Burn Injury Settlements: How Much Can You Get? (2026)

Types of Burns

Burns fall into a few distinct medical categories. The cause of your burn has legal as well as medical significance. This is because the legal theory an attorney uses is shaped in part by your injury’s circumstances. Here’s a closer look at the different burn types.

Thermal

Thermal burns are what most people think of when they imagine a burn injury. They happen when your skin comes into contact with a heat source, like a fire.

You can sustain a thermal burn in a wide variety of situations. For instance, if your new car spontaneously catches on fire and burns you, a lawyer could help you file a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer. If you suffer a thermal burn from overheated water at a hotel, you might pursue a premises liability lawsuit instead.

Chemical

Chemical burns occur when your skin comes into contact with a caustic substance. For example, if you suffer a chemical burn after using industrial cleaners at work, a work injury lawyer might help you recover damages.

Electrical

Electrical burns can be caused by household or job site electrical current, lightning, stun guns and other sources of electricity. They can range from extremely minor to fatal.

Many electrical burns happen due to negligence. For example, if you suffer an electrical burn because your apartment has faulty wiring, you could file a premises liability lawsuit against the landlord.

Radiation

Sunburn is the most common kind of radiation burn. However, medical imaging tests, cancer treatment and industrial accidents can also lead to burns. Depending on the circumstances of the burn, you might file a malpractice or work injury lawsuit.

Burn Severity

Medical professionals assess burn severity by degrees. Each degree indicates how many skin layers sustained the burn. Here are these categories.

First-Degree Burns

First-degree burns are the least severe. Skin damage only extends to the outer layer of skin, the epidermis.

The epidermis seals the body from microorganisms and foreign bodies, making it the body’s protective layer. It also retains moisture better than other layers, aiding quick heating. So, it is the most resilient of the skin layers.

First-degree burns cause pain, swelling, and redness. Sometimes, people see flakey skin, but they heal without complications.

Can you sue for first-degree burns? On their own–no. They are minor injuries and don’t generate large medical bills.

However, first-degree burns often accompany other injuries. For example, you may sustain an airbag burn and a neck injury in a car accident. An attorney then bundles the burn with the neck injury to illustrate the extent of all injuries in that accident.

Second-Degree Burns

Second-degree burns damage the epidermis and the layer underneath it, called the dermis. The dermis contains nerve endings, which makes these burns more painful than first-degree burns.

These burns become swollen and develop blisters. These blisters leave you vulnerable to infection, and you often need to bandage or wear loose clothing to avoid pain.

Second-degree burns usually heal without complications. However, they can leave scars, and if you sustained facial burns, you can likely claim mental stress due to disfigurement. Therefore, you can present it as an independent claim and collection compensation.

Third-Degree Burns

Third-degree burns are the most severe. Also called full-thickness burns, they destroy the epidermis and dermis. Since these injuries completely destroy nerve endings, you will not feel pain in the burned area.

These burns can also damage bones, tendons and muscles. Sometimes, the burn goes deep enough that treatment providers may classify them as fourth-degree burns.

People sustaining these burns face disfigurement, scarring and mobility loss. Sometimes, doctors must amputate severely burned limbs, and patients face recurring infections. Depression, anxiety and PTSD are also common after these severe burns.

Treatment may involve skin grafts, complex wound care and cosmetic surgery. Some patients need physical and occupational therapy to adjust to new physical limitations. These claims attract the highest compensation amounts.

Burn Settlement Amounts by Degree of Burn

Your degree of burn has a significant impact on your total compensation, but it’s not the only factor that matters. The following table can give you a general idea of settlement ranges, but keep in mind that the only truly reliable way to find out your case’s value is to consult a personal injury lawyer.

*These amounts are based on Miller & Zois Law Firm data.

In our research conducted in January 2026, we found that some law firms publicly share average settlement amounts for burn injury cases. One firm provides general settlement data not tied to any specific state. According to its figures, first-degree burns usually settle for under $10,000, second-degree burns between $25,000 and $75,000, third-degree burns can range from $100,000 to million dollars, and fourth-degree burns often result in multi-million-dollar settlements.

Burn Settlement Amounts by Degree of Burn in Different States

*These amounts are based on each law firm’s data.

Other firms report state-specific ranges. An Atlanta law firm reported the lowest settlements, with first-degree burns at under $5,000 and third-degree burns capped at $100,000, while firms in other states reported much higher amounts. A Pennsylvania law firm was the only one to state $10,000 to $30,000 for first-degree burns, whereas others reported up to $10,000 only. All firms agreed that fourth-degree burns have the potential to reach $1 million or more.

Facts of the Accident or Incident

The specific facts of your accident also affect your settlement value. Here are the fact areas that affect case value the most.

Type of Burn

Remember that, broadly speaking, there are four types of burns: thermal, radiation, chemical and electrical.

These types of burns are relevant because some burns cause other health problems. Chemical burns may affect the skin but also emit fumes that burn the eyes or lungs. Electrical burns often cause cardiovascular problems, too.

You may collect a larger settlement if you sustain a burn that causes other issues. A chemical burn will likely produce more damage than a thermal burn from a pressure cooker.

Where It Happened

Location often determines the responsible party and the compensation available. Workplace burns are one example of a burn victim’s options affected by location.

In most states, employees who sustain burns while working can receive workers’ compensation. These benefits offer medical care and replacement income. If an employee cannot return to their job, the workers’ compensation agency will also provide vocational training.

But even then, not all workplace injuries are the employer’s fault. A car accident, for example, typically involves a third party. So, if a worker sustains burns in a major vehicle collision, they can sue the at-fault party for medical bills and replacement income. But, unlike workers’ compensation, they can also pursue diminished future earning capacity, pain and suffering, and full wage loss.

If your burn injury happened at a hotel, workplace, rental property or public venue, there’s a reasonable chance that a code or safety violation was a contributing factor. If you or your lawyer can prove that a safety violation happened, you may be more likely to recover a sizable settlement.

For example, imagine you suffered an electrical burn at a home you’re renting. If you obtain a record of the home’s wiring that shows the wiring is clearly not up to code, the court will clearly see that the landlord was negligent or deliberately ignored building codes. It may then be more willing to give you a significant settlement.

Who Was Responsible

The truth is that some at-fault parties have more significant resources than others. You are more likely to get a good-sized settlement from “deep pockets,” meaning parties with income and assets.

For example, the compensation available for burn injuries from a car accident might be limited by the at-fault driver’s auto policy limits. But you have more resources to pursue if you have a driver with high limits. Also, if the insurance limits are not enough but that driver has high-value assets, you may be able to collect on them.

But, burns from defective products involve large manufacturers. These large corporations are the very definition of “deep pockets,” and lawsuits with multi-million dollar verdicts are possible.

Effects of the Injury

Generally, burn injuries with severe or long-term effects gain higher settlements. In comparison, superficial injuries are often worth less.

That scenario plays out due to actual costs of an injury and noneconomic damages. Noneconomic damages are subjective and involve a plaintiff’s perspective and feelings. They are an attempt to place a dollar value on pain and suffering.

First and second-degree burns heal and leave behind no trace. At worst, they leave slight scars. So, damage awards in these cases are lower since they don’t attract the impacts, trauma or expense of severe burns.

But third-degree burns cause life-changing injuries. Heavily damaged skin needs skin grafts, which cause permanent scars. The damaged skin also becomes infected more easily, leaving patients in a cycle of constantly managing illness and injuries. Burns can compromise bones and connective tissue, leading to limited mobility.

Patients with these serious conditions incur higher medical bills, experience more pain and often lose more enjoyment in their lives. They may have severe mental struggles since disfigurement from amputation or severe scarring has physical and emotional impacts. So they will receive higher settlement offers.

Learn About Burn Injury Claims With ConsumerShield

There are approximately 29,165 hospital admissions per year due to burns. If you were one of them, you likely wonder about the next steps and worry about your medical costs and lost wages.

A burn injury lawyer will offer the reassurance and peace of mind to heal from your injuries while they pursue your case. The result is peace of mind and a better chance of receiving compensation. Fill out our contact form for a free case evaluation and to learn how we can assist you.