CHICAGO BURN INJURY ATTORNEYS
Suffered a Serious Burn in Chicago? We’ve Recovered Over $500 Million for Clients Across Illinois.
- $500M+Recovered since 1945
- 77+Years fighting for victims
- $0Unless we win your case
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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
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Chicago’s Trusted Burn Injury Law Firm
The American Burn Association reports that more than 398,000 Americans seek medical care for burns every year, with children under five at the highest risk. In Cook County, the worst injuries land at the John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital Burn Unit, the Loyola Burn and Shock Trauma Institute in Maywood, and the University of Chicago Medical Center. Phillips Law Offices has represented injury victims across Illinois since 1945, recovering over $500 million in verdicts and settlements.
Chicago has its own pattern of burn-injury sources: cold-weather space heaters and faulty wiring in older apartment stock, restaurant deep-fryers, defective lithium-ion batteries in scooters and power tools, industrial chemical spills along the Calumet and Stickney corridors, arc flashes at substations, and vehicle fires after high-speed crashes on the Kennedy, Eisenhower, Dan Ryan, and Stevenson expressways. Our attorneys know how to investigate each of these and pursue full compensation.
Every consultation is free. We work on contingency, you pay nothing unless we win your case.
Types of Burn Injury Cases We Handle in Chicago
Burn cases arise from very different failures, and each type points at different defendants, insurance coverage, and evidence.
Apartment and Building Fires
Faulty wiring, missing or disabled smoke alarms, blocked exits, and unsafe space-heater use are frequent causes in Chicago’s older housing stock, and a recurring source of CHA tenant claims. Landlords and property managers can be held liable under the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (Municipal Code 5-12) and Illinois premises law.
Workplace, Construction, and Arc-Flash Burns
Welding arcs, exposed electrical contacts, hot pipes, steam, and ignited solvents injure workers on commercial projects in the Loop, West Loop, and the South Side industrial belt. OSHA electrical-safety standards (29 CFR 1910 Subpart S, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart K) frame these cases, and a workers’ compensation claim can run alongside a third-party negligence lawsuit.
Defective Product Burns
Space heaters, lithium-ion batteries, e-bikes, e-scooters, appliances, vehicles, and industrial equipment that catch fire or explode support strict product-liability claims under Illinois law (735 ILCS 5/2-621 and the Suvada strict-liability rule). We preserve the product itself before it disappears.
Chemical Burns
Acids, alkalis, cleaning agents, and industrial solvents cause deep, progressive burns to skin, eyes, and the respiratory tract, particularly in workplaces along the Calumet River corridor. Liability can reach chemical companies, employers’ contractors, and container manufacturers.
Scalding Injuries
Improperly set water heaters, unattended cooking, spilled fryer oil, and unsafely served hot food and beverages scald children and elderly residents most often, frequently in landlord-controlled buildings, restaurants, and nursing homes.
Vehicle and Tanker Fires
High-speed crashes on I-90, I-94, I-290, I-55, and Lake Shore Drive can ignite fuel tanks and cargo. These cases combine crash liability against drivers and trucking companies with potential product claims for fuel-system defects.
The Illinois Law That Drives a Chicago 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, the Workers’ Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305) with its 45-day notice rule and exclusive-remedy carve-outs, and the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance’s smoke-alarm and habitability requirements.
Claims against public entities, including the City of Chicago and the CHA, are subject to the Tort Immunity Act (745 ILCS 10/8-101), which imposes a one-year limitations period for many local-government defendants. That shortened clock is one of the most dangerous traps in burn litigation, and one more reason to involve an attorney early.
What to Do in the First 72 Hours After a Chicago Burn Injury
The steps you take immediately after a burn injury protect both your health and your legal claim.
STEP 1
Get Burn-Unit-Level Medical Care
Serious burns are treated at dedicated burn centers, Stroger, Loyola’s Burn and Shock Trauma Institute, and the University of Chicago Medical Center serve the entire metro area. Burn depth is often worse than it first appears, and early specialist care shapes both your recovery and your claim.
STEP 2
Preserve the Scene and the Product
Do not discard the heater, battery, appliance, or clothing involved, and do not let a landlord repair the wiring or repaint before it is documented. Photograph everything. In product cases, the burned item itself is the single most important piece of evidence.
STEP 3
Report and Document
Report apartment fires to the fire department and get the incident report number. Report workplace burns to your employer promptly, Illinois workers’ comp requires notice within 45 days. Save every medical record, bill, and photo of the injury as it heals.
STEP 4
Contact Phillips Law Offices Before Speaking to Insurance
Multiple insurers are usually involved, a landlord’s, a manufacturer’s, an employer’s, and each will try to shift blame to the others or to you. Do not give recorded statements or sign anything first. 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 Chicago 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 Chicago Victims 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 from the date of injury for personal injury (735 ILCS 5/13-202), tolled until 18 for minors; two years for wrongful death (740 ILCS 180/2); and as short as one year for claims against public entities under the Tort Immunity Act (745 ILCS 10/8-101).
Multiple Defendants: Landlords, product manufacturers, employers’ third-party contractors, restaurants, chemical companies, utilities, and drivers can all share liability for one burn. Identifying every responsible party unlocks the layered insurance 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: If you were burned on the job, workers’ compensation covers medical care and partial wages regardless of fault, and a separate negligence suit against a third party, a general contractor, equipment maker, or property owner, can recover what comp never pays.
Why Chicago Burn Injury Victims Choose Phillips Law Offices
A serious burn changes every day of a client’s life, the surgeries, the scarring, the work they can no longer do. We build these cases to account for all of it, not just the hospital bills.
, Stephen D. Phillips, Senior Partner
- Over $500 million recovered for injured clients since 1945
- Five experienced trial attorneys including Stephen D. Phillips (41+ years)
- Experience across premises, product, workplace, and chemical burn litigation
- Rapid preservation of defective products, fire scenes, and inspection records
- Access to burn-care, life-care-planning, and fire-cause-and-origin experts
- Deep knowledge of Cook County’s courts and the Tort Immunity Act’s traps
- Contingency fee basis, no fee unless we recover compensation for you
- Direct attorney access throughout your case
What Our Clients Say
“Mr. Phillips, Mr. Quinn and the whole team at the Phillips Law Offices went above and beyond to successfully represent me in my personal injury case. …”
Jeff Zych, Google Review
“I’ve known Steve and Stephen for many years. Since I’ve met them, I’ve been consistently amazed by the incredible work they do and the record setting verdicts and settlements they get. …”
Jeremy Rosenfeld, Google Review
Chicago 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.
Chicago Fire Department: Fire and incident reports for Chicago fires are obtained through the CFD and the city’s records process, key evidence in apartment-fire claims.
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 Chicago?
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. But claims against public entities such as the City of Chicago or the CHA 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 Chicago?
Often several parties at once: landlords and property managers for unsafe wiring or missing smoke alarms, product manufacturers for defective heaters and batteries, employers’ third-party contractors on job sites, restaurants for unsafe hot-food service, chemical companies and utilities for spills and arc flashes, and drivers or trucking companies for vehicle fires.
What evidence should I preserve after a burn injury?
The product or appliance involved, your burned clothing, photographs of the scene and of your injuries as they heal, the fire department incident report, witness names, and every medical record and bill. In product cases, never discard or return the item, it is the core of your claim.
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 your compensation reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurers routinely overstate victim fault in burn cases, and we push back with fire-cause-and-origin evidence.
Can I sue my employer if I was burned on the job?
Workers’ compensation is generally your exclusive remedy against your direct employer, but it does not bar lawsuits against third parties, general contractors, other subcontractors, equipment manufacturers, or property owners whose negligence caused the fire or explosion. Most substantial workplace-burn recoveries come from these third-party claims.
How much is a Chicago burn injury case worth?
It depends on burn depth and surface area, the need for grafts and reconstructive surgery, permanent scarring and disfigurement, lost earning capacity, and psychological harm. Illinois does not cap compensatory damages in burn injury cases. We work with burn-care and economic experts to document the full lifetime cost before any settlement discussion.
Which court handles burn injury lawsuits in Chicago?
Most significant burn cases arising in Chicago are filed in the Law Division of the Cook County Circuit Court at the Richard J. Daley Center. Phillips Law Offices has extensive experience filing and litigating cases in this court.
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 Chicago Burn Injury Lawyer Today
(312) 346-4262
Related: Illinois Burn Injury Lawyer | Premises Liability Lawyer | Product Liability Lawyer | Injury Types We Handle | How Fault Is Determined in Burn Cases | Who’s Liable for Burn Injuries
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 Chicago burn injury case.