Settlements - Burn and Serious Personal Injury
A burn injury lawsuit can result in a settlement to compensate the victim. Our South Carolina firm has provided a list of positive settlements and verdicts procured by Walker & Morgan, LLC.
Burn Injury
Eight Figure Plus Settlement; Burn Injury - Boiler Explosion Causes Severe Injury
(Names and details omitted due to confidentiality requirements) ACME Corporation was performing routine maintenance to an aged boiler from 1962. While bringing the boiler back online the temperature was raised too quickly, reaching dangerous levels. The result was a catastrophic explosion which left three of our clients seriously injured.
Our clients' injuries ranged from 60 to 70% total body surface area (TBSA) burns, most of which were third degree. Two were rendered fully disabled and the third was rendered partially disabled. Due to limitations of recent caps on non-pecuniary damages that have been introduced in many states it is important to have a law firm capable of developing full life care plans, in conjunction with a team of life care planners and economic appraisers, to maximize the clients' recovery from these catastrophic burn injuries. A substantial and significant settlement was reached in our clients' favor.
$11,000,000 Settlement; Burn Injury - Propane Supplier Causes Explosion
A mother and child sustained 45% and 25% total body surface area third degree burns as a result of a propane explosion in their rented home. The suit alleged a failure on the part of the propane supplier to perform a leak test on the propane system for the plaintiffs, who were new customers. The explosion occurred less than ten minutes after the delivery of the fuel.
$8,500,000.00 Settlement; Burn Injury - Sandblaster Causes Explosion
Plaintiff was using a sandblaster to clean a rusted gas tank that had been removed from an old truck. While he was operating the machine, residual gas vapors in the tanks were ignited by static electricity generated by the sandblaster, resulting in a catastrophic explosion. Plaintiff suffered burns, mostly third-degree, over 60 percent of his body. He now has scarring to the burned areas and suffers from sensitivity to light and heat. Plaintiff’s counsel was prepared to show that in testing, the sandblaster put out 8,000 volts of static electricity and that most sandblasters manufactured in the United States have a grounded hose that completely eliminates the production of static electricity and thus preventing explosions such as this one.
$2,800,000.00 Settlement; Burn Injury - Defective Switch Box
While an electrician was checking a circuit box, a defectively designed switch box failed creating an electrical arching event. He sustained approximately $600,000 in medical treatment for burns to his upper torso and arms. Suit was filed against the switch manufacturer resulting in a positive settlement for our client.
$2,400,000.00 Settlement; Burn Injury - Operating Room Fire
Our plaintiff was undergoing a routine outpatient surgery at a local hospital for excision of earlobe keloid scarring. During this surgery a spontaneous fire occurred in the operating room resulting in severe burns to our client. According to the attending physician, he was using electrocautery to stop bleeding on the earlobe. The oxygen mask used during the surgery was lying on plaintiff’s chest. The oxygen was flowing from the mask beneath the surgical drapes. When the electrocautery was used it sparked the oxygen, causing the fire. Plaintiff suffered severe burn injuries over a significant portion of her body. She has now developed additional keloid scarring over multiple parts of her body, which will necessitate numerous surgeries throughout the remainder of her life. See Video
$2,750,000.00 Settlement; Burn Injury - House Fire - Defective Tub (Flammable)
Our plaintiffs suffered extensive lung injuries and severe burns during a house fire due to inhalation of toxic smoke. A fire broke out in the master bathroom, resulting in the combustion of the flammable tub and the massive release of toxic smoke which spread throughout the home. The plaintiffs, awakened from sleep by the fire, were overcome by the toxic smoke and were disoriented and unable to exit the home.
$2,300,000.00 Settlement; Burn Injury - Propane
A Georgia preacher suffered an extensive burn injury when propane leaked into his church and caused an explosion. The plaintiff’s lawsuit alleged that the propane delivery company failed to follow proper inspection procedures to ensure the integrity of the entire propane delivery system.
$5,400,000.00 Jury Verdict; Burn Injury - Propane
A mother tragically lost three children in a house fire caused by the explosion of a portable propane tank negligently filled at a local filling station. Our plaintiff’s lawsuit alleged improper procedures in that the tank itself should not have been filled due to its expiration of inspection, as well as improper training and inspection procedures by the company that delivered the propane and trained gas station employees.
$1,500,000.00 Settlement; Burn Injury - Negligent Supervision - Nursing Home
The plaintiff’s descendant, a full time ward of a private nursing home in Augusta, Georgia, sustained a fatal burn injury when he caught fire while smoking in his wheelchair. Plaintiff’s lawsuit alleged negligent supervision in violation of numerous nursing home procedures, including inadequate staffing and training.
$450,000.00 Settlement; Burn Injury - Scald Burn - Hot Water Heater
A six-month-old child sustained a scald burn injury in the bathtub of a rented mobile home. The lawsuit alleged that the landlord negligently failed to ensure safe water temperatures and was the custodian of the plumbing system that allowed hot water in excess of 150 degrees to be present within the dwelling without warning.
$275,000.00 Settlement; Burn Injury - Hot Water Heater
The plaintiff, a paraplegic, was a guest at a Best Western hotel at a family reunion in Orlando, Florida. The hotel allowed hot water in its system which plaintiff filled the bathtub with. When he lowered himself into the tub, 10 percent of his body sustained second-degree burns.
$300,000.00 Settlement; Burn Injury - Kerosene Heater
A three-year-old child suffered a second and third-degree burn injuries on 20 percent of her body when her clothing caught fire as she approached a portable kerosene heater. The plaintiff’s lawsuit alleged that the design was defective in that the safety cage around the unit was likely to fail and collapse, allowing the minor’s clothing to catch fire.
$800,000.00 Settlement; Burn Injury - Furniture (Flammable)
Newly purchased furniture in plaintiff’s home caught fire.The plaintiff’s lawsuit alleged the that the defendants’ furniture contained highly toxic and flammable polyurethane foam, and that the defendants had removed the warning tags and labels indicating such danger. Our plaintiff sustained burn injuries and smoke inhalation.
$300,000.00 Settlement; Burn Injury - Scald Burn
A two-year-old child received a scald burn injury in a federal housing project as a result of excessively hot water in the apartment where he was living. The hot water heating system was locked in a closet, out of any control of the tenant. When the child got into the bathtub, hot water in excess of 150 degrees burned him before his mother could get him out.
$275,000.00 Settlement; Burn Injury - Flammable Chemical Burn
A Georgia dry cleaning worker received lower extremity burns when chemicals caught fire at his place of work. The lawsuit alleged failure by his employer to properly identify and warn of the flammable characteristics of dry cleaning solvent.
Other Personal Injury
$1,300,000.00 Settlement; Personal Injury Lawsuit - Construction Defects
A Condominium Association lawsuit alleged defective construction. The settlement covered numerous buildings and interior damage to individual units.
$750,000.00 Settlement; Personal Injury Lawsuit - Jones Act/Admiralty
Plaintiff was an oil rig worker on an offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico when he was knocked overboard. He sustained significant fractures and was out of work in excess of one year. Admiralty claims were filed in New Orleans Federal District Court alleging Jones Act Violations as well as lack of seaworthiness of the rig.
$2,200,000.00 Settlement; Personal Injury Lawsuit - Jones Act/Admiralty
Barge worker became trapped in gears on dredge. His leg was manually amputated in the field by an orthopedic surgeon helicoptered to vessel. He filed an admiralty claim for lack of seaworthiness and Jones Act violations.
Automobile Injury
$800,000.00 Settlement; Automobile Injury Lawsuit - Serious Injury
Our plaintiff was a passenger in a limousine in a funeral procession when the the limo was struck head on by another vehicle. She sustained massive orthopedic and facial injuries in the car accident.
$750,000.00 Settlement; Automobile Injury Lawsuit - Serious Injury
A Florence general practitioner physician suffered a compound complex comminuted fracture to her femur when she was struck head-on by the defendant. Her injury resulted in an intramedullary rod nailing and significant permanent injury.
$900,000.00 Settlement; Automobile/Burn Injury Lawsuit
A truck driver was burned during an automobile accident when fuel spilled on him from the contents of a colliding vehicle’s gas tank. Plaintiff sustained a moderate burn injury and underwent skin grafting on his upper extremities.
If you or a loved one has experienced a burn injury and you have questions regarding a lawsuit and settlement, please contact our lawyers in South Carolina today.