ILLINOIS BURN INJURY ATTORNEYS
Suffered a Serious Burn Anywhere in Illinois? We’ve Recovered Over $500 Million for Clients Statewide.
Phillips Law Offices represents burn victims across Illinois, from industrial and refinery corridors to farm country, where grain-facility fires and anhydrous ammonia exposures cause some of the state’s worst injuries. Burn cases almost always involve multiple responsible parties and multiple insurance policies. We have recovered over $500 million in verdicts and settlements since 1945.
Free Case Review
Get an honest assessment of your Illinois burn injury case. No fees unless we win.
(312) 346-4262
Legally reviewed by Stephen D. Phillips, Managing Partner, J.D., Loyola University Chicago · Past President, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association · Illinois State Bar Association
Last updated: September 2026
💼 $500M+ Recovered
⚖️ 75+ Years Experience
⭐ 4.9 Google Rating (113 Reviews)
Super Lawyers Top 100
📞 Free Consultation
Illinois’ Trusted Burn Injury Law Firm
Serious burns in Illinois are concentrated at a handful of specialized centers, the John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital Burn Unit in Chicago, the Loyola Burn and Shock Trauma Institute in Maywood, and the Regional Burn Center at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, which draw patients from the entire state. Phillips Law Offices has represented injury victims across Illinois since 1945, recovering over $500 million in verdicts and settlements.
Illinois’ burn risks span the whole state: refinery and chemical-plant corridors around Joliet and Wood River, manufacturing and warehouse operations along I-55 and I-80, agricultural hazards including grain-dryer fires and anhydrous ammonia releases, older rental housing heated by space heaters, and vehicle fires on the interstates. Our attorneys have litigated industrial and chemical exposure deaths, and we know how these cases are built.
Every consultation is free. We work on contingency, you pay nothing unless we win your case.
Types of Burn Injury Cases We Handle Across Illinois
Each burn-case type points at different defendants, safety standards, and insurance coverage.
Industrial, Refinery, and Chemical-Plant Burns
Explosions, steam releases, arc flashes, and solvent fires at plants and refineries injure workers and contractors across Illinois. OSHA process-safety and electrical standards frame liability, and third-party contractors and equipment makers are often responsible alongside the workers’ comp system.
Agricultural and Anhydrous Ammonia Burns
Grain-dryer fires, equipment fuel fires, and anhydrous ammonia releases cause devastating chemical and inhalation burns in farm country. Phillips Law Offices has handled fatal ammonia-exposure litigation, these cases turn on equipment design, maintenance, and warnings.
Apartment and Rental-Housing Fires
Faulty wiring, missing smoke alarms, blocked exits, and unsafe heating injure tenants statewide. Illinois premises law, and in Chicago the Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, hold landlords accountable for unsafe conditions.
Defective Product Burns
Space heaters, lithium-ion batteries, appliances, vehicles, and industrial equipment that catch fire support strict product-liability claims under Illinois law (735 ILCS 5/2-621). Preserving the product itself is the first, most important step.
Scalding and Hot-Liquid Injuries
Improperly set water heaters, unattended cooking equipment, and unsafely served hot food scald the youngest and oldest victims most severely, in rental housing, restaurants, day cares, and nursing homes across the state.
Vehicle, Truck, and Tanker Fires
Crashes on I-55, I-57, I-70, I-74, I-80, and I-90 can ignite fuel and cargo, combining ordinary crash liability with product claims for fuel-system defects and federal motor-carrier issues for tanker operators.
The Illinois Law That Drives a Burn Case
Burn litigation draws on several bodies of Illinois law at once: the two-year personal-injury statute of limitations (735 ILCS 5/13-202, tolled for minors), the Wrongful Death Act (740 ILCS 180/2), modified comparative fault (735 ILCS 5/2-1116), strict product liability under 735 ILCS 5/2-621 and the Suvada rule, and the Workers’ Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305) with its 45-day notice requirement and exclusive-remedy carve-outs.
Claims against Illinois public entities are subject to the Tort Immunity Act (745 ILCS 10/8-101), which shortens the limitations period to one year for many local-government defendants. Because burn cases so often have four or five potential defendants on different clocks, early legal review protects claims that would otherwise quietly expire.
What to Do in the First 72 Hours After a Burn Injury in Illinois
The steps you take immediately after a burn injury protect both your health and your legal claim.
STEP 1
Get Burn-Center-Level Care
Illinois’ dedicated burn centers, Stroger and Loyola in the Chicago area and the Regional Burn Center at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, treat the state’s most serious burns. Burn depth evolves over the first days; specialist care shapes both recovery and claim.
STEP 2
Preserve the Product and the Scene
Keep the heater, battery, appliance, or equipment involved and your burned clothing. Do not allow repairs, cleanup, or repainting before documentation. Photograph everything, in product and industrial cases, physical evidence decides liability.
STEP 3
Report and Document
Report fires to the responding fire department and obtain the incident report. Report workplace burns to your employer promptly, Illinois workers’ comp requires notice within 45 days. Keep every medical record, bill, and photograph of the injury as it heals.
STEP 4
Contact Phillips Law Offices Before Speaking to Insurance
A landlord’s, manufacturer’s, and contractor’s insurers will each try to shift blame. Do not give recorded statements or accept an early offer. Call us at (312) 346-4262 for a free case evaluation.
Don’t Let Insurance Companies Decide What Your Case Is Worth
Burn cases have layered defendants and layered insurance. Our attorneys find every policy that owes you. Get a free, honest evaluation of your Illinois burn injury case today.
(312) 346-4262
Personal Injury Case Results
Phillips Law Offices has a proven record of obtaining substantial compensation for personal injury victims across Illinois. These results reflect our commitment to thorough preparation and aggressive advocacy.
$25 Million
The Situation
A 17-year-old lost both kidneys due to a physician’s gross negligence.
Our Approach
Our attorneys litigated the case for four years, building the medical record needed to hold the responsible providers accountable.
The Result
$25 million settlement for the family.
$16 Million
The Situation
A spinal infection went undiagnosed and untreated in the emergency room, leaving our client paralyzed from the waist down.
Our Approach
We built the case against the treating hospital for the missed diagnosis and pursued full accountability.
The Result
$16 million settlement with the hospital.
$10 Million
The Situation
A child was seriously injured in an escalator incident at a Chicagoland shopping center.
Our Approach
Our attorneys litigated the case for six years to establish the property owner’s liability.
The Result
$10 million settlement for the family.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different.
Illinois Burn Injury Law: What Victims Statewide Need to Know
Burn claims combine premises liability, product liability, workplace law, and public-entity rules. These are the deadlines and doctrines that control your case.
Statute of Limitations: Two years for personal injury (735 ILCS 5/13-202), tolled until 18 for minors; two years for wrongful death (740 ILCS 180/2); as short as one year against public entities under the Tort Immunity Act (745 ILCS 10/8-101).
Multiple Defendants: Landlords, manufacturers, third-party contractors, chemical companies, utilities, and motor carriers can all share liability for one burn. Finding every responsible party unlocks the layered coverage full recovery requires.
Comparative Fault: Illinois’ modified comparative negligence rule (735 ILCS 5/2-1116) lets you recover as long as you are not more than 50% at fault, with damages reduced by your percentage.
Workers’ Comp Plus a Lawsuit: Workers’ compensation pays medical care and partial wages regardless of fault; a separate third-party negligence suit recovers pain, suffering, and full economic loss that comp never pays.
Why Illinois Burn Injury Victims Choose Phillips Law Offices
Our firm has stood in front of juries for burn victims and for the families of workers killed by chemical exposure. These cases demand proof of exactly how the fire or release happened, and that is where we start.
— Stephen D. Phillips, Senior Partner
- Over $500 million recovered for injured clients since 1945
- Five experienced trial attorneys including Stephen D. Phillips (41+ years)
- Real results in industrial and chemical-exposure litigation, including fatal ammonia-release claims
- Rapid preservation of defective products, fire scenes, and OSHA records
- Access to fire-cause-and-origin, burn-care, and life-care-planning experts
- Statewide practice, cases handled in circuit courts across Illinois
- Contingency fee basis, no fee unless we recover compensation for you
- Direct attorney access throughout your case
What Our Clients Say
“Elise Waisbren handled my car accident case. Elise is very professional, pleasant and a great person to have represent you. She walked me thru all the steps and was always available to answer any questions I had. Elise and the staff at Phillips Law Office were a delight to deal with. …”
Joseph Murphy, Google Review
“I worked with Stephen J Phillips. He is a very professional and extremely competent young attorney. He was easy to work with and his communication with me was excellent. I would highly recommend him.” — H.N. 78. …”
Julie G, Google Review
Illinois Resources
John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital Burn Unit: 1969 W Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL 60612.
Loyola Burn & Shock Trauma Institute: 2160 S 1st Ave, Maywood, IL 60153.
Regional Burn Center, Memorial Medical Center: 701 N 1st St, Springfield, IL 62781, serving central and southern Illinois.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about burn injury claims under Illinois law.
How long do I have to file a burn injury lawsuit in Illinois?
Generally two years from the date of injury under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, tolled until age 18 for minors. Wrongful death claims also carry a two-year period (740 ILCS 180/2). Claims against public entities can be subject to the Tort Immunity Act’s one-year limitations period, so have your case evaluated early.
Who can be held liable for a burn injury in Illinois?
Often several parties at once: landlords for unsafe wiring or missing smoke alarms, manufacturers of defective heaters, batteries, and equipment, third-party contractors on industrial sites, chemical companies for spills and releases, restaurants for unsafe hot-food service, and motor carriers for vehicle and tanker fires.
Can I sue beyond workers’ compensation for a workplace burn?
Yes, workers’ comp is your exclusive remedy against your direct employer, but not against anyone else. General contractors, other subcontractors, equipment manufacturers, and property owners whose negligence caused the fire, explosion, or release can be sued for the full damages comp never pays.
What about burns from anhydrous ammonia or farm equipment?
Agricultural chemical releases and equipment fires support claims against equipment manufacturers, maintenance contractors, and chemical suppliers based on design defects, failed safety devices, and inadequate warnings. Phillips Law Offices has litigated fatal anhydrous ammonia exposure, these cases are proven through engineering and warnings experts.
What evidence should I preserve after a burn injury?
The product or equipment involved, burned clothing, photographs of the scene and your injuries as they heal, the fire department incident report, witness names, and all medical records and bills. In product and industrial cases, never let the item be repaired, discarded, or returned.
What if I was partly at fault for the burn?
Illinois’ modified comparative negligence rule (735 ILCS 5/2-1116) allows recovery as long as you are not more than 50% at fault, with compensation reduced by your percentage. Insurers overstate victim fault in burn cases routinely; fire-cause-and-origin evidence is how we answer them.
How much is an Illinois burn injury case worth?
It depends on burn depth and surface area, grafts and reconstructive surgery, permanent scarring, lost earning capacity, and psychological harm. Illinois does not cap compensatory damages in burn cases. We document the full lifetime cost with medical and economic experts before any settlement discussion.
How much does it cost to hire a burn injury lawyer?
Phillips Law Offices handles all burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront and owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. We advance all case costs, including experts and records. Your initial consultation is free and confidential.
Talk to a Illinois Burn Injury Lawyer Today
(312) 346-4262
Related: Chicago Burn Injury Lawyer | Premises Liability Lawyer | Workers’ Compensation Lawyer | Injury Types We Handle | Do I Need a Burn Injury Lawyer? | Electrocution’s Long-Term Effects
This page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is different. Contact Phillips Law Offices for a free consultation about your Illinois burn injury case.