Burn Injuries From a Truck Accident: Effects on Victims & Liability for Damages

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Burn Injury Being DressedTruck accidents cause severe injuries, including burns. There are several ways people suffer a burn injury from a truck crash:

  • The massive force of the collision with a truck can cause an explosion in either vehicle.
  • If the truck or your vehicle is carrying extra gas, these containers can explode.
  • Some suffer burns if the truck’s cargo explodes, catches fire, or causes chemical burns.


Recovery from burn injuries can be long and painful. Depending on the degree of the injury and the percentage of body surface affected, victims may have to spend time in a burn unit and rehabilitation center. Patients with third or fourth-degree burns often undergo skin grafts and other reconstructive surgeries. Some people have to wear compression garments 23 hours a day to minimize scar tissue.

In any event, if you suffered burn injuries from a truck accident that was not your fault, you may qualify to get compensation for your financial and other damages. This requires proving liability for the accident and the effects of your injuries on your finances, ability to work, relationships, and other facets of your life.

How Does a Burn Injury Affect Your Ability to Work?

It can be tough to maintain gainful employment while recuperating from a severe burn injury. Patients may endure pain for weeks, months, or even years. It may be impossible to focus on work while in severe and chronic pain. Some people face immobility due to contractures, which refers to the tightening of tissue around the joints and could prevent patients from performing their job duties.

This is not to mention the susceptibility to infection, damage to muscles and organs, and the emotional and social effects of burn injuries that might make it difficult or impossible to work.

Victims of burn injuries may recover compensation for:

  • Current lost wages
  • Long-term lost earning capacity
  • Loss of promotion
  • Loss of benefits
  • Other employment- and career-based losses

What Are Other Financial Effects of Burn Injuries?

Missing work for a year or two while recuperating from burn injuries may cause both immediate and long-term financial stress. In the short term, it is challenging to pay bills with no paycheck coming in. And medical bills can pile up fast as victims require emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, medication, and physical therapy.

In the long-term, medical bills might continue to accumulate as many burn patients require ongoing physical therapy, future surgeries (e.g., scar revision or reconstruction), psychological counseling, and more. Couple this with the long-term effects on earning capacity and many patients experience long-term financial stress.

A lawsuit against the party or parties liable for the truck accident allows burn injury victims to pursue compensation for both short- and long-term damages. Max Meyers works closely with victims and their families to identify all their costs and losses and gets evidence like medical records and expert testimony to establish the value of damages.

Who is Liable for Burn Injuries From a Truck Accident?

In most traffic accidents, the driver who caused the accident is liable for damages that other parties suffer. Truck accident liability has more layers, though.

For example, if a truck driver was negligent and caused an accident, the truck carrier that employs the driver may be vicariously liable for the driver’s negligence. Thus, most truck accident lawsuits are filed against truck carriers rather than individual drivers.

Truck carriers themselves might be directly liable for their own negligence. For example, truck carriers might be liable for negligent hiring or negligent maintenance or repairs of their vehicles.

In some cases, a third party like a vehicle or parts manufacturer might be liable. For example, if a defective truck tire blew while the truck was traveling along the highway, causing the accident, then the tire manufacturer may be liable for the accident.

In many cases, more than one party is liable for a truck accident. It depends on the circumstances of the wreck, what caused the crash, and more. Victims of truck accidents who suffer severe burn injuries should speak with Max Meyers to sort out liability and for help building a case that establishes fault and the value of damages.

If you suffered burn injuries in a truck accident, call us at 425-399-7000. We will set up your no-obligation consultation at no cost to you.

Max Meyers
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Max is a Kirkland personal injury attorney handling cases in Seattle, King County & surrounding in WA State.