Burn Injury Compensation Claims Explained

Burns, even relatively minor ones, can have serious psychological effects on the injured person. In more severe cases, burn injuries can impair bodily functions, lead to permanent disability, and significantly reduce quality of life. The personal injury compensation paid out for burns can therefore account for a broad range of impacts, including your mental health, cosmetic appearance, and finances. If you have suffered thermal, electrical, or chemical burns because of a negligent third party, you may have grounds to start the burn injury compensation claims process.

At Legal Helpline, our panel of personal injury solicitors have years of experience across many types of claims, with some solicitors having begun their legal careers over 3 decades ago. In that time, they have secured millions in compensation for thousands of clients nationwide, and your claim could be next. Our panel offers a comprehensive, custom-built service that takes into consideration your personal needs and the unique circumstances of your claim. 

Key Takeaways

• Chemicals, open flames, vehicles, and catering equipment can all pose a real risk of burns if proper safety precautions are not taken.
• Burn injuries can result in severe deep-tissue scarring, internal organ damage, and lasting harm to mental health.
• Common causes of burn injuries include faulty electrical equipment, a lack of flame-resistant clothing, and high-impact road collisions.
• Evidence such as your medical records from burn treatments and CCTV footage of the fire or chemical spill, for example, will be very useful in proving fault during the claim.
• Legal Helpline’s panel of dedicated personal injury solicitors pride themselves on offering highly desirable No Win No Fee terms and a comprehensive, fully tailored service to all eligible claimants.

It’s free to find out if you have a claim, and there is no obligation to proceed, so why not get in touch with Legal Helpline for your free eligibility check today?

Browse This Page

1. Can I Claim Compensation For A Burn Injury?
2. Burn Injury Compensation Claims Examples
3. What Are The Different Burn Injuries That Could Be Sustained?
4. How Are Burn Injuries Categorised?
5. How Much Burn Injury Compensation Could I Claim?
6. What Is Needed To Claim After Sustaining Burn Injuries?
7. Why Make Burn Injury Compensation Claims With Legal Helpline?
8. No Win No Fee Burn Injury Claims
9. Learn More

Can I Claim Compensation For A Burn Injury?

Yes, you can claim compensation for a burn injury if it can be demonstrated that the harm you suffered resulted from a third party’s failure to protect your safety. The eligibility requirements can therefore be summarised as follows:

• A Duty Of Care Was Owed: A third party must have been legally responsible to take practical steps to ensure your safety at the time of the burn injury. These measures can include employers providing flame-resistant clothing where appropriate, gym operators regularly servicing spa facilities, and road users operating vehicles with due care and attention.
• This Was Breached In Some Way: A failure to uphold required safety standards is referred to as a breach in the duty of care. Examples include a hotel operator failing to address known fire hazards or an employer neglecting to train staff on the safe handling of corrosive chemicals.
• That Breach Led To An Accident In Which You Suffered A Burn Injury: You must be able to prove that a third party’s failure directly led to the burn injury. Compensation can be sought for the burns themselves, any cosmetic effect, as well as the impact on your mental health and finances. You will need official medical documentation of your injuries to seek compensation for them.

Can I Claim Compensation For A Loved One’s Burn Injuries?

Yes, you could claim for a loved one’s burn injuries if they are otherwise unable to claim for themselves because they are under 18 or without sufficient mental capacity. When this is the case, you may step in as their litigation friend and conduct the claim for them.

In addition to meeting the suitability criteria, litigation friends must operate under strict conditions, safeguarding the best interests of whoever they are acting for and doing everything they can to keep the claimant informed of the progress of their case and to uphold their wishes.

Legal Helpline’s panel of solicitors is highly experienced with burn injury compensation claims. So, for further information about the process or to make inquiries about claiming for someone else, talk to our advisory team today.

Burn Injury Compensation Claims Examples

Examples of burn injury compensation claims that could be made are provided below. We mentioned above that compensation can be sought against employers, other road users, and those in control of public areas. Below, we have explained the different duties of care in a little more detail and provided an illustrative example for each. 

Workplace Burn Injuries

Accident at work claims can be made for burn injuries if your employer does not take reasonable steps to ensure your safety as per the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. For example:

• You were working in an engineering workshop, using machinery to cut materials down to size. Your employer had failed to carry out the latest round of maintenance checks, and consequently, a wiring fault with the cutting machine had been missed. During the operation, the wiring shorted, and you experienced a major electric shock, causing serious burns to your arms and hands.

Burn Injuries In Public Places

The parties in control of publicly accessible areas, known as occupiers, are required under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 to take steps to ensure the reasonable safety of any visitors to the areas which they control. Public liability claims can be made if such steps are not taken, and you suffer burns because of this. As an example:

• A shopping centre did not have sufficient fire safety measures or adequate evacuation routes. A fire broke out in one of the retail units and spread rapidly, causing you and several other shoppers to sustain severe smoke burns.

Road Traffic Accident Burn Injuries

Rather than a duty of care being owed by a single third party on the roads, this responsibility to uphold safety is shared amongst all road users. This means upholding the laws and rules of both the Highway Code and Road Traffic Act 1988, and doing everything within their reasonable power to avoid causing harm. A potential scenario could be:

• You were driving across a busy intersection when a van sped through a red light and hit your car. The force of the impact ruptured your fuel tank, which then ignited. While you were able to escape from the burning vehicle, you suffered burn injuries to your face, arms and legs. 

Burn Injuries Caused By Defective Products

Product defects in electrical goods, gas appliances, vehicles and industrial machinery can all lead to users suffering burns. Consumers are protected by the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which stipulates that products must be both safe for their intended use and of satisfactory quality to a reasonable person. The Consumer Protection Act 1987 allows consumers to seek compensation for any harm caused by faulty goods, whether or not negligence was a factor.

• So a potential scenario could involve you buying a petrol lawn mower that was not subject to strict enough quality control measures. When you go to turn it on, the motor explodes due to a fault with the ignition system, causing burn injuries to your neck and torso. 

Medical Negligence Burn Injuries

Burns can also be sustained due to medical negligence. Medical practitioners, across both public and private healthcare providers, must give care that meets the correct standards to all patients. If a failure to meet those standards caused a patient avoidable harm, then medical negligence is said to have occurred. 

• A clear example of this could be chemical burns from using the wrong type of disinfectant or a solution that is too strong when performing procedures. 

Burn Injuries After Criminal Assault

The final type of claim we are going to discuss is the criminal injury claim. For the purposes of our guide, this is a claim for crimes such as acid attacks and arson. There are 3 ways that may be sought:

• A claim directly against the perpetrator.
• Claiming against a vicariously liable institution, such as your employer.
• Making a criminal injury claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

The CICA is a government-sponsored agency set up to give those injured in violent crimes a means of seeking compensation when other avenues are not practical or have been exhausted. 

So as you can see, there are multiple ways in which a claim for burn injury compensation could be made. To learn more about claiming in your own circumstances, and for a more personalised idea of what your potential claim could be worth, speak to one of our advisors today. 

What Are The Different Burn Injuries That Could Be Sustained?

Different burn injuries, such as fire, chemical and electrical, could all be sustained depending on the exact nature of the accident. We’ve set out a range of examples of not only burn injuries but also other harm that may be caused here:

• Burns from electric shocks.
• Chemical burns.
• Burns caused by open flames, explosions, or hot materials.
• Internal burns, injuries and damage.
• Damage to the eyes, senses, and face.
• Damage to hair.
• Permanent scars and disfigurements. 

Further information on making burn injury compensation claims for the harm listed above, or other complications, can be sought from our advisors. Get in touch with our team today using the details given below. 

How Are Burn Injuries Categorised?

Burns are categorised by their thickness, meaning how many layers of tissue the burn has reached. These are:

• Superficial epidermal (first-degree) burns: These affect the top layer of skin only.
• Superficial dermal (second-degree) burns: The burn has extended through the epidermis and upper dermis.
• Deep dermal (deep second-degree) burns: Deeper layers of the dermis but not the underlying tissues.
• Full thickness (third degree) burns: Where burns extend through all layers of the skin to the subcutaneous tissues below. In the most severe instances, full-thickness burns can reach the muscles and bones.

Serious full-thickness burns are often accompanied by damage to nerves, tendons and ligaments. Wounds of this type can lead to amputations, as the damage to the soft tissues renders a limb useless in some cases. 

How Much Burn Injury Compensation Could I Claim?

According to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), you could receive in excess of £127,930 in burn injury compensation where your burns exceed 40% total body coverage. The JCG is a publication frequently used by legal professionals to help them calculate compensation figures for various claims. There are 2 distinct heads of loss under which payouts in successful claims can be made:

• General damages: Compensation for the burns themselves, cosmetic impact, and the psychological harm. 
• Special damages: Payments for financial harm and other costs arising from the burn injuries. You can find more information on this in the next section. 

The guideline payout brackets in the JCG cover a wide range of injuries, as you can see in the table below. We should, however, point out that the top entry is not a JCG bracket.

Compensation Table

Please note that this information is intended to act as a rough guide only and not as a guarantee of how much might be awarded in successful burn injury compensation claims. 

Type of Injury and Severity	Guideline	Notes
Multiple Very Severe Injuries with Associated Financial Harm	Up to £500,000 +	Where very severe injuries have been sustained, resulting in significant financial harm such as private surgery for skin grafts, therapy expenses, and a loss of income.
Bodily Scarring - Burns Covering 40% or More of the Body	Likely to exceed £138,490	Burn compensation is affected by overall coverage, the thickness, cosmetic impacts, physical disabilities and psychological effects.
Bodily Scarring - A Number of Noticeable Laceration Scars or One Single Disfiguring Scar	£10,350 to £30,030	Cases where there is 1 disfiguring scar, or multiple noticeable lacerations to the limbs or torso.
Bodily Scarring - Single Noticeable Scar Or Several Superficial Scars	£3,130 to £10,350	1 noticeable scar or multiple superficial scars.
To Face - Very Severe Scarring	£39,340 to £128,590	Highly disfiguring cosmetic effect in relatively young claimants with severe psychological impacts.
To Face - Less Severe Scarring	£23,730 to £63,970	Substantial disfigurement with significant psychiatric effect.
To Face - Significant Scarring	£11,120 to £36,720	The worst effects will have been reduced by surgery, and the psychological reaction will have diminished or been not great from the start.
To Face - Less Significant Scarring	£5,220 to £18,150	A single scar, or multiple very small scars that do not greatly affect overall appearance.
Damage to Hair - Permanent Defect (a)	£9,700 to £14,560	Defective permanent tinting, waving and hair breakage and brittleness with dermatitis of the scalp leading to substantial psychological effects.

Burn Injury Compensation Claims Cover Financial Losses?

Yes, burn injury compensation claims can cover financial losses resulting from the harm you suffered. Burns can significantly affect your ability to work, drive, and perform daily tasks, leading to substantial out-of-pocket costs. These losses are compensated under special damages, and some potential examples include:

• Loss of earnings, including future income, if your burn injuries leave you with a long-term disability that prevents you from returning to your job. 
• Specialist skin creams or pressure garments used to manage scarring.
• Care expenses, including professional home carers and physiotherapy to restore function or prevent tissue contraction.
• Private surgery for skin grafts, laser therapy to reduce scarring, and medications.
• Psychological counselling and other support services to help you cope with the emotional effects of the burns.
• If the burns have caused tissue damage that affects your ability to drive, transport expenses may also be covered.

Make sure you retain copies of documents that show what costs you have incurred in order to include them in your claim, such as your payslips, bills for care services, and travel tickets. Our advisors can provide a more personalised assessment of the costs you might be able to claim for your burn injuries. 

What Is Needed To Claim After Sustaining Burn Injuries?

You will need supporting evidence, such as medical records and site photographs, to claim after sustaining burn injuries, and also to make sure that you are within the appropriate time limit. This section offers additional information on both aspects. 

What Is Needed To Prove Fault For A Burn Injury?

To prove fault for a burn injury, you can use CCTV footage of the incident, a copy of the accident book, and photographs showing the hazard, such as faulty electrical equipment or a defective chemical container. You may also be able to obtain copies of records related to training or maintenance activities, which can help show whether core safety tasks were not conducted appropriately. Further information on the evidence required for a personal injury claim, such as your medical records, is available from our advisory team.

How Long After A Burn Injury Can I Claim Compensation?

You will typically have 3 years from the day you sustained the burn injury to claim compensation, as per the Limitation Act 1980. In some cases, extensions can be granted when the injured person is a minor or does not have the mental capacity to claim for themselves. To learn more about time limits or to get your free eligibility check today, talk to our advisors via the contact information given below. 

Why Make Burn Injury Compensation Claims With Legal Helpline?

By choosing to make burn injury compensation claims with Legal Helpline, you’ll be gaining access to an expert panel of highly experienced personal injury solicitors who can offer a tailored package of services and unique support measures. They know that burns can have major ramifications, not only for your physical mobility and appearance, but also in the form of deep psychological trauma. Our panel provides a bespoke service that prioritises your welfare and long-term recovery throughout the legal process by:

• Connecting you with relevant medical professionals for procedures such as skin grafting, scar reduction, psychological counselling and other treatments for both the burns and their impacts.
• Helping you collect supporting evidence, such as fire safety inspection reports, risk assessment findings, and company records concerning the provision of protective clothing.
• Determining an overall compensation figure for the claim, including future care needs or the cost of ongoing private treatment to reduce scarring.
• Arranging an independent medical assessment to evaluate the degree of your burn injury, the cosmetic impact, and long-term prognosis.
• Communicating with the defendant’s representatives and keeping you informed of all developments.
• Explaining all the tricky language you encounter during the claims process. You can also find our legal glossary here.

You can discuss the services Legal Helpline’s expert panel of solicitors offer by talking to our dedicated advisors today.

No Win No Fee Burn Injury Claims

Legal Helpline offers claimants a fully No Win No Fee service with a specially selected solicitor from our panel of highly trained and experienced professionals. This means you can benefit from a specific contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under this agreement, you can begin seeking compensation for your burn injuries with the certainty that you will not be paying solicitor service fees at the start of, during, or if the claim does not succeed.

The solicitors on our panel charge a success fee when the claim is won. This success fee is charged as a percentage of the compensation, but a legal cap ensures that the advantage is firmly with you. 

Contact Legal Helpline

Get in touch with our specialist advisors today using the contact details provided. In addition to providing more information, our team can assess your eligibility to claim free of charge. You can:

• Call 0333 000 0729 today.
• Contact us online.
• Open the live chat window now.

Learn More

You can read some of our other personal injury claims guides here:

• See our guide to compensation payouts and how they are determined.
• Read our road traffic accident claim FAQ page.
• Burns can lead to significant psychological damage, and you can use this guide to learn more about making a mental health claim.

We’ve also provided these external resources for additional information:

• The NHS has published this resource on burns and scalds.
• Read the guidance on the proper use of chemicals at work from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
• Find out how prevalent burns and scalds are in this guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Thank you for taking the time to read our guide to burn injury compensation claims.