Suffered a burn injury in Connecticut? Claggett, Sykes & Garza Trial Lawyers has the skill and record to fight for you. From workplace accidents and fires to defective products and chemical exposure, we handle the toughest cases statewide. Our Connecticut personal injury lawyers secured Connecticut’s largest bodily injury verdict—$100 million—and we’re relentless in protecting victims’ rights and winning maximum compensation.
Contact us online or call us today at 860-469-4557 for a free consultation to discuss your burn injury case. Learn how we can help you recover maximum compensation.
Understanding Burn Injuries in Connecticut
Burn injuries are among the most devastating accidents, often leaving lifelong scars—physical, emotional, and financial. The CDC reports over 650,000 Americans need medical care for burns each year, with nearly 29,000 hospitalizations and 3,800 fire and smoke-related deaths.
In Connecticut, many burns stem from preventable negligence or reckless conduct. Certain burn incidents must be reported to state authorities, especially workplace accidents or suspected crimes. These reports not only track patterns but also provide critical evidence for personal injury claims.
Recovery is long and grueling. Victims may endure multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and years of rehab. Beyond pain and disfigurement, survivors often face depression, isolation, and lost income—piling financial strain onto families already burdened with medical malpractice costs.
Types and Degrees of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are classified by depth and severity according to American Burn Association standards. Each degree carries different treatment needs and long-term outcomes. Understanding these categories helps victims and families prepare for both medical and legal challenges.
First-Degree Burns
First-degree burns damage only the skin’s outer layer (epidermis). They cause redness, pain, and swelling, but usually heal within a week without scarring. Large surface burns may still need medical care from Connecticut medical professionals.
Second-Degree Burns
Second-degree burns reach the dermis and cause blisters, swelling, and severe pain. Healing can take weeks, with risks of scarring or pigment changes. Deep burns may require skin grafts and reconstructive surgery.
Third-Degree Burns
Third-degree burns destroy all skin layers and can extend into tissue. They may look white, brown, or charred and sometimes cause little pain due to nerve damage. Treatment requires surgery or grafts, and recovery often leaves lasting scars and functional loss requiring long-term care planning.
Fourth-Degree Burns
Fourth-degree burns extend into muscle, tendon, and bone. These catastrophic injuries often require amputation and are frequently life-threatening. Survivors face permanent disability and disfigurement.
Types of Burn Injuries by Cause:
Thermal burns: fire, hot liquids, steam, or heated objects
Chemical burns: exposure to acids, bases, or corrosives
Electrical burns: current passing through the body, often with hidden internal damage
Radiation burns: overexposure to UV light or medical radiation treatments
Common Causes of Burn Injuries in Connecticut
Burn injuries in Connecticut happen in many settings—often preventable with proper safety and responsibility. Knowing the common causes helps identify when negligence may have played a role in your Connecticut injury case.
Residential Fires
House fires are a leading cause of serious burns, often from faulty wiring, defective heating, unattended cooking, or missing smoke detectors. Apartment fires pose extra risks when landlords ignore fire codes or fail to maintain safety systems according to Connecticut fire safety regulations.
Workplace Accidents
Burns are common in manufacturing, construction, and restaurant jobs. Workers face hot machinery, chemicals, steam, and open flames—often without proper training or protective gear. Industrial facilities add further risks when workplace safety rules aren’t followed, potentially leading to workers’ compensation claims.
Defective Products
Faulty appliances, electronics, or heating systems can overheat, explode, or malfunction, causing severe burns. Many cases involve design flaws, poor manufacturing, or missing safety warnings. Our product liability attorneys handle these complex cases involving defective product recalls.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car crashes can trigger fires from ruptured fuel systems or defective electrical components. Post-accident fires often cause devastating burns for drivers and passengers, requiring immediate emergency medical treatment.
Chemical Exposure
Chemicals in workplaces and homes—like solvents, pool chemicals, or cleaning products—can cause serious burns if mishandled, stored, or disposed of improperly. Toxic exposure cases often involve violations of EPA safety standards.
Electrical Accidents
Exposed wiring, defective devices, or contact with power lines can cause electrical burns. These injuries often damage tissue beneath the skin and require specialized treatment from burn treatment centers.
Connecticut Burn Injury Laws and Your Rights
Burn injury victims in Connecticut have important legal protections, but knowing your rights is key to securing fair compensation. The state’s laws cover filing deadlines, fault rules, and available damages for Connecticut personal injury cases.
Statute of Limitations
You generally have two years from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit under Connecticut General Statutes § 52-584. Exceptions may apply if the full extent of injuries or the cause of the burn isn’t immediately known. Acting quickly is critical—evidence can be lost, and witnesses’ memories fade.
Comparative Negligence
Under Connecticut General Statutes § 52-572h, compensation is reduced if you share fault. For example, if you are 20% at fault, your award is reduced by 20%. You can still recover damages as long as you are not more than 50% at fault, making experienced trial lawyers essential.
Types of Burn Injury Compensation
Burn injuries create not only physical pain but also long-term financial and emotional challenges. Connecticut law allows victims to pursue several types of compensation depending on the circumstances of their case. These damages are designed to cover both measurable losses and the harder-to-define impacts that reshape a victim’s life.
Economic Damages
Economic damages cover the measurable financial losses caused by a burn injury. These include medical expenses for surgeries, hospital stays, skin grafts, and ongoing rehabilitation. They also account for lost wages if you cannot work temporarily or permanently, as well as future care costs for long-term medical treatment, physical therapy, or home health assistance. By documenting bills, employment records, and expert testimony, victims can pursue full compensation for these tangible losses.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages address the intangible but very real impacts of burn injuries. Victims may suffer chronic pain, permanent scarring, or disfigurement that affects confidence and quality of life. Emotional harm such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress often accompanies severe burns. Compensation also covers loss of enjoyment of life—for example, if injuries prevent you from returning to hobbies, social activities, or family roles you once enjoyed.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are different from economic or non-economic compensation. Their purpose is not just to make victims whole, but to punish especially reckless or egregious conduct and deter similar behavior in the future. In burn cases, punitive damages may apply if a manufacturer knowingly sold a dangerously defective product or if an employer willfully ignored serious workplace safety violations. These awards are less common but can be significant when misconduct is extreme.
Workers’ Compensation
Workplace burn injuries are typically covered by workers’ comp, which provides medical benefits and wage replacement regardless of fault. If a third party’s negligence contributed, you may also pursue a personal injury claim against that party.
Product Liability
Defective products that cause burns may give rise to claims for design flaws, manufacturing defects, or inadequate warnings. Connecticut law allows victims to hold negligent manufacturers accountable through product liability lawsuits.
Compensation for Connecticut Burn Injury Victims
The compensation available to Connecticut burn injury victims depends on numerous factors, including the severity of the burns, the circumstances of the accident, and the long-term impact on the victim’s life. Understanding the types of damages available can help victims and their families prepare for the legal process ahead with experienced Connecticut injury attorneys.
Factors That Influence Compensation
Several factors determine the amount of compensation in burn injury cases:
Extent and degree of burns: Larger surface area or third/fourth-degree burns generally result in higher compensation.
Victim’s age and occupation: Younger victims and those in physically demanding jobs may face greater financial loss.
Long-term prognosis: The need for ongoing medical care, therapy, or counseling plays a critical role. Life care planning experts may be used to project future costs accurately.
Economic Damages
Economic damages represent the measurable financial losses resulting from burn injuries. Medical expenses often constitute the largest component, including emergency room treatment, hospitalization, surgery, skin grafts, medications, and ongoing rehabilitation. Burn injuries frequently require multiple surgeries over several years, making it essential to account for future medical costs in any settlement or verdict.
Lost Wages and Diminished Earning Capacity
Lost wages and reduced earning potential are another significant component of economic damages. Many victims cannot return to their previous employment due to physical limitations, scarring, or psychological trauma. Vocational experts may be needed to evaluate the impact on future earning capacity and career prospects.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages address the intangible losses that victims face. Pain and suffering compensation reflects both the physical pain endured during treatment and the lingering discomfort that may last for years. Emotional distress damages account for psychological challenges such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Disfigurement and Scarring
Burn injuries often result in visible, permanent changes. Compensation is available for the profound impact disfigurement and scarring have on a person’s self-esteem, relationships, and quality of life, often requiring reconstructive surgery.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
Victims may also recover damages for their inability to participate in activities they once enjoyed—such as sports, hobbies, social events, or intimate relationships—due to the limitations caused by burn injuries.
Why Choose Claggett, Sykes & Garza Trial Lawyers for Your Connecticut Burn Injury Case
When facing the devastating consequences of a burn injury, choosing the right legal representation can make the difference between a fair recovery and a lifetime of financial struggle. Claggett, Sykes & Garza Trial Lawyers Trial Lawyers brings unparalleled experience, resources, and dedication to Connecticut burn injury cases.
An Established Track Record
Our firm has established a track record of securing record-breaking verdicts for catastrophic injury victims, including the largest bodily injury verdict in Connecticut history at $100 million. This landmark case involved a warehouse incident that resulted in paralysis, demonstrating our ability to handle complex, catastrophic injury cases and secure maximum compensation for our clients.
Diverse Experience
Our team of nine experienced trial attorneys brings diverse expertise to every case. Partners Andrew Garza, Sean Claggett, Matt Granda, Alexa Mahony, Liz Fitzsimmons, Andrew Ranks, Jonathan “Jak” Kocienda, and John Bruno each contribute unique skills and experience to our collaborative approach. This team structure ensures that every case receives comprehensive attention from multiple legal perspectives.
“Big Data” Approach
We employ a Big Data approach to case preparation and trial strategy, utilizing advanced technology and data analysis to build the strongest possible cases for our clients. This innovative methodology helps us identify key evidence, develop compelling arguments, and present cases in ways that resonate with juries.
Trial Advocacy
Our attorneys are recognized nationally for their trial advocacy skills. Andrew Garza serves as a trial instructor at national seminars, sharing his expertise with other attorneys across the country. This commitment to education and professional development ensures that our team stays at the forefront of trial advocacy techniques and legal developments.
Resources & Expert Testimony
We understand that burn injury cases require extensive resources and expert testimony. Our firm has the financial capacity to advance all case expenses, including medical expert fees, accident reconstruction specialists, life care planners, and vocational experts. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we secure a recovery for your case.
Our approach to burn injury cases is comprehensive and client-focused. We begin with immediate investigation and evidence preservation, recognizing that crucial evidence can be lost or destroyed if not promptly secured. Our team works closely with medical experts to understand the full extent of your injuries and their long-term implications.
Legal Awards & Recognition
The attorneys at Claggett, Sykes & Garza Trial Lawyers have received numerous awards and honors for their legal excellence and trial advocacy skills, underscoring our commitment to achieving outstanding results for our clients. View our complete attorney profiles to learn more about our team’s qualifications.
Andrew Garza
Andrew Garza has earned some of the most prestigious awards in trial advocacy, including the 2022 Keenan Trial Institute Trial Lawyer of the Year and 2023 New England Legal Awards Lawyer of the Year. He has been named to Super Lawyers (2016–2023), recognized in Best Lawyers in America (2024) for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, and honored as a Top 40 Under 40 by the Hartford Business Journal (2023). Andrew is also a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, reserved for attorneys with multi-million dollar verdicts or settlements.
Sean Claggett
Sean Claggett was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Nevada Justice Association in 2017. He holds an AV Preeminent® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell—the highest peer review rating for legal ability and ethics—and a 10.0 “Superb” Avvo rating. He has also been listed in Mountain States Super Lawyers (2014–2022), reflecting his consistent excellence in trial practice.
Matt Granda
Matt Granda has been recognized as a Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Lawyer Nevada by The National Trial Lawyers. He earned selection to Mountain States Super Lawyers – Rising Stars (2017–2021) and, like his colleagues, maintains an AV Preeminent® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell and a 10.0 “Superb” Avvo rating.
Firm Achievements
Together, Claggett, Sykes & Garza Trial Lawyers has secured some of the largest verdicts in legal history, including a $485 million verdict—believed to be the largest single-plaintiff sexual abuse verdict ever—and a $145 million verdict in a workers’ compensation bad faith case, reported as the largest of its kind in U.S. history. View our case results to learn more about our track record.
Frequently Asked Questions About Connecticut Burn Injury Cases
What should I do immediately after suffering a burn injury?
Your first priority should always be seeking immediate medical attention, even if the burns initially appear minor. Burn injuries can be deceptive, and what seems like a minor injury may actually be more serious than it appears. Prompt medical treatment can prevent complications and provide important documentation of your injuries.
If possible, document the scene and circumstances that led to your burn injury. Take photographs of the accident scene, any defective products involved, and your injuries. Preserve any clothing or other items that may serve as evidence. Collect contact information from any witnesses who saw the accident occur.
Contact an experienced Connecticut burn injury attorney as soon as possible. Early legal intervention can help preserve crucial evidence and protect your rights. Do not give statements to insurance companies or sign any documents without first consulting with an attorney, as these statements can be used against you later.
How long do I have to file a burn injury lawsuit in Connecticut?
Connecticut law generally provides a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including burn injury cases. This means you must file your lawsuit within two years of the date your injury occurred. However, there are some exceptions to this rule that may extend or modify this deadline.
The “discovery rule” may apply in certain circumstances where the full extent of your injuries or their cause is not immediately apparent. In some cases involving defective products or toxic exposure, the statute of limitations may not begin running until you discover or reasonably should have discovered the connection between your injuries and the defendant’s conduct.
It’s crucial to act quickly regardless of these potential exceptions. Evidence can be lost or destroyed, witnesses’ memories fade, and defendants may take steps to limit their liability. Consulting with an attorney immediately after your injury ensures that all deadlines are met and your rights are protected.
What if I was partially at fault for my burn injury?
Connecticut follows a comparative negligence rule, which means you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault for the accident that caused your burn injury. However, your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault, and you cannot recover if you are found to be more than 50% at fault.
For example, if you suffered $100,000 in damages but were found to be 20% at fault for the accident, you would be entitled to recover $80,000. The key is having an experienced attorney who can minimize your assigned fault percentage and maximize your recovery.
Determining fault in burn injury cases often requires thorough investigation and expert testimony. Insurance companies may try to shift blame to you to reduce their liability, making it essential to have skilled legal representation to protect your interests.
How much is my Connecticut burn injury case worth?
The value of burn injury cases varies significantly based on numerous factors, making it impossible to provide a specific estimate without a thorough evaluation of your case. However, several key factors influence case value and can help you understand what to expect.
The severity and extent of your burns are primary considerations. More severe burns covering larger areas of the body typically result in higher compensation. The degree of burns (first through fourth degree) also significantly impacts case value, with deeper burns generally warranting higher awards.
Your age, occupation, and earning capacity affect the calculation of lost wages and future earning potential. Younger victims and those in higher-paying professions may receive larger awards for economic damages.
The long-term prognosis and need for future medical care are crucial factors. Some burn injuries require ongoing treatment for years, including additional surgeries, physical therapy, and psychological counseling. The total cost of this future care must be included in any settlement or verdict.
Do I need a lawyer for my burn injury case?
While Connecticut law does not require you to have an attorney, burn injury cases are among the most complex personal injury claims, making experienced legal representation essential for protecting your rights and maximizing your recovery.
Burn injury cases often involve multiple parties, complex medical issues, and substantial damages. Insurance companies employ teams of lawyers and experts to minimize their liability, and attempting to handle these cases without legal representation puts you at a significant disadvantage.
An experienced burn injury attorney can investigate your case, identify all potentially liable parties, work with medical experts to document your injuries, calculate your full damages including future costs, and negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf. If a fair settlement cannot be reached, your attorney can take your case to trial and fight for maximum compensation.
Most burn injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless they secure a recovery for your case. This arrangement allows you to access high-quality legal representation without upfront costs, making it financially feasible to pursue your claim.
Contact Our Connecticut Burn Injury Lawyers Today
We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss your case and explain your legal options. During this consultation, we’ll evaluate the circumstances of your injury, explain the legal process, and help you understand what to expect moving forward. There is no obligation, and you won’t pay any attorney fees unless we secure a recovery for your case.
Our team is available 24/7 for emergencies because we understand that burn injuries don’t happen on a convenient schedule. When you’re dealing with a catastrophic injury, you need immediate legal guidance to protect your rights and preserve crucial evidence.
Don’t let insurance companies take advantage of you during this difficult time. Contact our Connecticut burn injury lawyers online or call 860-469-4557 and let Claggett, Sykes & Garza Trial Lawyers Trial Lawyers fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.