Burn injury compensation

How are burns classified?

Burns are categorised into first, second, third, or (less commonly) fourth degree, depending on how deep the burn is and how many layers of skin it penetrates.

First-degree burns

First-degree burns only affect the first layer of skin, also known as the epidermis. A common cause of this type of burn is scalding from hot steam or water.

They don't usually require medical attention, but can cause pain, discomfort and sometimes there can be complications during recovery, such as the burn becoming infected.

Second-degree burns

Second-degree burns affect the layer of tissue just beneath the top layer of skin. This can cause damage to nerve endings, sweat glands and blood vessels. This type of burn can cause your skin to become blistered and red.

Third-degree burns

Third-degree burns are also known as full thickness burns, meaning that all three layers of skins have been damaged.

Recovering from this type of burn can take a very long time, and can often cause permanent scarring or disability. You may have had to spend a long period in hospital, or have undergone surgery such as a skin graft.

Fourth-degree burns

Fourth degree burns are the most severe type of burn injury and can cause damage to the bones, tendons and muscles. Damage to nerve endings can cause loss of feeling, and will always require medical treatment such as surgery or grafting, or in some cases amputation.

Unfortunately, fourth degree burns are often life-changing, and in some cases, they may even be fatal.

Can I make a burn injury compensation claim?

We know that if you're thinking about making a burn injury claim, you may be wondering whether your injury was your fault or whether someone else is liable.

The simplest way to find out whether you have a claim is to get in touch with our friendly advisors on .

All our advisors are trained, and can give you free advice in a confidential environment. They'll ask you some questions about your accident and injury so that they can get a clearer idea of what happened and so that they can let you know whether they think you have a claim.

We realise you may feel uncomfortable speaking about your accident or injury, especially if the experience was very traumatic or your burns are particularly serious. You can feel sure that we'll do everything we can to put you at ease, and will never push you into making a claim.

There's never any obligation to make a claim when you speak to us, but if you decide you'd like to go ahead and you give us your permission, we can pass you on to one of our specialist solicitors.

Your solicitor will be able to answer any other questions you have and will make sure you know exactly what to expect before getting in touch with the other party and negotiating on your behalf.

If you don't feel ready to speak to us yet, then we generally advise that it's likely you have a claim if:

• Your accident happened in the last three years
• It wasn't your fault
• You were injured

You can also try our free online claim checker, which estimates whether you have a claim based on your answers to some simple questions.

What might my burn injury compensation claim be worth?

A question we regularly hear is “How much is my burn claim worth?” The value of burn injury claims depends on many factors, like the severity of your injury and the impact it's had on your life.

The burn injury compensation you could receive can help to cover the following areas for you and your family:

• Loss of earnings due to time taken off work
• The cost of any medical treatment, medication and care - including prescription charges
• Travel costs and other associated expenses
• The impact on your social life, sports and hobbies
• Pain and suffering
• Care, even if it's given freely by family or a friend
• Any modifications to your car or home that were needed as a result of your injury

The Judicial College is part of the Ministry of Justice. It publishes guidelines for the pain and suffering part of compensation in burn injury claims for injuries that were someone else's fault. 

These are known as general damages. Here are some examples of general damages awards in burn injury claims. They exclude special damages compensation for any financial losses you may have experienced:

Your solicitor will make sure any financial impacts or expenses as a direct result of your injury are included in your burn injury compensation. This means you won't be left out of pocket and also have the finances you need to recover.

They'll also make your claim on a no win no fee basis. This means that if your claim doesn't succeed then you pay nothing. If it succeeds, you'll pay a fee to your solicitor from your burn injury compensation.

For a compensation estimate, visit our compensation calculator. This will give you a guideline figure for general damages based on your answers to a short set of simple questions. Contact us today on  for a free and confidential chat.

How do I make a no win no fee burns claim?

Burn injury claims are handled with a no win no fee arrangement, also known as a conditional fee agreement. It's the contract between you and your no win no fee personal injury lawyer.

A few words on insurance: when you start your claim, your solicitor will normally take out legal protection insurance on your behalf (insurers call this After The Event insurance). If your claim is unsuccessful, this insurance will pay the other side's costs. If you don't receive any compensation, then you won't have to pay for the legal protection insurance premium. If your claim is successful, the premium will be paid out of your compensation as part of the fees.

If you win the claim, you'll be asked to pay any costs and expenses, not paid for by the other side, out of your compensation. This is likely to happen in most cases, as the other side is only required to make a contribution to your legal fees.

These costs may include:

• A ‘success fee' which compensates the solicitor for the risk they take, as if your claim is unsuccessful they won't be paid at all.
• Any other legal costs or expenses not recovered from the other side, such as the costs of any legal expense insurance.

These costs will only be deducted when your compensation is paid, and there are no upfront costs or hidden charges.

Your solicitor will discuss this with you at the start, so you'll know what to expect when your claim settles. If you don't win your no win no fee claim, you pay nothing to anyone. It's as simple as that.

What happens when you make a burn injury compensation claim?

We carefully choose the solicitors we work with and closely monitor the level of service they provide. They take care of everything for you in a burn injury compensation claim and will keep you informed throughout. All they'll need you to do is follow their advice closely and give them the  information they need promptly when they need it. 

Find out about what happens during a claim and what you need to do on our claims process page.

What are the time limits for making a burn injury compensation claim?

You typically have three years from the date when your burn injury happened. There's a legal process your solicitor will follow,  so if you're close to the three-year deadline, please call us as soon as possible on .

There are some exceptions to the time limits:

• If the claimant has also suffered serious brain trauma that has impaired their psychological capacity, then there's no time limit. 
• For instance, they may have sustained a severe head injury as well as burns in a serious road traffic accident or an accident at work.
• A parent, guardian or other legally-responsible adult can make a claim for a child with burn injuries any time up until their 18th birthday.

If no claim has been made, the child has three years between their 18th and 21st birthdays to make a burn injury compensation claim themselves as a legal adult.