Chicago Burn Injury Lawyer
If you or someone you love suffered a severe burn in Chicago or the surrounding Cook, DuPage, Will, and Kane County communities, Ori Law Group can help. Joe and Kristen Ori personally handle every burn injury claim — you will never be handed off to a junior associate or an intake screen. With more than 40 years of combined trial experience and over $150 million recovered for injured clients, we represent people burned by another's negligence, and we prepare every case to be tried, not just settled.
A serious burn changes everything in an instant, and the recovery is unlike almost any other injury. The pain is severe, the treatment is long, and the scarring is permanent. At Ori Law Group, Joe and Kristen Ori have spent decades representing people whose lives were upended by burns caused by another’s negligence — and they handle every case personally, from the first phone call through the final resolution. You won’t be passed to a junior associate or an intake screen. You’ll work with the two attorneys whose names are on the door.
Burn cases come from across the region and from many directions — a faulty space heater in a Cook County apartment, an arc flash on a DuPage County construction site, a lithium-ion battery that ignited in a phone or e-bike, a grease fire in a restaurant kitchen, a chemical spill at a Will or Kane County plant, or a scald that injured a child. Whatever the source, the work is the same: figure out exactly how the burn happened, identify every property owner, employer, manufacturer, or utility that may be responsible, and document the full extent of the injury and the years of care still to come. Where a defective product or a code violation is involved, we move quickly to preserve the device, the fire-origin evidence, and the maintenance records — because the strongest cases are built before that evidence is repaired, discarded, or lost.
What makes a boutique firm different on a burn case isn’t theater — it’s attention and staying power. Severe burns require product engineers, fire-cause experts, treating physicians, and life-care planners, and they often demand the patience to let the medical picture fully develop before any number is discussed. Because Joe and Kristen prepare every claim as if it’s going to trial, the insurer and the manufacturer have to take it seriously. That preparation covers the full range of cases we handle — apartment and house fires, workplace and construction burns, defective-product fires and explosions, chemical and electrical burns, and the scald injuries that so often involve children — and accounts for the lasting harm that follows, from skin grafts and reconstructive surgery to nerve damage, infection, and the psychological toll of disfigurement.
You have two years under Illinois law to act, and product and government claims can carry even shorter deadlines — so the practical window is shorter than it sounds. The consultation is free, there’s no upfront cost, and we work on a contingency basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Call Joe or Kristen at (312) 621-0000 to talk through what happened and what comes next.
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What to Do After Your Accident
- Get to a burn center or emergency room right away — burns are routinely deeper than they look, and prompt treatment protects both your health and your claim.
- Photograph the burns, the scene, and the source — the fire, the chemical container, the defective product, the exposed wiring, or the hazard that caused it.
- Preserve the product or device that burned you exactly as it is — do not throw it out, repair it, or return it, because it is often the single most important piece of evidence.
- Get the names and numbers of any witnesses, and identify the property owner, landlord, employer, or product maker involved.
- Report the incident, but do not give a recorded statement to any insurer before talking to an attorney.
- Keep every medical bill, surgical record, and note about how the burn and any scarring affect your work and daily life.
- Talk to a lawyer before accepting any settlement — burn injuries often require years of additional surgery, and once you sign a release the claim is closed for good.
Common Causes & Types
- Fires and explosions — house and apartment fires, gas explosions, vehicle fuel fires, and industrial blasts.
- Scalding and hot liquids — steam, grease, hot water, and scald injuries — including child scald cases.
- Chemical burns — acids, alkalis, and industrial cleaning agents that destroy tissue on contact.
- Electrical burns — arc flash, power-line contact, faulty wiring, and electrical fires.
- Defective products — lithium-ion battery fires, e-cigarette explosions, appliance malfunctions, and faulty wiring.
- Workplace and construction accidents — welding, torch burns, chemical exposure, hot-oil spills, and arc flash on the job.
- Apartment fires and landlord negligence — code violations, broken smoke detectors, faulty wiring, and blocked or missing fire exits.
Who Can Be Held Liable
- A property owner, landlord, or manager who failed to maintain safe conditions, working smoke detectors, or clear fire exits
- The manufacturer of a defective product — a battery, appliance, heater, or device — that caused the fire or explosion
- An employer or a negligent third party such as a general contractor, subcontractor, or equipment supplier on a worksite
- A utility company responsible for a power line, electrical equipment, or gas-system failure
- A medical provider whose negligence caused a radiation or treatment burn
Injuries We Handle
- First-degree burns affecting the outer layer of skin
- Second-degree burns reaching the dermis, with blistering
- Third-degree burns destroying full-thickness skin and underlying tissue
- Fourth-degree burns reaching muscle, tendon, and bone
- Permanent scarring, contractures, and disfigurement
- Nerve damage and chronic neuropathic pain
- Infection, sepsis, and complications from skin grafts
- Catastrophic and permanently disabling injuries
Illinois Law & Deadlines
Damages You Can Recover
- Past and future medical expenses, including skin grafts and reconstructive surgery
- The lifetime cost of burn care — repeat procedures, infection treatment, and rehabilitation
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Pain, suffering, and loss of a normal life
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Psychological harm, including emotional distress and post-traumatic stress
- Loss of consortium for a spouse
How the Legal Process Works
- Free consultation & investigation
We review your case, gather fire and medical reports, identify every insurance policy in play, and preserve the product or hazard that caused the burn — all at no cost.
- Treatment & claim build-up
While you focus on recovery and surgery, we document the full extent of your burns, scarring, and future care needs, and handle every call from the insurance adjuster.
- Demand & negotiation
We present a demand backed by medical evidence and life-care projections, and negotiate with the insurer for the full value of your claim.
- Litigation, if needed
If the insurer or manufacturer won't be fair, Joe or Kristen files suit and prepares your case for trial in the county where it belongs.
| Degree | What it affects | Typical treatment |
|---|---|---|
| First-degree | Outer layer of skin only | Cool water and compresses; usually heals in 2-3 days |
| Second-degree | Outer layer plus the dermis | Blistering, antibiotics, and ointments; often heals in about three weeks |
| Third-degree | Full-thickness skin and underlying tissue | Burn-unit care, skin grafts, and reconstructive surgery |
| Fourth-degree | Muscle, tendon, and bone | Extensive surgery, possible amputation, and lifelong care |
Burn Severity and Why It Drives the Value of Your Case
Doctors classify burns by how deep the damage runs, and that classification largely determines both the medical course and the value of a claim.
First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of skin and usually heal within a few days. Second-degree burns reach into the dermis, cause blistering, and typically heal over about three weeks with proper care. Third-degree burns destroy the full thickness of the skin and the tissue beneath it — they damage blood vessels and nerve endings, look white or charred, and almost always require burn-unit hospitalization, skin grafts, and reconstructive surgery. Fourth-degree burns extend into muscle, tendon, and bone, and can require amputation.
Severe burns are rarely a single event. A graft may not take the first time. Infection can set recovery back by months. Reconstructive surgery is often scheduled years into the future, and contractures — tight, restrictive scar tissue across a joint — can require repeated operations. This is why burn cases are high-value and long-term: the harm continues to unfold long after the fire is out, and a settlement reached before the full course of care is understood almost always falls short.
How We Investigate a Burn Injury Case
Burn cases turn on physical evidence that disappears quickly — the defective device, the fire scene, the maintenance records. We move fast to preserve what proves liability.
- The product or device — the battery, appliance, heater, or wiring that failed is often the single most important exhibit — we secure it before it is repaired or discarded.
- The fire scene and reports — fire-department origin-and-cause findings, building inspections, and code-violation records establish who was responsible.
- Maintenance and inspection history — landlord and employer records reveal whether smoke detectors, wiring, or safety equipment were neglected.
Local Resources
Why Choose Ori Law Group
Ori Law Group is a women-owned, two-attorney trial firm in Oak Brook. When you call, you reach Joe or Kristen — not a paralegal, not an intake AI, not a rotating cast of junior associates. Together they bring over 40 years of combined trial experience and more than $150 million recovered, and they prepare every burn injury case to be tried, not just settled. Burn claims demand patience and resources: they often require product engineers, fire-origin experts, and life-care planners, and the firm that builds the case has to be willing to take it to a jury. Our Oak Brook office is convenient to Chicago and the entire Cook, DuPage, Will, and Kane County region.
Case Results
Recovered for a construction worker injured when an electrical unit on the site caught fire.
Recovered for a construction worker who sustained back and knee injuries in a roadway accident on the job.
Recovered for an Illinois resident injured in a parasailing accident out of state.
Awarded to a construction worker who sustained back injuries when a deck collapsed.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. See more results →
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a burn injury settlement worth in Illinois?
Every case is different. Value depends on the depth and extent of the burns, the scarring and disfigurement, the cost of past and future care — including skin grafts and reconstructive surgery — your lost income, and the psychological harm. Illinois places no cap on most personal injury damages, so a severe burn with lifelong consequences can carry substantial value. After reviewing your case, Joe or Kristen will give you an honest assessment.
Can I sue if my burn happened at work, or am I limited to workers' compensation?
You may have more than one path. Workers' compensation covers a workplace burn regardless of fault, but if a third party — such as a property owner, a subcontractor, or the maker of a defective product — caused or contributed to the burn, you may also have a separate injury claim against that party. Those third-party claims often recover damages that workers' compensation does not, including pain and suffering. We review both.
What's the deadline to file a burn injury claim in Illinois?
You generally have two years from the date of the burn under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. Claims against a government entity carry a shorter deadline and a strict notice requirement, deadlines for injured minors are generally tolled until age 18, and product-liability claims are also limited by a statute of repose under 735 ILCS 5/13-213. It's best to act well before any deadline so evidence can be preserved.
Who is liable when an apartment fire causes burn injuries?
When a landlord's negligence causes a fire — broken or missing smoke detectors, faulty wiring, blocked fire exits, or other code violations — the property owner can be held responsible under Illinois premises-liability law (740 ILCS 130). Liability can also extend to a management company, a contractor who did defective electrical work, or the maker of a product that started the fire. We investigate every responsible party.
Does a burn injury case include scarring, disfigurement, and future surgery?
Yes. Permanent scarring and disfigurement are compensable harms in Illinois, and a proper claim accounts for the reconstructive surgeries still ahead — grafts, scar revisions, and procedures to release contractures. We work with treating physicians and life-care planners so the future cost of care is built into your claim, not left on the table.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault for the burn?
Often yes. Illinois follows modified comparative fault under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. If you were 50% or less at fault, you can recover, though your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you were 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing — which is why the responsible party's insurer works hard to shift blame onto you.
What does it cost to hire Ori Law Group?
There is no upfront cost. We handle burn injury cases on a contingency basis — we are paid a percentage of your recovery only if we win or settle your case, and your consultation is free. You pay nothing out of pocket to get started.
Will Joe or Kristen personally handle my case?
Yes. As a two-attorney boutique firm, Joe and Kristen work directly with you from the first consultation through resolution. Your calls reach the lawyers actually working your file — not an intake screen or a junior associate.
Legally reviewed by Joseph and Kristen Ori · Last reviewed June 24, 2026. This page is attorney advertising and is for general information only — it is not legal advice and does not create an attorney–client relationship.
Burned by Someone Else's Negligence? Let's Talk.
Free, confidential consultation — call (312) 621-0000. No upfront cost, and Joe or Kristen handles your case personally.