If you suffered a burn or other injury in a workplace fire or accident, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for your medical treatment, lost wages, and other losses.
Workplace fires and burn accidents can happen in construction, manufacturing, restaurants, warehouses, factories, industrial facilities, and other workplaces throughout North Carolina. A workplace burn can require extensive medical treatment and, in serious cases, may result in permanent scarring, disfigurement, disability, or other life-changing injuries.
Our North Carolina workplace injury lawyers can help you understand your rights and options after a workplace fire or burn injury.
With more than 70 years of combined experience, our North Carolina fire and burn injury lawyers for workplace accidents deliver more.
A workplace fire or burn injury is an injury that occurs because of a fire, explosion, hot substance, electrical hazard, chemical exposure, or other source of extreme heat or energy in connection with employment.
Workplace burn injuries can happen in many different environments, including:
A burn injury may be caused by a workplace accident, unsafe condition, defective equipment, chemical exposure, electrical hazard, or another source.
Workplace fires and burn injuries can happen for many reasons, including:
Determining what caused the fire can be important when evaluating your workers’ compensation claim and whether another party may also be responsible.
Burns can range from relatively minor injuries to severe injuries requiring hospitalization, surgery, skin grafts, rehabilitation, and long-term care.
Workplace injuries can include:
Thermal Burns
Thermal burns can result from direct contact with flames, hot surfaces, hot liquids, steam, or other sources of extreme heat.
Chemical Burns
Chemical burns can occur when an employee comes into contact with hazardous chemicals or substances.
Electrical Burns
Electrical accidents can cause burns internally and externally and may involve additional injuries caused by electrical shock or a fall.
Radiation Burns
Certain workplace environments may expose workers to sources of radiation that can cause serious skin injuries.
Explosion Injuries
An explosion can cause burns along with traumatic injuries, hearing damage, respiratory injuries, and other serious conditions.
Depending on the accident, workplace fire and burn injuries may include:
Severe burns may require surgeries, skin grafts, hospitalization, physical therapy, and long-term medical care.
If you suffered a burn injury while performing your job, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
Workers’ compensation may provide benefits for medical treatment and lost wages when a qualifying workplace injury prevents you from working.
You may have a workers’ compensation claim if you were burned while:
Whether your injury qualifies for workers’ compensation depends on the specific circumstances of the accident.
After a workplace fire or burn injury, your health should come first.
You should consider taking the following steps:
Get Immediate Medical Attention
Serious burns may require emergency treatment. Seek medical attention as soon as possible and tell your medical provider that your injury occurred at work.
Report the Accident
Notify your employer about the accident as soon as possible and follow your workplace’s procedures for reporting injuries. Put all communications to your employer in writing.
Document the Accident
If you are able, take photographs of the accident scene, equipment, chemicals, fire damage, visible burns, and other conditions that may help document what happened.
Identify Witnesses
Write down the names and contact information of anyone who witnessed the accident.
Preserve Important Documents
Keep copies of medical records, medical bills, accident reports, work restrictions, insurance correspondence, and other documents related to your injury.
Speak With a Lawyer
If your employer or its insurance company disputes your injury or claim, an attorney can help you understand your options.
Depending on your circumstances, workers’ compensation may provide benefits for:
The benefits available depend on the severity of your injuries, your wages, your ability to work, and other factors.
Workers’ compensation may cover qualifying workplace burn injuries regardless of whether the injury is minor or severe.
Serious burns can result in extensive medical treatment and time away from work. Depending on the injury, treatment may include:
If your injuries prevent you from returning to work, you may also be entitled to disability benefits under North Carolina workers’ compensation law.
Burn injuries can leave permanent scars or disfigurement, particularly when the face, hands, arms, or other visible parts of the body are affected.
Depending on the circumstances and the part of the body affected, North Carolina workers’ compensation law may provide benefits for permanent disfigurement.
The severity and location of the injury can be important when determining what benefits may be available.
Chemical burns can happen when workers come into contact with corrosive or hazardous substances.
Chemical burn accidents may occur because of:
If you were exposed to a hazardous chemical while working, seek medical attention immediately and report the accident to your employer.
If a manufacturer, contractor, property owner, or another third party contributed to the accident, there may also be a separate claim to consider.
Workplace explosions can cause multiple types of injuries at the same time.
An explosion may cause:
If you were injured in a workplace explosion, workers’ compensation may provide benefits for a qualifying workplace injury.
Because explosions can involve defective equipment, hazardous materials, contractors, manufacturers, or other third parties, it may also be important to determine who or what caused the explosion.
Welding, cutting, and torch work can expose employees to fire, extreme heat, sparks, gases, and explosions.
If you were burned while performing welding or torch work as part of your job, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
The circumstances of the accident can also be important if defective equipment, improperly stored materials, or another company contributed to the injury.
Electrical accidents can cause serious burns and other injuries.
You may suffer an electrical burn from:
An electrical accident may also cause a worker to fall from a ladder, platform, or elevated location, creating additional injuries.
If defective equipment or another party caused the electrical accident, there may be potential claims beyond workers’ compensation.
Equipment failure can cause workplace fires and burn injuries.
For example, a defective machine, electrical component, tool, vehicle, or other piece of equipment may malfunction and cause a fire or explosion.
If a defective product contributed to your injury, you may potentially have a claim against a manufacturer or another responsible third party in addition to your workers’ compensation claim.
Personal protective equipment can be important when employees work around fire, chemicals, electricity, extreme heat, or other hazards.
If you were injured because you did not have appropriate protective equipment or safety procedures, you may still be entitled to workers’ compensation for a qualifying workplace injury.
An attorney can review the circumstances to determine whether other legal claims may also be available.
You may still be entitled to workers’ compensation even if you believe you made a mistake that contributed to your workplace burn injury.
Workers’ compensation generally does not require an injured employee to prove that another person was negligent.
If your employer or insurance company is blaming you for the accident, however, you should understand how that may affect your particular claim.
Usually no. Workers’ compensation generally provides the primary remedy against an employer for qualifying workplace injuries.
However, a workplace fire or burn accident can involve parties other than your employer.
For example, a claim may involve:
If another party contributed to your accident, you may have a separate third-party personal injury claim.
Potentially, yes.
If a third party caused or contributed to your workplace fire or burn injury, you may have a claim against that party in addition to your workers’ compensation claim.
For example, if defective equipment caused a workplace fire, the equipment manufacturer may potentially be responsible.
Third-party claims are separate from workers’ compensation claims and may allow an injured worker to seek damages that are not available through workers’ compensation.
If your workers’ compensation claim was denied after a workplace fire or burn injury, you may have options for challenging the denial.
An insurance company may dispute whether your injury occurred during employment, whether the accident caused your injuries, or whether you are entitled to certain benefits.
A denied claim does not necessarily mean you cannot receive workers’ compensation.
An attorney can review the reason for the denial and explain what options may be available.
There is no fixed amount for every workplace burn injury claim.
The value of a workers’ compensation claim can depend on:
If you have a separate third-party personal injury claim, additional damages may be available depending on the circumstances.
You should report your workplace burn injury to your employer in writing as soon as possible.
North Carolina generally requires written notice of an injury by accident to be provided to the employer immediately or as soon as practicable, and generally within 30 days.
Waiting to report a workplace burn can make your claim more difficult if your employer or insurance company later disputes what happened.
North Carolina generally requires a workers’ compensation claim to be filed within two years after an injury by accident, subject to applicable requirements and exceptions.
Reporting your injury to your employer is not necessarily the same as filing a workers’ compensation claim with the North Carolina Industrial Commission.
If you suffered a serious burn at work, it is important to understand the deadlines that may apply to your claim.
You may want to speak with a North Carolina workers’ compensation lawyer if:
An attorney can evaluate your situation and help determine whether you have a workers’ compensation claim, a third-party claim, or potentially both.
