Severe burn injuries can change a person’s life forever. Recovery often requires months or years of treatment, including surgeries, skin grafts, physical therapy, and psychological care for scarring and disfigurement.
When a burn injury is caused by someone else’s negligence—such as a defective product, a dangerous property condition, or a motor vehicle accident—the injured person may have the right to seek compensation through a personal injury claim.
Fort Lauderdale burn injury lawyers at Miller & Jacobs Accident Attorneys represent burn victims across Broward County and South Florida and fight to hold the responsible parties accountable. Contact the firm today for a free consultation to discuss your situation.
Table of contents
- How Miller & Jacobs Represents Burn Injury Victims in Fort Lauderdale
- What Types of Burns Lead to Personal Injury Claims in Fort Lauderdale?
- Common Causes of Burn Injuries in the Fort Lauderdale Area
- What Are the Long-Term Effects of Severe Burn Injuries?
- Who May Be Held Liable in a Fort Lauderdale Burn Injury Case
- What Types of Compensation May Be Available After a Burn Injury in Fort Lauderdale?
- What Is the Filing Deadline for a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Fort Lauderdale?
- FAQs for Fort Lauderdale Burn Injury Lawyers
- Reach Out to Fort Lauderdale Burn Injury Lawyers Who Take Action for You
How Miller & Jacobs Represents Burn Injury Victims in Fort Lauderdale
Miller & Jacobs Accident Attorneys has recovered more than $150 million for personal injury clients across South Florida over nearly two decades. The firm’s founding attorneys, Mark J. Miller and Rick S. Jacobs, are former prosecutors who have tried more than 230 jury trials combined. That courtroom experience shapes how they handle burn injury cases involving disputed liability, multiple defendants, or resistant insurance carriers.
Building a Burn Injury Case From the Ground Up
Burn cases often involve more than one liable party and require a thorough investigation to identify every source of responsibility. Miller & Jacobs takes the following investigative steps in Fort Lauderdale burn injury cases:
- Reviewing fire investigation reports, building inspection records, and product safety data to determine the origin and cause of the burn
- Identifying all potentially liable parties, including property owners, manufacturers, contractors, and maintenance companies
- Working with medical professionals who treat burn patients to document the full scope of current and future treatment needs
- Preserving physical evidence such as the defective product, damaged wiring, or safety equipment that failed
Burn injury litigation frequently involves complex factual and technical questions, which is why early investigation and evidence preservation matter in every case.
Contingency Fee Representation With No Upfront Costs
Miller & Jacobs handles all burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing upfront and owe no legal fees unless the firm recovers compensation for you. The firm serves Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas from its Pompano Beach office at 1600 S. Federal Highway, Suite 1101, with additional reach across Palm Beach County, Orlando, Miami, and Tampa.
What Types of Burns Lead to Personal Injury Claims in Fort Lauderdale?
Burns range in severity from mild surface-level damage to injuries that destroy multiple layers of skin, muscle, and bone. The degree of the burn, its location on the body, and the extent of scarring all affect both the medical treatment required and the potential value of a legal claim.
Understanding Burn Degrees and Their Medical Impact
First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of skin and typically heal without lasting damage. Second-degree burns reach the dermis, or second layer, and produce blisters, swelling, and potential scarring.
Third-degree burns destroy both the outer and inner skin layers, including nerve endings, and often require skin grafts. Fourth-degree burns are the most severe, extending into muscle, tendon, and bone, and may require amputation of the affected area.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries in the Fort Lauderdale Area
Burn injuries in Broward County arise from a wide range of situations, including residential fires, workplace incidents, vehicle crashes, and defective consumer products. The following types of accidents frequently form the basis of burn injury claims in Fort Lauderdale:
- Residential fires caused by faulty wiring, gas leaks, or a landlord's failure to maintain working smoke detectors and safe electrical systems
- Vehicle accidents where fuel ignition, electrical fires, or airbag malfunctions cause thermal or chemical burns
- Defective appliances, electronics, or household products that overheat, short-circuit, or catch fire during normal use
- Workplace incidents involving exposure to hot surfaces, chemicals, steam, or open flames in commercial kitchens, construction sites, or industrial facilities
- Scalding injuries from excessively hot water in hotel rooms, restaurants, or rental properties in the Fort Lauderdale hospitality sector
Each of these scenarios points to a different legal theory and a different set of potentially liable parties. Identifying the right defendant and the right legal path early in the case shapes the entire trajectory of a burn injury claim.
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Severe Burn Injuries?
Severe burn injuries often lead to long-term medical and physical complications that extend well beyond the initial emergency treatment. Many burn survivors require years of follow-up care, reconstructive procedures, and rehabilitation to restore function and manage scarring.
Common long-term complications of burn injuries include:
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of mobility caused by scar tissue and skin contractures
- Nerve damage resulting in chronic pain or loss of sensation
- Repeated reconstructive surgeries and skin graft procedures
- Psychological trauma, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress
Severe burns can also interfere with a person's ability to work, participate in daily activities, or maintain the same quality of life they had before the injury. Because these effects often require ongoing treatment and support, burn injury claims frequently include projected future medical costs and long-term care needs.
Who May Be Held Liable in a Fort Lauderdale Burn Injury Case
Burn injury claims in Florida can arise from several types of legal liability, depending on how the injury occurred. The liable party varies based on whether the burn resulted from a dangerous property condition, a defective product, or another person's careless actions.
Premises Liability for Burns on Someone Else's Property
Property owners in Florida owe a duty of care to visitors and tenants. If a landlord fails to maintain safe electrical systems, install working smoke detectors, or address known fire hazards, and someone suffers burn injuries as a result, the property owner may face a premises liability claim.
Under Florida Statute § 768.0755, claims involving dangerous conditions on business premises require proof that the owner had actual or constructive knowledge of the hazard and failed to address it.
Product Liability for Defective Items That Cause Burns
When a consumer product causes a burn injury due to a design flaw, a manufacturing defect, or a failure to include adequate safety warnings, the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer may face a product liability claim.
Florida product liability law allows claims based on strict liability, meaning the injured person does not need to prove negligence if they demonstrate the product was defective and unreasonably dangerous.
Negligence in Motor Vehicle and Workplace Burn Accidents
Burns that result from car crashes, truck accidents, or workplace incidents may give rise to standard negligence claims against the at-fault driver, employer, or third-party contractor. Under Florida Statute § 768.81(6), Florida's modified comparative negligence system bars recovery if the injured person is found more than 50% at fault for their own injuries.
What Types of Compensation May Be Available After a Burn Injury in Fort Lauderdale?
Burn injuries often carry long-term medical and personal costs that go far beyond the initial emergency room visit. A Fort Lauderdale burn injury claim may include the following categories of compensation:
- Emergency medical treatment, burn center admissions, surgeries, and skin graft procedures
- Ongoing rehabilitation, physical therapy, and follow-up surgeries for scar revision or reconstructive work
- Lost wages from time away from work and reduced earning capacity if permanent injuries limit future employment
- Pain and suffering, including the physical pain of treatment and recovery as well as the emotional toll of scarring and disfigurement
In cases involving extreme negligence or intentional wrongdoing, Florida courts may also award punitive damages to penalize the responsible party and discourage similar conduct. Not every case qualifies, but an attorney familiar with Broward County burn injury litigation may evaluate whether the facts support that type of claim.
What Is the Filing Deadline for a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Fort Lauderdale?
Under Florida Statute § 95.11, as amended by House Bill 837 in 2023, the statute of limitations for most negligence-based personal injury claims is two years from the date of the injury. This deadline applies to burn injury cases in Fort Lauderdale and throughout the state.
Why Burn Injury Cases Require Early Action
Two years may seem like a sufficient amount of time, but burn cases often involve extended hospital stays, multiple surgeries, and a long recovery before the full scope of medical treatment becomes clear. Investigating the cause of a fire or the origin of a defective product also takes time, particularly when the evidence is damaged or destroyed in the incident itself. Starting the legal process early protects both the evidence and the timeline.
FAQs for Fort Lauderdale Burn Injury Lawyers
What types of burns may support a personal injury claim in Florida?
Any burn caused by another party's negligence, a defective product, or an unsafe property condition may support a claim. This includes thermal burns from fires, chemical burns from toxic exposure, electrical burns from faulty wiring, and scalding injuries from excessively hot liquids. The legal theory depends on how the burn occurred and who bears responsibility.
How long do I have to file a burn injury lawsuit in Fort Lauderdale?
For injuries caused by negligence on or after March 24, 2023, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the injury. Missing this deadline may permanently bar you from pursuing compensation. Claims involving government-owned property may carry additional notice requirements and shorter effective timelines.
Who may be liable for a burn injury in Florida?
Depending on the circumstances, liable parties may include property owners, landlords, product manufacturers, employers, contractors, or at-fault drivers. Many burn cases involve more than one defendant, and an attorney may identify parties you might not have considered on your own.
What if my burn injury happened at work in Broward County?
You may have a workers' compensation claim through your employer and a separate personal injury claim against a third party whose negligence caused the burn, such as a manufacturer of defective equipment or a contractor on the job site. Workers' compensation provides medical benefits and partial wage replacement but does not cover pain and suffering. A third-party claim may fill that gap.
What compensation may be available for a severe burn injury?
A burn injury claim may include compensation for medical expenses, future treatment costs, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and the emotional distress associated with permanent scarring or disfigurement. The value of the claim depends on the severity of the burns, the cost of ongoing care, and the strength of the evidence linking the injury to the defendant's conduct.
Reach Out to Fort Lauderdale Burn Injury Lawyers Who Take Action for You
Evidence in burn injury cases is often lost in the same fires, explosions, or product failures that cause the harm. Acting quickly can make a meaningful difference. Early legal action allows a team to preserve what evidence remains, identify all potentially responsible parties, and begin building a claim that reflects the full impact of your injuries.
Florida’s two-year filing deadline and the state’s modified comparative fault rule, which prevents recovery if a person is found more than 50% responsible, make it especially important not to wait.
If you or a loved one suffered a burn injury, you should not have to handle the legal process on your own. Miller & Jacobs handles burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe nothing unless compensation is recovered. Contact us today to discuss what happened and learn what legal options may be available to you.