When a Crash Leaves Burns Behind, We Fight for Your Full Recovery
Burn injuries are among the most painful and life-altering harms a car crash can cause. Treatment often means time in a burn unit, skin grafts, and scars that change how you look and feel. The Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya represents injured Coloradans to pursue recovery from the party responsible for their injuries and losses. A Denver car accident attorney from our team can pursue the full compensation your recovery demands. We handle the insurance companies while you focus on healing, and your case review is always free.
Why Injured Coloradans Choose the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya
We have fought for injured Coloradans since 2005, and we handle every case with the personal attention it deserves. Clients choose our law firm because:
- Dianne Sawaya has practiced law for over 30 years, devoting 25 of those years to fighting for injury and accident victims.
- You are not a case number here. You work with a team that knows your name, returns your calls, and keeps you informed at every stage.
- Our promise is simple: Smart, aggressive, and compassionate representation. We take on the adjusters, the paperwork, and the pressure tactics insurers use to undervalue serious burn injuries, so you can put your energy into getting better.
- You can call or text us 24 hours a day if you have a concern or question about your case.
- We offer services in Spanish, and we serve clients statewide from our offices in Denver and Loveland.
- Our results have earned membership in the exclusive Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forums, and recognition among The National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100 Trial Lawyers.
Burns are catastrophic injuries that can lead to long-term impairments and disfigurement. Dianne Sawaya studied pre-medicine at CU Boulder before earning her J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law. She uses her medical knowledge to work with treating physicians to present severe injuries in plain language adjusters and juries understand.
How Do Burn Injuries Happen in Car Accidents?
Crash fires are not the most common kind of vehicle fire, but they are by far the deadliest. In the U.S. Fire Administration’s national study of highway vehicle fires, collisions caused only about 5 percent of vehicle fires but were responsible for 60 percent of the fatal ones. Fires starting at the fuel tank told the same story: about 2 percent of vehicle fires, but 14 percent of the deaths. When a collision ruptures a fuel line or fuel tank, spilled gasoline can ignite within seconds and trap occupants inside a burning vehicle. Electrical faults and engine-area fires can also start after an impact.
Fire is not the only source of burns in a crash. Occupants can suffer scald burns from radiator steam, contact burns from hot metal and engine components, friction burns from airbags or road surfaces, and chemical burns from leaking fluids. Burns also frequently occur alongside other serious crash injuries, from broken bones to head trauma.
When a defective part causes or worsens a fire, the manufacturer may share responsibility along with the at-fault driver. Our team investigates every potential source of recovery, because serious burns often demand more compensation than a single insurance policy provides.
How Serious Are Different Burn Degrees?
Doctors classify burns by how deeply they damage the skin. First-degree burns damage only the outer layer of skin and usually heal on their own. Second-degree burns reach the layer underneath, causing blisters and severe pain. Third-degree burns destroy the deepest layer of skin and the tissue below it, and they often require skin grafts and months of treatment.
The most severe burns, sometimes called fourth-degree, reach past the skin entirely into muscle, tendon, or bone. These are the injuries most likely to end in amputation or permanent loss of function
Severe burns bring dangers beyond the wound itself. Because burns destroy the skin’s protective barrier, patients face serious risks of infection, along with dehydration, shock, and breathing problems from smoke inhalation. Patients with extensive burns may need care in a specialized burn center, followed by physical therapy and reconstructive surgery.
Many burn survivors also carry emotional injuries, including anxiety, depression, and lasting distress over visible scarring. The depth of your burns, the treatment you need, and the permanence of your scars all shape the value of your claim.
What Compensation Can Burn Victims Recover in Colorado?
A burn injury claim can seek payment for every loss the crash caused. Economic damages cover financial losses including:
- Your ambulance and hospital bills
- Burn center care
- Skin grafts and reconstructive procedures
- Medications and future medical treatment
- The income you lose while you recover
- Out-of-pocket expenses, including personal care
- Reduced future earning capacity
Noneconomic damages compensate for the human side of your injury. They include pain, suffering, emotional distress, and lost quality of life.
Physical impairment and disfigurement, including permanent scarring, is a separate third category under Colorado law, and this is where burn cases often turn. Colorado places a limit on noneconomic damages, but the statute expressly says nothing in it limits your recovery for physical impairment or disfigurement. A jury decides that as its own question. Because permanent scarring is frequently the most devastating part of a burn injury, and because it sits outside the cap, documenting it fully is one of the most valuable things a lawyer does in these cases.
Colorado law places a limit on certain noneconomic damages. That limit does not restrict compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement. This distinction matters enormously in burn cases, because permanent scarring is often the most devastating part of the injury.
Our attorneys build the medical evidence needed to document your scarring and impairment fully, so no artificial ceiling shortchanges the harm you will live with. If you lost a loved one to fire-related crash injuries, our wrongful death team can help your family pursue justice.
How Long Do You Have to File a Burn Injury Claim?
Colorado limits the time you have to file a lawsuit for injuries arising from the use or operation of a motor vehicle. The statute of limitations passes quicker than many people realize, and some cases may involve shorter deadlines. Missing a deadline can mean losing your right to pursue compensation from the party who caused the crash.
Time also matters for evidence. Vehicle wreckage gets destroyed, surveillance footage gets erased, and witnesses become harder to find. The strongest cases start early, so it is essential to seek legal advice as soon as possible after an accident.
How Does Fault Impact a Burn Injury Claim?
Colorado follows a modified comparative negligence rule. You can recover compensation as long as your share of the fault is less than the total share of everyone else at fault. When more than one party is to blame, say a driver and a parts manufacturer, their percentages get added together and compared to yours. Your own percentage then reduces your award. If a jury puts half or more of the blame on you, your recovery is barred entirely. Insurers know this rule, and blame-shifting is one of their first moves. We push back from the first phone call
Get Help From a Denver Burn Injury Team Today
You should not have to fight the insurance company while you are fighting to heal. Contact the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya for a free case review. Hablamos español. Let us handle the legal battle so you can focus on your recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions About Car Accident Burn Injuries
Should I accept the insurance company’s first settlement offer?
Rarely. Early offers in burn cases almost never account for future medical care, revision surgeries, or permanent scarring. Once you accept a settlement, you cannot ask for more money later, even if your burns require additional treatment. Let an attorney value your claim fully before you sign anything.
What if my burns came from a defective vehicle part?
You may have a product liability claim against the manufacturer in addition to a negligence claim against the at-fault driver. Fuel system defects, electrical faults, and other part failures can cause or worsen post-crash fires. These claims involve different rules and deadlines and require prompt investigation, so preserve the vehicle and speak with a lawyer quickly.
Can you help if I live outside the Denver area?
Yes. We represent burn injury victims across Colorado from our Denver headquarters and our Loveland office. We can handle your consultation by phone, and you can call or text us 24 hours a day. We also offer services in Spanish.