a big challenge. Your burns could be causing you pain, with mobility restrictions that make each day arduous.

Even as you try to do normal tasks like getting dressed, shopping, or going to work, your burn injuries interfere with your movements. You may experience newfound anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. Relationships that felt strong before now feel frayed at the edges due to your accident.

California law allows you to hold a negligent person responsible for hurting you and damaging your life. Contact a burn injury lawyer to discuss whether you have a strong case for claiming the compensation you need to move forward from your burn injuries.

Types and Degrees of Burn Injuries

How did your burns happen and how severe were they? Burn injuries come in many forms and their severity usually depends on both the amount of body surface burned and the depth of the burns. Life-threatening burns don’t just happen on the skin’s surface and can occur inside the respiratory system, deep inside your abdomen, or on your vital organs.

Doctors and hospitals divide burns into three classes by severity:

1st Degree

First-degree burns are the most common type and affect only the outermost layer of skin. These are often called superficial burns and are non-life-threatening. Treatment is typically short and relatively inexpensive.

2nd Degree

Second-degree burns, or partial-thickness burns, go deeper than the first layer of skin but don’t penetrate any deeper. These are moderate burns that are very painful to experience and threaten your health when they happen. They can usually be adequately repaired through surgery and proper burn care.

3rd Degree

Third-degree burns, or full-thickness burns, penetrate the skin’s deepest layers. When someone has this type of burn, their muscles, organs, bones, and other parts of the body are at risk of damage or destruction. These burns are the most expensive and challenging to treat.

The most common types of burns that typically happen in car accidents and personal injury situations include:

Water scalds
Smoke inhalation
Flash burns
Electrical burns
Friction burns
Thermal burns
Chemical burns

California Truck Accidents and Burn Injuries

Was a truck involved in your burn accident? Here in California, there are more than 100,000 truck accidents every year and they’re among the most severe accidents on our roads. You could be burned by a truck’s hazardous waste or hurt when its enormous gas tank explodes. A high-speed semi-crash could even eject you from your vehicle and cause life-threatening deep road rash across your body. Some people burn alive in their vehicles, unable to escape the flames and vapors of the crash.

When it comes time to settle things legally, you’ll be heartened to know that trucking companies are heavily monitored by federal agencies. They are required to carry large trucking insurance policies in California, which helps protect injured victims. You could be eligible for high-dollar compensation to cover the costs of your burn injuries and the damage to your life.

California Pedestrian Accidents and Burn Injuries

You might not picture a burn injury when you picture a pedestrian accident, but it can happen. When a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, there’s a risk of road rash, chemical burns from spilled materials, and burns due to fires and explosions from the accident.

A driver who causes pedestrian burn injuries may be fully liable for the costs of the accident. Perhaps the person who hit you was distracted, drowsy, drunk, or on drugs at the time of the crash. As a pedestrian, you have strong legal protections in California, so protect your rights and speak to a burn injury lawyer right away.

How to Start Your California Burn Injury Claim

Your next steps after a burn injury impact your ability to secure compensation from the person who hurt you. Start by gathering your medical bills and records. A burn injury claim must be backed up with medical records that show the extent of your injuries.

Seek a full medical evaluation as soon as possible after your accident, even if you don’t have obvious skin burns. You could have unseen smoke inhalation or chemical exposure that threatens your health without treatment. Any delay in treatment could harm your case and your health.

Bills for Potential Reimbursement

Burns are exceptionally expensive to treat, so start saving your bills for potential reimbursement. This includes out-of-pocket costs above and beyond what insurance covers. Save anything related to your hospital stay, surgery, rehab, and ongoing treatment including burn care and plastic surgery.

You can also seek payment for your lost wages and diminished earning capacity as a result of your burn injuries. Because burns tend to come with extreme physical and emotional trauma, you may also be eligible for pain and suffering compensation.

Gather Evidence

Another important step is to gather evidence from the scene of the accident that caused your burn before it’s too late. Videos and photos are extremely helpful, even if you have to take them after the fact.

Reach out to businesses and homes in the area where you were hurt, or work with your lawyer to accomplish this. Secure as many videos and photos of the scene of your burn injury as possible.

Work with the police to get a copy of the police report. Don’t worry too much if the police report is scant on details or doesn’t seem to back up your side of the story. Your lawyer can help you understand what it means for your case and how you can strengthen your case with additional evidence beyond the police report.

To show the impact of your burns on your life, keep a journal of your daily struggles. Show how your burns are making things harder for you and causing you to suffer through normal daily activities.

Contact A Burn Injury Lawyer

Contact your burn injury lawyer before speaking to an insurance representative or signing any type of document. Don’t agree to a recorded statement or give out your private information, like your social security number.

Beware of a fast, low-ball offer from the other person’s insurance company or anyone else. The first offer is usually a bad deal for the victim. Your burn injury lawyer will help you get the full and fair value of your burn injury claim.

Also, stay off of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media during this time. Although you’re struggling to cope with such a life-changing situation, please keep your burn details off of social media and the internet in general. Anything you share online could be twisted to harm your legal case.

And finally, keep in mind that California law sets forth a strict legal time limit on filing a burn lawsuit, which is known as the statute of limitations. You must act within two years of the date of the accident. If your burn happened on government property or involves a government agency in some way, your deadline is within six months of the date of your burn injury.

Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers

4.9

Based on 103 reviews

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Karen johnson

2 years ago

When I got into my accident I was really not looking for an attorney, however I became frustrated with the other parties insurance company. I then went online and found Sally Morin Law and called for a free courtesy consult. Annie quickly called me back and spent 30 minutes explaining the attorney process. This made my decision easy,,, an All female attorney group certainly did not disappoint. Annie and her team (Amber) were on the case immediately, making calls, sending emails and dealing with the other party insured (or lack of insured). I’m so pleased to have had this incredible team of ladies to help me through this process. They did all their professional expertise, none of which I was capable of. They advocated for me in every way from medical bills, insurance liens, med pay, demand letters, phone calls, emails etc. All I needed to do was send receipts, and most importantly focus on getting better. Thank u team for all u have done. I am grateful for so much,,, and I can say that making that first phone call was the best decision. Keep up the great work and helping others Sincerely KJJ

Michael Basti

2 years ago

I unfortunately got injured in an auto accident and called a bunch of different attorneys with little to no help. I called Sally Morin Law and got help from Rebecca who was absolutely fantastic. She was there every step of the way to help and Isn’t just trying to make a quick buck. She took her time with me and went out of her way to help out. Thanks for all the help Rebecca!!

Reba Roseberry

2 years ago

I was t-boned by someone who ran a red light, totaling my car and sending me to the hospital with multiple breaks to my pelvis, among other smaller injuries. Once released from the hospital, I was confused, angry, and extremely anxious about what to do next. A friend encouraged me to seek legal help, and I found the team at Sally Morin. I was drawn to their all-women team, and immediately felt assured that I was in good hands. They took the reigns on handling everything, leaving me significantly more relieved to rest and heal like my body needed. With their help, the case was settled within four months of the accident, and I can now move forward with my life and leave this behind me. I would absolutely recommend the team at Sally Morin to anyone in a similar situation!

John Zientek

2 years ago

I was injured while riding my bicycle and a friend recommended Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. In my experience, they made the process transparent and smooth, allowing me to focus on recovery — they were professional, empathetic, and effective! Rebecca and Carmen made a difficult time much less stressful.

Jimmy Lu

2 years ago

My mom was in a car accident and was badly injured. We wanted her to focus on her recovery without the worries of medical bills and dealing with multiple insurance companies so we hired Sally Morin Lawyers. Fortunately we received Annie Heller who showed strong ownership of the case, dealing with all communications from medical to slow moving insurance companies. Annie and team helped us settle the case with money in my mom’s pocket, but more importantly helped all of us not worry about anything besides my mom’s recovery. thank you!

Shannon Yu

2 years ago

Carmen and team at Sally Morin are the best. Having Carmen and her team for my personal injury case is one of the lucky thing for me in 2024 Carmen is a very capable law professional. she is expert in her domain, also she is very skillful in finding the key information. Carmen is also a compassionate and kind person, she listened and also put my interests in priority. At the same time she patiently explained to me the law information. Carmen is also very good with execution, the whole process she is proactively driving it towards the satisfactory result What more can you ask for a lawyer who is capable, professional, kind, effective and efficient.

Dee49ful

2 years ago

I was very fortunate that, by pure luck, I found Sally Morin’s firm online. It wasn’t recommended to me by anyone, but I now want to recommend them to EVERYONE, especially my fantastic attorney, Annie Heller. Annie was compassionate, honest, attentive, and responsive to my calls and emails. Throughout the entire process of my claim, I felt completely supported by her, and even after my case was successfully settled, she followed up with me. Thank you Annie, for your exceptional legal service!!

Lew Jabro (Havasu Lew)

3 years ago

Amazing! After months and months of going it alone and getting nowhere with our sons accident, and struggling...badly, we were lucky enough to get refered to Sally and Rebecca. They took over the whole case and handled everything. The whole team was very personable, professional, keeped us in the loop the entire time and cared about what was going on. They also set us up with all the right people to make sure the settlement funds were properly handled in the most efficient way for us. I just dont think we could have done all of this without them. It was a terrible time for our family, and we are very gratefull for everything they did for us! Thank you guys! ~HavasuLew

Kyle Osborn

3 years ago

Rebecca and the Sally Morin team provided invaluable support during a challenging period after our daughter was involved in a car accident. Their care, expertise, and dedication resulted in an outcome that exceeded our highest expectations. Working with them was a great experience, and I wholeheartedly recommend their services to anyone, without hesitation!

Alysia Lyons

3 years ago

I worked with Annie on my case and had such a pleasant experience! I felt supported and understood throughout the whole process. I highly recommend Sally Morin firm. Being injured isn't pleasant, so having a team behind you that's got your back makes the experience that much better.

Ariana D

3 years ago

I just spent the last 8 months working with a team of caring, compassionate, relatable women for my personal injury claim. Brief background: I was hit by a car while riding my bike to work. The driver pulled out of a parallel parking space without looking and was completely at fault. Initially, he and the others in the car were very concerned, but ghosted us afterwards and made up a story in order to not take on the blame. I ended up needing surgery and costs mounted, so I sought legal advice. After much research, I settled on Sally Morin Law. The team at this law firm is invested and responsive in a very personable way. I specifically worked with Carmen and Annie. Carmen took the lead and she answered every email, text, and annoying question my husband and I sent her way. She wrote a detailed demand letter that personalized my case and thoroughly explained the impact the accident had on my life, my children's lives, and my husband's life. In the end, our own insurance policy covered the claim to the fullest amount. Additionally, Carmen was able to negotiate the medical lien to $0, and my husband received a separate smaller amount for loss of consortium. We are more than happy with the results as it’s way beyond what we expected, and completely life changing. We didn't proceed with the case thinking we would have the outcome we did, and almost didn't pursue the case. However, after spending my own money on copays, days off from work, take out, uber rides, babysitters, and special equipment, it just didn't feel right not to seek help and I am so glad that I did! I highly recommend Sally Morin Law!

Simon Unge

3 years ago

Last year me and my partner was in a MC/Car accident. I was clueless on what rights we had and how to proceed with insurance claims etc. I contacted Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers, who guided us through the year long process in a very pedagogical manner, a lot of support, expertise and professionalism - answering any questions we had in a timely manner. Highly recommended, they made a painful experience very manageable. Thank you, Rebecca, Carmen, and Amber!

    
 
 
       Posted on Yelp  
   
   Amy R. 
 
 
 
 Verified I can't recommend Rebecca at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers more highly. Rebecca is transparent, honest, and client-centered in a way that was completely different from the other firms I considered. Rebecca broke down what can feel like a very opaque process, and helped me understand my options in an approachable way. It was immediately clear that Rebecca's advice and guidance centered around my personal best interest, not what would make her firm the most money. Thanks Rebecca and team!
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Mike B. 
 
 
 
 Verified I unfortunately got injured in an auto accident and called a bunch of different attorneys with little to no help. I called Sally Morin Law and got help from Rebecca who was absolutely fantastic. She was there every step of the way to help and Isn't just trying to make a quick buck. She took her time with me and went out of her way to help out. Thanks for all the help Rebecca!!
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Shannon Y. 
 
 
 
 Verified Carmen and team at Sally Morin are the best. Having Carmen and her team for my personal injury case is one of the lucky thing for me in 2024
Carmen is a very capable law professional. she is expert in her domain, also she is very skillful in finding the key information. 
Carmen is also a compassionate and kind person, she listened and also put my interests in priority. At the same time she patiently explained to me the law information.
Carmen is also very good with execution, the whole process she is proactively driving it towards the satisfactory result

What more can you ask for a lawyer who is capable, professional, kind, effective and efficient.
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Dinora G. 
 
 
 
 Verified I was very fortunate, and  by pure luck, I found Sally Morin's firm on YELP.  The firm wasn't recommended to me by anyone, but I now want to recommend them to EVERYONE, especially my fantastic attorney, Annie Heller.  Annie was compassionate, honest, attentive and very responsive to my calls and emails. Throughout the entire process of my claim, I felt completely supported and even after my case successfully settled, she followed up with me. Thank you Annie for your exceptional legal service.
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Phil M. 
 
 
 
 Verified Rebecca and the team at Sally Morin are awesome, plain and simple! Honestly, they were the only legal representation that didn't make me feel slimy after the first conversation. I was thrilled to work with them on my injury case after realizing it was more than I could handle dealing directly with the other party's insurance myself. They advocated for me and my family, going into incredible detail and crafting a great strategy for what to do next. The end result was a pleasant surprise, far exceeding my expectations.

Rebecca and the team definitely earn their share by providing amazing value. They're also no-pressure, which was refreshing compared to other lawyers I contacted before choosing Sally Morin. Their priority was making sure I was always informed and knew exactly what was going on, every step of the way.

If something happens again, Rebecca and Sally Morin will be my first call--and I'm sure there will be a multitude of emails to follow! :P
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Steve M. 
 
 
 
 Verified Attorneys Annie Levitt Heller and Carmen from Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers are the absolute best! They are dedicated, approachable and thorough in all their work. They provided the best possible outcome for my case (I was a pedestrian hit by a car in a crosswalk) and supportive every step of the way. I would absolutely recommend Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers to anyone Forever grateful to them!
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   James Minh N. 
 
 
 
 Verified My sister got in a car accident, was hit badly by another driver, became unconscious, and was immediately taken to hospital emergency with an internal brain bleeding thus could not defend herself. As a result, the police report had false information from the other driver and concluded my sister at fault. While other legal firms purposed disappeared after seeing at the police report and other driver's cheap insurance policy (not easy win), Sally Morin team with great heart and "no win, no pay" written clause took on the case and successfully reversed both insurance + police reports and won the case. My family is grateful to find Sally Morin firm and great team with legal expertise, experience, and most important great heart. Thank you very much.
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Tim K. 
 
 
 
 Verified Unfortunately me and my mom were hit by another driver on the freeway. We ended up with hospital bills and a long road to recovery especially for my 85 yr old mother. This was such a tragedy and uncertain times for us not knowing where to turn and what to do about mounting bills while trying to get our lives in order. I contacted Sally and her wonderful team. Carmen one of her associates worked with me and my mom and handled everything. Carmen was awesome and such a caring lawyer as well. She keeps
It real and we loved that about her. When you need a personal injury attorney that will work on handling your case in every aspect, insurance claims, potential health liens and negotiating on your behalf then Sally Morin Personal Injury law firm is the one to contact. You can count on them. Carmen explained everything so we knew what we were in for and was trustworthy and honest. There is no way to state how invaluable and priceless it is knowing the law firm you hired has your back and can be trusted. I hope no one ever needs a personal Injury attorney because being injured is one of the worst things that can happen to you; your life changes in an instant after a bad accident. But having a law firm like Sally Morin with lawyers like Carmen make that terrible experience much better knowing they are there to handle every aspect of your case and do it so well. Thanks Carmen and team. Much appreciated!
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Stephan B. 
 
 
 
 Verified I originally reached out to a different law firm to handle my personal injury case, but Sally Morin's team (Rebecca Taylor in particular) left such a good impression on me that I switched to them--and I'm glad I did! They were empathetic and professional, communicated early and often, and patiently walked me through every option. They did thorough research and handled so much on their end that I was able to focus on my recovery/work/life with minimal disruption. So I highly recommend this firm.
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Michele H. 
 
 
 
 Verified Word cannot express the honesty from Annie at Sally Morin law . She is honest kind and to the point . If you want to get ripped off by shady humans don't hire Annie . If you want honest kind and attentive go with Annie at Sally Morin law . You will feel good about your choice  . She is a firm advocate with insurance and health care .  Annie and her team will be available to explain things all the way through . Her integrity is not matched in this field . I would hire again and again 
Thanks Annie   You made one of the most difficult times in my families life tolerable !  
Your kindness and integrity are not matched in everyday life . Much less with  personal injury lawyers thank you thank you 
Michele Hargrove

Focus on Your Recovery While We Handle the Legal Details

Your burn injury is devastating, but here’s a bit of good news from a bad situation. You could have a strong case for burn injury compensation against the person who hurt you.

It’s not usually necessary to go to court to resolve your burn injury case, which is a relief at a stressful time. At Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers, our team of attorneys can work to negotiate a valuable out-of-court insurance settlement that keeps your focus on healing.

Our burn injury legal team has the experience to apply an array of effective techniques to minimize your bills and maximize your claim. In burn injury cases, we can often negotiate with the hospital and doctors to lower medical bills so they’re more manageable. We can also help you give the proper value to your immense pain and suffering from the burn injury, which then raises the overall value of your case and the money in your pocket.

We invite you to reach out to us at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. Our goal is to help you focus on recovering from your burn injuries while we handle the legal details.