Burn Injuries Your Problems. Our Priority.

Burn Injury Attorney in Salem

Helping Salem Burn Injury Victims Since 2015

Recovering from a serious burn takes everything you have. At Johnson & Taylor, we’ve been helping injured people in Salem navigate personal injury claims since 2015, and we believe the legal process should never add to your burden. Our approach is straightforward: compassionate guidance, honest answers, and steady advocacy from the first conversation through resolution.

Burn injury claims can involve severe treatment costs, permanent scarring, workplace incidents, and property-related hazards. The most serious burns often require skin grafts, reconstructive surgery, and extended rehabilitation. The financial and personal losses that follow can be significant, and we’re here to help you understand what recovery may look like for your situation.

If you or someone you love has suffered a serious burn in Salem, call us today at (971) 318-5516 for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. You can also contact us online.

A Firm Built for Clients in Difficult Circumstances

We know burn injury clients often can’t easily travel to a law office, whether because of a hospital stay, skin graft recovery, or limited mobility. That’s why we offer remote consultations so you can meet with our team from wherever you are. Your recovery comes first, and we’ll work around your circumstances.

Our clients consistently describe us as responsive, honest, and genuinely caring, a reputation reflected in hundreds of five-star reviews. Your case receives individualized attention because the details of your situation directly shape how we build your claim.

We also serve a significant Spanish-speaking community in Salem. With two attorneys fluent in Spanish and bilingual paralegals on staff, roughly 20 percent of our cases involve Spanish-speaking clients. Se Habla Español.

Ready to get started? Reach us by phone at (971) 318-5516 or submit our contact form to schedule your free case evaluation.

How Burn Injuries Are Classified

Burn injuries are grouped into four degrees based on how deeply they affect the skin’s layers and underlying tissue. First-degree burns involve only the outer layer of skin, the epidermis, causing redness and pain that typically resolves without scarring. Second-degree burns reach through the epidermis into the dermis beneath it, producing blistering, significant pain, and swelling. Larger second-degree burns often require skin grafting.

Third-degree burns destroy both skin layers entirely and may affect muscle and bone. These injuries frequently require reconstructive surgery and extended rehabilitation, and they often result in permanent scarring and disfigurement. Fourth-degree burns are the most severe, reaching into underlying structures including bone.

Burns can result from heat sources such as open flames or scalding liquids (thermal burns), corrosive substances (chemical burns), electrical current (electrical burns), or radiation exposure. The cause often determines who may share legal responsibility for the injury.

Damages Available in an Oregon Burn Injury Claim

Oregon law may allow burn injury victims to recover both economic and non-economic losses. Economic damages cover out-of-pocket and future financial harm: medical bills, the cost of future procedures such as skin grafts or reconstructive surgery, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity. Non-economic damages address the personal toll of the injury, including pain and suffering, disfigurement, and psychological impact.

One significant development in Oregon law is worth knowing. In 2020, the Oregon Supreme Court in Busch v. McInnis Waste Systems struck down the state’s $500,000 cap on non-economic damages as unconstitutional under ORS 31.710(1) for personal injury cases other than wrongful death. Because that cap no longer stands, non-economic damages in most Oregon personal injury claims, including burn injury cases, aren’t subject to that statutory ceiling.

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You're not just a number

Every case represents a person, a family, and a future

Car Accident Reduced Outstanding Medical Bill Balance
As a result of a car accident, client sustained serious injuries which required costly surgery. Client did not have health insurance to cover additional medical expenses beyond the no-fault provisions of her own policy. Through persuasive negotiations with medical providers, we were able to secure offers from the medical providers to substantially reduce or write-off the outstanding balances to enable payment of all medical bills and compensation to client.
Pedestrian Accident Maximized Available Insurance Coverage
Pedestrian sustained broken bones when struck by a borrowed vehicle in a marked crosswalk. Client had health insurance but no auto insurance. We sought recovery from the insurance company who insured the vehicle AND the insurance company who insured the driver. Client was able to recover a substantial amount of money.
Drunk Driver Accident Secured Maximum Compensation
Two couples riding together in a vehicle were struck on the freeway by a drunk driver. All were badly injured. Able to get maximum compensation for all from the at fault driver and from the bar that over served alcohol, contributing to the driver getting drunk.
Bicycle Accident Overcame Liability Challenges
Teenager riding bike in or near a construction zone and hit by a vehicle while riding through a crosswalk. Despite an unfavorable witness and the teenager not wearing a helmet, able to work out a great settlement.
Bicycle Accident Full Compensation Recovered
Bicyclist vs vehicle collision where client sustained soft tissue injuries. Despite reasonable evidence as to fault, insurance company denied liability and would not offer any compensation to client. We filed a lawsuit and just over two months later the insurance company paid our client’s full demand and attorney fees as well.
Pedestrian Accident Recovered from Multiple Policies
Pedestrian suffered traumatic internal injuries as a result of a trip and fall over a raised portion of sidewalk. Despite disputes over who maintained the sidewalk and the cause of the raised portion between the two adjacent property owners, we were able to secure significant settlements against both homeowner policies, reduce medical liens by tens of thousands of dollars, and put a generous amount of money in client’s pocket.

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Who May Be Liable for a Burn Injury

Identifying the responsible party is one of the first tasks in any burn injury claim, and the answer depends heavily on where and how the injury occurred.

Landlord & Property Owner Liability

Oregon law requires landlords to keep rental housing in safe condition. When a fire or burn injury results from something the landlord knew about and failed to address, such as faulty wiring, a broken smoke detector, or an unsafe heating unit, the landlord may be held liable under premises liability principles. Property owners outside the landlord-tenant context face the same exposure when known hazards go unaddressed and a visitor is harmed.

Product Liability

When a defective product or design flaw causes a fire or explosion, the manufacturer or another party in the distribution chain may share responsibility. Product liability claims can arise from defective appliances, faulty electrical equipment, or improperly labeled chemical products.

Workplace Burn Injuries in Oregon

Kitchen work, welding, electrical trades, and factory settings all carry elevated exposure to burn hazards. Most workplace burn injuries are covered by workers’ compensation, which pays medical expenses and a portion of lost wages regardless of fault. Workers’ compensation doesn’t, however, cover non-economic losses like pain and suffering.

When a contractor, equipment manufacturer, or another company that isn’t your employer contributed to the conditions that caused your burn, a separate third-party personal injury claim may be available alongside your workers’ compensation benefits. These two paths aren’t mutually exclusive, and pursuing both can provide a more complete path to recovering your losses.

Oregon Filing Deadlines for Burn Injury Claims

Oregon’s general statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including burn injuries, is two years from the date of the injury under ORS 12.110. Missing that deadline typically means losing the right to recover compensation entirely, regardless of how strong the underlying claim may be.

Two important exceptions apply. For a minor injured before turning 18, the statute of limitations is generally tolled until the minor’s 18th birthday, though the extension can’t exceed five years and can’t run more than one year past that birthday, whichever limit arrives first. When the claim involves a government entity, the Oregon Tort Claims Act also requires written notice within 180 days of the injury, a deadline that is separate from and shorter than the two-year filing window.

Personal injury lawsuits arising from incidents in Salem and the surrounding area are filed in Marion County Circuit Court, the state trial court serving this region.

How Shared Fault Affects Your Claim

Oregon follows a modified comparative negligence rule under ORS 31.600. If you were partially at fault for the incident that caused your burn, you can still recover damages as long as your share of fault was 50 percent or less. Any compensation awarded is reduced by your own percentage of fault. For example, if a jury finds you 20 percent at fault and awards $100,000, you would receive $80,000.

If your share of fault exceeds 50 percent, recovery is barred entirely. That’s why it’s worth speaking with a burn injury lawyer in Salem before accepting any characterization of the incident from an insurance company or opposing party.

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I had a bit of a mishap on my e-bike, but James was such a great help and really took care of me.
“What made it even better was how communicative and helpful they were. I’ve had some rough experiences before, but this was definitely the best with attorneys I’ve ever had. Thanks a bunch!”

- Luis F.

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