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Serious burns and electrical injuries can require months or years of treatment, and the costs, physical, emotional, and financial, add up long after the accident. When someone else’s carelessness caused it, you should not have to shoulder that recovery alone.
At D&W Law Group, we have represented injured Chicagoans since 1991. Our founding partners, Lance C. Dale and Scott B. Wolfman, bring more than sixty years of combined personal injury experience in Illinois, and you work with the same firm from your first call through resolution, however long that takes.
The full cost of a burn or electrical injury often is not clear at first. We build each case around what your recovery will actually require, now and down the road, so any compensation reflects the real impact on your life.
Burns can result in severe scarring, disfigurement and loss of function. Third-degree burns, which penetrate all layers of the skin, often require skin grafts and can lead to permanent nerve damage. Additionally, burn victims can experience chronic pain, restricted mobility and psychological trauma, including depression, anxiety or agoraphobia.
Electrocution and burn injuries are especially disastrous because of the considerable extent of nerve damage, muscle injuries and other harm the body experiences. Even if a small area of the body was originally impacted by these injuries, they could still cause permanent harm like paralysis, cognitive impairments and permanent pain.
Extreme accidents can also cause life-threatening conditions like cardiac arrest.
These injuries are more common, and more dangerous, than most people realize. According to the American Burn Association’s burn incidence data, the 29,165 burn admissions per year represent 88.5 admissions per million lives, and there were 795 inpatient deaths for an overall mortality rate of 2.7%.
Electrical injuries frequently cause internal damage that is out of proportion to what shows on the skin, which is exactly why insurance companies tend to undervalue them.
When these injuries can continue to have negative effects for a lifetime, we will fight to provide you with a settlement that reflects every cost of your injuries.
Talk with our team about your accident before you talk with an insurance adjuster.
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When you suffer from burns or electrical shock injuries due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to various types of compensation. Understanding the types of compensation available can help you seek the justice and financial support you need for your recovery.
This may be one of the most notable costs associated with any kind of injury. Typical medical expenses include emergency care, surgeries, hospital stays, medications, and ongoing treatments such as physical therapy and counseling.
In this form of compensation, we fight to cover the expenses you have already experienced as well as the ones that may arise in the future.
During your recovery process, it is likely you will not be able to work. As a result, you will also require compensation for the income you have missed out on. If your injuries are extreme enough, they may keep you from earning the same level of income ever again, which is when you would deserve compensation for loss of earning potential as well.
Burns and electrical accident injuries can cause severe physical pain and emotional suffering. When the reckless or negligent actions of another person have caused you to suffer such serious pain, they should also compensate you for the harm you suffered.
Severe burns can result in permanent disfigurement and scarring, which can profoundly impact self-esteem and quality of life. This type of compensation is meant to account for the changes in your life that result from these injuries, such as damaged relationships, difficulties in social interactions, and other consequences of scarring.
Severe injuries can also impact the way a victim enjoys life. When the consequences of your injuries have affected your ability to engage in hobbies, social activities or other precious events in your life, the liable party needs to compensate you for what their actions have denied you.
Burn and electrocution cases often carry costs that do not show up until years later, like a second reconstructive surgery or the point at which nerve damage finally forces a career change.
Mark Curran III brings a finance degree paired with his law degree to these calculations, which matters most on exactly this kind of damages question: projecting what a catastrophic injury will actually cost a client over a working lifetime rather than settling for a number that only covers today’s bills.
One key to maximizing the compensation our clients receive is having a thorough understanding of the events leading up to the accident that harmed them. Our extensive experience can help you recover from all types of accidents that caused your burns and electrocution injuries.
Workplace accidents are a common cause of burns and severe electric shocks. Construction sites, manufacturing plants, and other industrial environments often involve electrical equipment and hazardous materials. These accidents can happen when employers are not meeting safety protocols, providing you with faulty equipment, or are not properly training you.
Workplace electrocution and burn cases can move on two tracks at once: a workers’ compensation claim against your employer, and a separate injury claim against a negligent contractor, subcontractor, or equipment manufacturer who was not your employer.
We also represent railroad workers hurt by electrical equipment along the tracks or in rail yards, which fall under the federal FELA system rather than standard workers’ compensation, and that distinction changes how the claim has to be built from day one.
Electrical fires, faulty wiring and malfunctioning appliances are common causes of burns and electrocution injuries in the home. If these accidents are the result of a contractor not properly installing your electrical system or a defective product was the source of the fire, we can help you seek justice.
Vehicle accidents can result in burns and electric shocks, especially if the vehicle catches fire or comes into contact with power lines. It only takes a moment of reckless or negligent driving to cause these life-changing accidents.
Defective products, particularly those involving electrical components, can pose serious risks. Faulty household appliances, tools and other consumer products can burn or shock users, putting you and your family in danger.
Liability in a burn injury case depends on proving that a responsible party failed to meet a legal duty of care. This could involve an employer, property owner, manufacturer or another negligent party. The law requires showing that the failure directly caused the injury and resulted in measurable damages. The core elements include:
Each case is supported through investigation and evidence gathering. Safety violations, inspection records and expert analysis often help prove fault.
Burn cases may also involve multiple responsible parties, especially in workplace or product-related incidents. After reviewing the evidence, we build a claim that clearly establishes responsibility and supports compensation under Illinois law.
Two rules decide almost every burn and electrocution case in Illinois before it ever reaches a settlement table. Both work against you if you wait too long to act, so it helps to understand them early.
The filing deadline. Illinois law provides that actions for damages for an injury to the person shall be commenced within a set period after the cause of action accrued, and under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, that period is two years from the date of the accident for most burn and electrocution claims. Miss that window and the court can dismiss your case no matter how serious your injuries were.
Claims involving a government defendant, such as a CTA bus, a Chicago Public Schools building, or a municipal electrical system, typically carry a much shorter deadline, so any burn accident tied to a public entity needs immediate attention.
The fault rule. Illinois follows modified comparative negligence, meaning an injured party may recover damages only if they are less than 50% at fault for the injury, and the recovered amount is reduced in proportion to their share of fault.
In a burn case, that often means a fight over whether you ignored a warning label, ignored a lockout tag on live equipment, or contributed to a fire in some other way. Insurance companies raise comparative fault early and often, which is one more reason not to give a recorded statement before speaking with a lawyer.
At D&W Law Group, we are dedicated to securing the justice and compensation you deserve. Our experienced attorneys have a history of success, including multiple million-dollar settlements for our clients. At our law firm, we are representing not just you but your needs and your future.
We explore all options for finding a quick and ideal resolution without sacrificing the quality of your compensation, and we are prepared to do what it takes to attain that outcome. From gathering evidence to negotiating with insurance companies, our team is committed to achieving the outcome you deserve.
We don’t consider you just another case. We take pride in offering personalized attention and ensuring that you are fully informed and comfortable with every decision. Throughout your case, our lawyers will also contact you to explain what is happening with your claim, how we are fighting for you, and how we expect things to be resolved.
To help you take the first step toward the compensation you need, we offer our clients free initial consultations, and we do not charge our clients anything unless we win a settlement for them. We also offer services in English and Spanish, making it easier for you to communicate with us and understand your legal options.
Burn and electrocution cases are won or lost on evidence that starts disappearing within days: burned wiring gets replaced, damaged equipment gets scrapped, and surveillance footage gets overwritten. Here is what our team does early:
D&W Law Group is also a member of the American Association for Justice and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, organizations that focus specifically on representing injured people rather than insurers.
Every burn and electrocution case is different, but our results in other catastrophic injury and workplace accident cases show what is possible when a case is built correctly from the start.
| Outcome | Case Type |
|---|---|
| $14.9 million | Worksite accident |
| $6.5 million | School bus accident (back, carpal tunnel, and rib injuries) |
| $3.6 million | CTA accident (fractured pelvis) |
| $3 million | Construction injury (severe leg injury from falling concrete) |
| $1.25 million | Car accident (disc herniation) |
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Most burn and electrocution lawsuits arising in Chicago are filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, IL 60602. Cases seeking more than a modest dollar amount go to the court’s Law Division, which hears actions in which the amount of the claim is in excess of $30,000.
That threshold matters in a burn case, because a claim involving skin grafts, reconstructive surgery, or permanent nerve damage almost always exceeds it.
Filing in the right division, with the right defendant named before the statute of limitations runs, is a procedural detail that can decide a case before the facts are ever argued. We handle that filing work so your family can focus on treatment and recovery instead of court paperwork.
Here are the most common legal concerns explained clearly:
In most cases, Illinois provides two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. Missing this deadline can prevent recovery entirely, though limited exceptions may apply in special situations.
For example, if the injury was not immediately discoverable, the clock may start when the injury is discovered or reasonably should have been discovered, not the date of the accident. Also, if the injured person is under 18, the statute of limitations is paused (tolled) until they turn 18.
Yes, under Illinois modified comparative negligence rules, compensation is still possible if you are less than 50% responsible.
However, your recovery is reduced based on your share of fault. For instance, if a burn injury victim is found 20% at fault for ignoring a safety warning in Illinois, their $100,000 compensation would be reduced to $80,000, but if they are 55% at fault, they would recover nothing because recovery is barred once a claimant is more than 50% responsible.
Electrocution injuries involve internal damage that is not immediately visible. These cases rely heavily on medical experts and electrical engineers to trace causation, analyze systems and prove how the incident occurred in ways that standard injury claims usually do not require.
Claims against the Chicago Transit Authority move on a much shorter timeline than a standard two-year injury claim. A suit against the CTA is governed by the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act (70 ILCS 3605/41) and must generally be filed within one year of the injury.
If a CTA property, vehicle, or piece of equipment caused your burn, you should speak with a lawyer immediately rather than waiting to see how your injuries heal.
In most cases, yes. Illinois’ workers’ compensation system generally covers burns from chemical exposure, electrical accidents, or fire that occur in the course of employment, regardless of fault.
That said, a workers’ compensation claim against your employer does not prevent a separate injury claim against a negligent third party, such as an equipment manufacturer, general contractor, or property owner who was not your employer.
We offer free initial consultations, and we do not charge attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. That arrangement means the decision to speak with a lawyer after a burn or electrocution accident costs you nothing up front, at a time when most families are already dealing with mounting medical bills.
Sometimes. Illinois recognizes a discovery rule in certain injury cases, which can start the filing clock on the date you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, the full extent of the injury rather than the date of the original accident.
Whether that rule applies depends heavily on the specific facts, so it is worth having a lawyer review the timeline rather than assuming the deadline has already passed.
A personal injury claim can take months or longer to resolve, so now is the best time to contact our team after an accident.
We handle burn and electrocution claims across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, and we bring the same evidence-preservation and financial-modeling approach to every case we take, whether the loss is a single scar or a life-altering disability.
You do not have to figure out medical bills, lost income, and an insurance company’s tactics on your own while you are still healing. Reach out and let our team walk through what happened and what your case may be worth.
I was in a accident and D&W Law group took very grate care of me and I would recommend this law group to any one if you were in a car accident please call this law group there are great.
I come from the "Service" industry with a predominantly Hispanic customer base and I am very particular as too whom I refer my customers to when they need assistance. D&W has pulled thru every time taking care of my customers as I would. Thank you for all you do!
After what seemed like an impossible search, I was referred to D and W Law Group. I was met with a very knowledgeable staff who exceeded my expectations. All of my questions and concerns were answered in a timely manner.
I just have a question ik it's been a while since I had my accident. I just wanted to know if I'm still having complications do to my injury what do you suggest I do can you all give me a call or can I call to talk more details…
Pros 100% Font bother going anywhere else. They actually care about doing good and put the thier clients best interest 1st. I hope I never need help in this way again but if I did I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
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