A serious burn is the kind of injury that rewrites your daily life: the pain of dressing changes, the long road through skin grafts, the way mirrors start to feel different. The Columbus burn injury lawyers at O'Connor, Acciani & Levy handle these claims for people across Franklin County and central Ohio.
Our team fights for full payment when someone else's carelessness left you with first, second, or third-degree burns.We take burn cases on a contingency fee, so there is no upfront cost and no hourly bill. Our clients pay nothing unless we recover money on their behalf.
To talk with a Columbus burn injury attorney today, call our Columbus office at (614) 545-7075.
How May Our Columbus Burn Injury Lawyers Help Your Case?
Our Columbus burn injury lawyers handle every part of the legal claim so that recovery stays the priority at home.
The team at O'Connor, Acciani & Levy has fought injury cases across Ohio for more than 30 years, and the firm has recovered tens of millions for clients in personal injury and catastrophic injury matters.
Burn cases are often more involved than a typical injury claim because the medical picture keeps changing. Scar revision surgeries, contracture releases, and grafting procedures may continue for years after the initial burn.
The legal claim has to account for that future care, not just the bills already in hand. A settlement that closes too early often leaves the client with surgeries and therapy still ahead and no money set aside for them.
What Hiring Our Firm Looks Like
Our role in a burn injury case includes the work that makes a settlement reflect the true cost of the harm. Here is what our representation covers in practice:
- A free, no-pressure case review by phone, video, or in person at our Columbus office
- A full investigation into the cause of the fire, explosion, scald, or chemical exposure
- Coordination with burn surgeons, plastic surgeons, and life-care planners to project future medical needs
- Direct negotiation with the at-fault party's insurance company so you stop fielding their calls
- Trial-ready representation in Franklin County Common Pleas Court if the insurance carrier refuses a fair number
The strongest burn cases are built around proof of long-term harm. Our team treats every claim as if it might go to a jury, even when most cases settle before trial.
That posture often produces better offers, since insurance carriers track which firms file lawsuits and which firms settle for whatever number lands first.
Hear From Our Clients
What Types of Burn Injury Claims Do We Handle in Columbus?
Our Columbus burn injury attorneys handle claims arising from thermal burns, scalds, chemical burns, electrical burns, and inhalation injuries.
The common thread is negligence: another person, a company, a property owner, or a product manufacturer did something careless, and you paid the price in burned skin and lasting damage.
The way a burn happens often points to the right defendant. A grease fire at a downtown restaurant points one direction.
A space heater that burst into flames in a Hilliard apartment points another. Pinning down the cause early helps line up the right legal theory before evidence disappears.
Common Sources of Serious Burn Claims
Burn injury claims in Franklin County and central Ohio arise from a wide range of incidents, often tied to property conditions, work environments, or defective products. The settings that produce these cases include the following:
- Apartment, condo, and house fires tied to faulty wiring, missing smoke alarms, or landlord negligence
- Car, truck, and motorcycle crashes that lead to vehicle fires or fuel-tank explosions
- Workplace incidents at construction sites, warehouses, and industrial facilities
- Restaurant and hotel burns from grease fires, scalding water, or unsafe equipment
- Defective products, including space heaters, lithium batteries, hot water systems, and consumer electronics
When the burn traces back to a defective product, the claim may fall under the Ohio Product Liability Act at Ohio Revised Code § 2307.71 and the sections that follow.
That statute allows recovery against a manufacturer or, in some cases, a supplier of the product that caused the harm. A product claim often opens the door to a deeper pool of insurance than a typical homeowner or driver carries.
What Damages May You Recover in an Ohio Burn Injury Claim?
Ohio burn injury victims may recover both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover the dollar costs of the injury, while non-economic damages account for the personal toll of pain, scarring, and emotional trauma.
The size of the recovery turns on the depth of the burn, the body surface area affected, and the path of long-term care.
Burn claims often produce higher non-economic damages than other injury claims because the harm stays visible.
A scar across the cheek, a graft pattern down an arm, a missing fingertip from a fourth-degree burn: those facts land hard with a jury, and they shape the value of a settlement just as much.
Categories of Compensation in a Burn Case
A well-prepared burn injury claim in Columbus accounts for both immediate losses and the future cost of living with the injury. Compensation in these cases often includes the following categories:
- Hospital bills, burn unit care, and skin graft procedures
- Future reconstructive surgeries and scar revision work
- Lost wages and reduced earning power tied to the injury
- Mental health treatment for trauma, depression, and disfigurement-related distress
- Pain and suffering linked to permanent scarring or loss of function
A third-degree burn that destroys muscle and nerve tissue produces a very different claim from a second-degree scald that heals within a month.
Settlement value tracks the medical evidence, and the medical evidence depends on careful documentation from day one.
Cases where the client kept thorough records routinely settle for more than cases where the file is thin, even when the underlying injury is the same.
How Does Ohio Law Treat Burn Injury Cases?
Ohio law treats burn injuries as personal injury claims governed by general negligence rules, with product-related burns falling under the Ohio Product Liability Act.
The deadline for filing a personal injury claim in Ohio is two years from the date of injury under Ohio Revised Code § 2305.10. Missing that deadline usually ends the case before it begins.
Burn Severity and Why It Matters Legally
Medical classification of a burn drives the value and complexity of the claim, since deeper burns tend to require longer treatment and produce permanent harm.
The standard categories used by the American Burn Association are described below:
| Burn Degree | Tissue Affected | Typical Recovery |
| First-degree | Outer layer of skin only | Days to a week, usually no scarring |
| Second-degree (partial thickness) | Outer and inner layers of skin | Weeks to a month, possible scarring or blistering |
| Third-degree (full thickness) | Skin, fat, muscle, and sometimes bone | Months or years, often permanent scarring and grafting |
| Fourth-degree | Deep tissue, muscle, bone, and nerves | Often life-altering, with possible amputation |
A burn that crosses joints, covers a large body surface area, or sits on the face or hands often carries a higher claim value because of the long-term medical and cosmetic impact.
The legal team works alongside burn specialists to make sure that picture reaches the insurance adjuster and, if needed, the jury.
Photos taken at the burn unit, the rehab center, and the home wound-care station tell that story better than any legal brief.
What Steps Help Protect Your Columbus Burn Injury Claim?
Once the initial medical crisis is over and you are home, certain actions help protect the value of the claim. Quick, deliberate steps in the first weeks often shape the size of the recovery months down the road.
Building the Record That Insurers Take Seriously
Treatment records, photos, and out-of-pocket receipts form the backbone of a burn claim. The actions below help build that record while the details are still fresh:
- Follow every appointment with the burn surgeon, plastic surgeon, and primary care provider
- Photograph the burns weekly during healing to create a clear visual timeline
- Save every bill, prescription receipt, mileage log, and missed-work record in one folder
- Report workplace burns to your employer in writing and keep a copy for yourself
- Avoid giving a recorded statement to any insurance adjuster before talking to a lawyer
Insurance companies open files quickly after a serious burn, and early statements often lock in a low value before the full medical picture has come into focus. Talking to a Columbus burn injury attorney first protects what the case may be worth later.
Adjusters know how to phrase questions so that an honest answer becomes a useful piece of their defense, and once those words are recorded, they are hard to walk back.
Ask O'Connor, Acciani & Levy
Do I have a case if my burn happened at work?
A workplace burn often produces two separate claims: a workers' compensation claim through the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and a possible third-party injury claim against a contractor, equipment maker, or property owner.
Our Columbus burn injury lawyers review both paths and pursue every available source of recovery. Running the two claims together often produces a better total result than running either one alone.
What if a defective product caused my burn?
When a defective product causes a burn, the claim typically falls under the Ohio Product Liability Act at R.C. § 2307.71 and the related sections. Liability may attach to the manufacturer, and in certain situations, to a supplier or seller.
Defective space heaters, lithium-ion batteries, and water heaters are common culprits in these cases, and a recall notice on the product often supports the claim.
How long does a burn injury case take to settle?
Most burn injury claims take longer than a routine injury case because the medical treatment runs longer. A second-degree burn claim might resolve in a year, while a third-degree burn with ongoing reconstructive surgeries may take two or three years.
Settling too early risks leaving future medical costs uncovered, which is one of the most common mistakes burn victims make without a lawyer.
Does our firm take burn cases on contingency?
Yes. O'Connor, Acciani & Levy handles burn injury claims on a contingency fee basis. There is no upfront payment, no hourly billing, and no fee at all if we do not recover money on your behalf.
The fee structure puts our team and the client on the same side of the table from day one.
FAQs for Columbus Burn Injury Lawyers
How much is my Columbus burn injury case worth?
Case value depends on the burn degree, body surface area affected, future medical needs, lost income, and permanent scarring. A second-degree burn with full recovery settles for far less than a third-degree burn requiring grafts and scar revision.
A Columbus burn injury lawyer may give a realistic range after reviewing the medical records, photos, and bills.
How long do I have to file a burn injury lawsuit in Ohio?
Two years from the date of the injury, under R.C. § 2305.10. Product-related burn claims also fall within that two-year window in most situations. Waiting puts evidence at risk, so reaching out early is the safer choice.
Who pays for the medical bills while the case is pending?
Health insurance, auto insurance medical payments coverage, or workers' compensation often covers ongoing care while the case is open. A final settlement reimburses some of those payers through liens and pays for future treatment.
Our firm handles those liens during the settlement process so the client is not left chasing paperwork at the end.
May I bring a claim if my child was burned?
Yes, a parent or legal guardian may bring a burn injury claim for a minor child. Ohio law often pauses the deadline for minors until they turn 18, but acting sooner preserves witness memory and evidence.
Child burn cases often involve future plastic surgery as the child grows, and that future care belongs in the settlement.
What if more than one party caused the burn?
Ohio allows recovery from multiple defendants in the same case. A landlord, a contractor, and a product manufacturer might all share responsibility for the same fire, and the lawsuit may name each of them. Identifying every responsible party often raises the total amount recoverable.
Take the Next Step With Our Columbus Burn Injury Lawyers Today
Burn scars are the kind of injury people see every time they look in the mirror. Although the medical bills eventually stop and the grafts begin to heal, the physical and emotional marks often remain for life.
Ohio law gives you the right to hold the responsible party accountable for the harm they caused and the future they changed. That right is subject to strict deadlines, however, and waiting too long can make recovery even harder.
The Columbus burn injury lawyers at O'Connor, Acciani & Levy handle the legal burden so you can focus on your medical treatment and recovery.
Call our Columbus office at (614) 545-7075 for a free case review today. You pay nothing unless we win.
