Burn injuries

Serious burns are among the most painful and prolonged injuries in accident law. Treatment can span years, the scarring is usually permanent, and the injury affects appearance, movement, temperature regulation, and often mental health. The claim has to account for all of it.

It is general information, not legal advice, and it is not medical advice.

Depth

• Superficial (first degree): the outer skin layer only — red, painful, no blisters. Heals on its own.
• Partial thickness (second degree): into the deeper skin layer — blistering, swelling, severe pain. May need grafting depending on depth.
• Full thickness (third degree): through all skin layers — leathery or charred, often less painful at the center because nerves are destroyed. Requires grafting.
• Fourth degree: into muscle, tendon, or bone. May require amputation — see amputation and limb loss.

Body surface area

The percentage of the body burned is estimated using standard methods. Larger burns bring fluid loss, temperature and infection risk, and a longer and more complicated hospital course. Burns to the face, hands, feet, genitals, or over joints are treated as more serious regardless of size because of their effect on function and appearance.

Care

Significant burns are managed at a specialized burn center: wound cleaning and dressing changes, removal of dead tissue (debridement), skin grafts — often taken from the patient's own unburned skin, which creates a second wound — and sometimes temporary biologic or synthetic coverings. Infection is the constant threat. Pain control is intensive and ongoing. Then comes rehabilitation: physical and occupational therapy, pressure garments, splinting, and scar management that continues for a year or more.

Lasting effects

• Permanent scarring, including raised and thickened (hypertrophic and keloid) scars — see scarring and disfigurement.
• Contractures that limit motion and may need release surgery.
• Chronic pain, itching, and altered sensation.
• Heat and cold intolerance and sun sensitivity in grafted areas.
• Repeated reconstructive procedures over years.
• Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress — see psychological injuries.

Sources: CACI No. 3903A (past and future medical expenses); CACI No. 3905A (physical pain, disfigurement, and mental suffering). CACI citations are to the Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (2026 edition).

Which accidents cause burns

Car accidents and truck accidents with post-collision fire, motorcycle accidents (including road-surface and exhaust burns), and unsafe property conditions involving electrical hazards, scalding water, or chemicals.

Common questions

How are burns classified?

By depth — superficial (first degree), partial thickness (second degree), full thickness (third degree), and deeper (fourth degree) — and by the percentage of total body surface area affected. Depth and area together drive treatment and outcome.

Why are burn cases treated as catastrophic?

Deep or large burns often mean weeks in a burn center, repeated grafting surgeries, a high infection risk, intensive pain management, months of rehabilitation, permanent scarring, and years of reconstructive and scar-management procedures.

What is a contracture?

When healing burn tissue tightens and restricts movement, especially across a joint or the neck. Contractures can require release surgery and ongoing therapy and splinting.

What causes burns in accident cases?

Vehicle fires after a crash, defective products and wiring, gas and chemical exposure, scalding water, industrial and workplace incidents, and unsafe property conditions. The cause determines who is responsible.