Severe burn injuries are among the most painful and life-altering forms of trauma. Survivors often face multiple surgeries, long-term scarring, nerve damage, disability, emotional distress, and overwhelming medical costs. These harms are especially devastating when they occur in places where people should feel safe, such as apartment buildings, restaurants, hotels, workplaces, and retail stores across Philadelphia.
When a severe burn occurs because a property owner failed to correct a dangerous condition, Pennsylvania law allows victims to seek legal and financial accountability. Knowing when an owner may be liable helps you protect your rights and pursue compensation after a catastrophic injury.
Common Causes of Severe Burn Injuries in Philadelphia
Burns happen in many settings, but certain hazards recur in Philadelphia premises liability cases. Below are the most common sources and the conditions that often create risk:
Residential and apartment building fires
Landlords and property managers must maintain safe living conditions. Common fire risks include:
- Faulty electrical wiring
- Missing or nonworking smoke alarms
- Overloaded circuits
- Blocked or locked fire exits
- Poorly maintained heating systems
These conditions often violate building and fire codes and can lead to preventable tragedies.
Hazards in restaurants, hotels, and retail locations
Commercial properties pose recurring burn hazards:
- Scalding liquids or steam
- Malfunctioning heating systems
- Hot water set to unsafe temperatures
- Exposed or deteriorating electrical components
When businesses ignore complaints or delay repairs, customers and employees may suffer serious harm.
Chemical burns
Chemical exposure can cause severe skin and eye injuries in:
- Industrial buildings and storage areas
- Commercial cleaning closets
- Grocery or public restrooms with improperly stored agents
- Apartment complexes with unsecured chemicals
Property owners who keep hazardous cleaning agents or industrial chemicals on-site must store and label them safely and prevent exposure. Improper storage, poor ventilation, and missing warnings commonly contribute to these incidents.
Explosions from gas leaks
Many older Philadelphia buildings have aging gas lines. When leaks are not inspected or repaired, explosions and fires can occur. Property owners, landlords, and maintenance contractors may share responsibility if these failures lead to burn injuries.
Improperly maintained systems
Poorly maintained water heaters, boilers, and radiators can cause severe scald injuries, especially when set too high. These dangers often occur when landlords fail to address known problems. Children and older adults face higher risk because their skin is more sensitive and their reaction times tend to be slower.
When Is a Property Owner Legally Responsible for a Burn Injury?
Under Pennsylvania premises liability law, owners must keep properties reasonably safe for tenants, customers, and lawful visitors. In most cases the statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Pennsylvania is two years from the date of injury, so consult an attorney promptly to protect time-sensitive evidence and legal rights. Pennsylvania follows a modified comparative‑fault rule: a plaintiff’s recovery is reduced by their percentage of fault and is barred if the plaintiff is 51% or more at fault. See the Proving Liability section below for the evidence that establishes notice and breach.
A property owner may be legally responsible for a severe burn injury when one or more of the following apply:
They Knew or Should Have Known About a Hazard
Liability often follows where previous complaints were ignored, safety inspections were overdue, maintenance requests went unanswered, or a hazard existed long enough that the owner should have discovered it.
They Failed to Repair the Dangerous Condition
Examples include failing to fix electrical problems, ignoring broken smoke detectors, allowing fire exits to remain blocked, or delaying essential maintenance. These omissions commonly contribute to burn incidents.
They Violated Building or Fire Safety Codes
Code violations such as missing alarms, lack of required sprinklers, or unsafe wiring strengthen a burn injury claim under Philadelphia’s building and fire regulations.
They Failed to Provide Proper Warnings
When hazards cannot be immediately repaired, owners must warn visitors. Failing to post warnings about hot surfaces, chemical-use areas, or malfunctioning equipment can support liability.
Unsafe Business Operations Caused the Injury
Operational negligence, for example, inadequate staff training, unsafe machinery, or improper chemical handling, can be an independent basis for liability when those practices cause burns.
How a Severe Burn Injury Can Impact Your Life
Burn injuries can affect nearly every part of a person’s life.
Medical and Physical Challenges
Survivors may need multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and long-term wound care; face infection risks, permanent scarring or disfigurement; suffer chronic pain or nerve damage; and experience reduced mobility. Some victims never regain full physical function.
Financial and Emotional Burdens
Severe burns often cause lost income, reduced earning capacity, long-term rehabilitation needs, and significant out-of-pocket expenses. Emotional effects such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and loss of enjoyment of life are common and can be long-lasting. These consequences explain why burn claims frequently involve substantial damages.
Proving Liability in a Burn Injury Case
To succeed in a premises liability claim you must show:
- the owner owed a duty of care;
- the owner breached that duty;
- the breach caused the burn;
- and you suffered damages.
Evidence that commonly strengthens claims includes fire or police reports, surveillance footage, photos of hazardous conditions, witness statements, inspection and maintenance records, documentation of code violations, and expert assessments. Preserve damaged clothing, appliances, or tools and avoid altering the scene until counsel or investigators advise otherwise. A thorough investigation is crucial, especially when multiple parties may share fault.
Compensation Available to Burn Injury Victims
Victims may recover economic and non-economic damages, including past and future medical expenses, reconstructive surgery, lost wages and diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, scarring and disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Punitive damages are possible only in rare cases and require proof of willful, wanton, or reckless conduct.
Who May Be Liable in a Philadelphia Burn Injury Case
Burn cases often involve multiple potentially responsible parties depending on who owned, controlled, inspected, maintained, or repaired the property or equipment involved.
Property Owners
Owners must reasonably inspect and maintain their property and make timely repairs. They may be liable when hazards such as faulty wiring, heating problems, or improper chemical storage cause fires, explosions, or scalding injuries.
Landlords and Property Managers
Those responsible for day-to-day maintenance and tenant complaints can be liable when they fail to respond to known dangers or to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
Maintenance Companies, Contractors, and Installers
Third-party providers who perform negligent repairs or faulty installations (for example on electrical systems, water heaters, or gas lines) can share liability if their work created or failed to correct a dangerous condition.
Utility Companies
When gas leaks, electrical failures, or malfunctioning utility equipment cause an incident, a utility provider may be liable if negligent maintenance or delayed repairs contributed to the hazard.
What to Do After a Burn Injury on Someone Else’s Property
To protect your health and preserve legal rights, take these immediate steps:
- Seek medical care right away. For specialized burn treatment in the region, consider Temple Burn Center at Temple University Hospital.
- Document the scene. Photograph injuries and hazardous conditions from multiple angles as soon as it is safe to do so.
- Report the incident in writing. Send a dated notice to the landlord or property manager and keep a copy.
- Keep records. Save all medical records, bills, and receipts related to treatment and recovery.
- Avoid recorded statements. Do not give recorded statements to insurance companies without legal counsel.
- Contact counsel promptly. Speak with a Philadelphia personal injury attorney as soon as possible; early action helps preserve crucial evidence and strengthens potential claims.
When to Contact a Philadelphia Burn Injury Lawyer
Burn cases often require a detailed investigation to determine how the hazardous condition developed and who is legally responsible. A Philadelphia burn injury lawyer at Spotlight Justice can help preserve evidence, obtain inspection and maintenance records, identify potentially responsible parties, and pursue available compensation. Legal counsel is especially important when multiple entities may share fault or when technical experts are needed to explain causation.
From our office in Penn Valley, we represent clients in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, and Bucks Counties and across the Delaware Valley. We handle complex premises liability, product-hazard, and utility-related burn claims and coordinate with medical and technical experts when necessary.
Speak With Spotlight Justice About Your Burn Injury Case
If you or a loved one suffered a severe burn injury in Philadelphia, contact Spotlight Justice to request a free, confidential consultation. Burn injuries can change lives quickly; you can get guidance from a legal team that pursues accountability when property owners have failed to act. Call our office at 267-540-9604 or complete our contact form to schedule a consultation.
Disclaimer: The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.