Burn Injury Lawyer in New York City
Fire, explosion, scalding, electrical and chemical burn claims in NYC and on Long Island
Burn Injuries
Yassi Law P.C. represents people who suffered severe burns, and families who lost someone to a fire or explosion, in all five boroughs of New York City and in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Attorney Reza Yassi handles each burn case himself, on a contingency fee, and the first consultation is free.
Burn cases turn on early proof of what started the fire, which product failed and who controlled the building or site. A burn injury lawyer's first job is to secure that proof before the scene is repaired or the product is thrown away.
Burn injury cases Yassi Law handles
The firm takes fewer cases on purpose and concentrates on catastrophic injury and wrongful death: deep burns that need grafts or surgery, burns that leave lasting scars, and fatal fires. Burn claims are part of the firm's work on New York personal injury cases, including:
Apartment and house fires, including fires in NYCHA buildings, tied to a building defect, a repair failure or a code violation
Gas leaks and explosions
E-bike, scooter and other lithium-ion battery fires
Scalding from hot water, steam pipes, boilers and radiators
Electrical burns, electrocution and arc flash on job sites
Chemical burns at work
Heaters, appliances and other products that catch fire or explode
Burns from a car or truck crash or a vehicle fire
Burns caused during medical care, or made worse by negligent burn treatment
Can you sue for a burn injury in New York?
Yes, if someone else's carelessness or a defective product caused the burn. In a negligence claim you show that a person or company owed you a duty of care, failed to meet it, and caused your injury.
Severity matters, and the firm often declines minor-injury cases. Third-degree burns, burns that need grafts, burns to the face or hands, smoke inhalation and electrical injuries can justify a lawsuit when someone else is responsible.
If you were partly at fault, your damages are generally reduced by your share of fault but not barred (CPLR 1411(a)); the exception for some vehicle cases is explained below.
Burns from a car or truck crash usually fall under New York's no-fault law; motorcycle crashes generally do not. No-fault pays medical bills and part of lost wages up to $50,000 per person, whoever caused the crash (Insurance Law § 5102(a)). The written application is generally due within 30 days (11 NYCRR 65-1.1). Significant disfigurement is a "serious injury" that allows a suit for pain and suffering (Insurance Law § 5102(d)). In a no-fault case started on or after May 26, 2026, an injured person more at fault than all defendants combined recovers nothing (CPLR 1411(b)). A defect that set the vehicle on fire can also support a product claim. See car accident claims.
Burn types and degrees: why severity matters to a claim
Burn type, depth and the percentage of the body burned largely decide how serious a claim is. The main types are:
Thermal burns: flames, hot surfaces, and flash burns from an explosion, gas ignition or electrical arc.
Scald burns: hot liquids and steam from boilers, radiators and pipes.
Electrical burns: current can damage tissue under the skin, so the injury is often worse than it looks.
Chemical burns: acids, alkalis, cleaners and sanitizers keep damaging tissue until washed off.
Inhalation injury: smoke, hot gases or fumes can injure the airway and lungs without a visible burn.
Depth runs from first degree (outer skin) through second degree (deeper, often blistering) to third degree (full thickness, usually needing grafts). The hospital chart records the depth and the percentage of the body burned (total body surface area, or TBSA), the core proof of the injury.
Apartment and house fires: who is responsible?
Usually whoever carelessly started the fire or let it spread. In New York City, the owner of a building with three or more apartments must keep every part of it in good repair (Multiple Dwelling Law § 78). That law covers cities of 325,000 or more people and places that adopt it (Multiple Dwelling Law § 3). Where it does not apply, as in much of Nassau and Suffolk, a landlord's duty rests on ordinary negligence and local codes.
If your apartment catches fire, get medical care first. Then photograph the damage, get the fire report number, list everything lost and keep receipts for every cost of staying elsewhere. Against a private owner, claims for belongings destroyed in the fire generally have three years (CPLR 214(4)).
Broken self-closing doors, blocked exits, faulty wiring and illegal conversions are common grounds for a claim. You generally must show that the owner created the problem, or knew or should have known about it in time to fix it, and that it caused the fire or your injuries. Our guide explains how to hold a landlord liable after a fatal apartment fire.
A neighbor or contractor whose carelessness started the fire, or the maker of a battery or appliance that ignited, can share responsibility, and a neighbor's renters or homeowners insurance may cover the claim. A tenant is also liable for violations the tenant caused (§ 78(1)). In a private house, the claim rests on ordinary negligence.
Against NYCHA or another local public body, a notice of claim is usually due within 90 days, for injuries and lost belongings alike (General Municipal Law § 50-e). Call Reza Yassi well before that deadline.
Exploding batteries, heaters and other defective products
A manufacturer can be held responsible for a defective product without proof that it was careless. It is liable if the product was defective when it left the maker's hands, it was being used for its normal purpose, and the defect was a substantial factor in causing the injury (Voss v. Black & Decker Mfg. Co., 59 N.Y.2d 102 (1983)). A product can be defective in three ways:
Manufacturing defect: this unit was made wrong.
Design defect: the product as designed was not reasonably safe, because its risks outweighed its usefulness.
Warning defect: the warnings or instructions were inadequate for a danger the maker knew or should have known about.
E-bike and scooter batteries, chargers, space heaters and gas appliances are frequent sources of these claims. More on defective product claims.
Chemical, electrical and flash burns at work
If you were burned at work, workers' compensation is generally your only claim against your own employer (Workers' Compensation Law § 11). You can also sue someone else whose negligence caused the burn, such as a property owner, general contractor, utility or equipment maker (Workers' Compensation Law § 29(1)). Reza Yassi handles the lawsuit against the third party and works with law firms that represent injured workers at Workers' Compensation Board hearings.
On construction, excavation and demolition work, owners and contractors must follow the state's safety rules (Labor Law § 241(6)). A claim under that section generally rests on a specific Industrial Code violation that caused the injury. Owners of one- and two-family homes who did not direct or control the work are exempt. Owners and general contractors must also keep a workplace reasonably safe (Labor Law § 200). Under that section, they are generally liable only if they controlled the work or created or knew or should have known about the danger.
The comp carrier has a lien on your recovery for the benefits it paid, reduced by its share of the legal costs (§ 29(1)). Settling for less than the compensation the law provides needs the carrier's written approval or a court order, or you can lose future comp benefits (§ 29(5)). See workplace and construction accidents and our guide on suing after high-voltage burns on the job.
Deadlines for a burn injury lawsuit in New York
Most burn injury lawsuits in New York must be filed within three years of the injury, but public-body and death claims run on different clocks. Missing a deadline usually ends the claim.
Most burn claims, including defective products: three years from the injury (CPLR 214(5)).
Injured workers collecting comp: sue the third party within six months after the comp award, and in any event within one year of the accident (Workers' Compensation Law § 29). Otherwise the comp carrier can take over the claim after giving you 30 days' written notice.
The City of New York, a county, town, village or school district, or NYCHA: a notice of claim within 90 days (General Municipal Law § 50-e) and a lawsuit within one year and 90 days (General Municipal Law § 50-i; for NYCHA, Public Housing Law § 157). New York State and the Port Authority have their own notice rules and deadlines.
Wrongful death: two years from the death (EPTL 5-4.1). Against a public body, the 90-day notice runs from the appointment of the estate's representative.
Burns caused or made worse by medical care: two years and six months from the act or the end of continuous treatment (CPLR 214-a); at a public hospital such as NYC Health + Hospitals, the public-body rules above apply instead.
Children: for most claims, until three years after turning 18; for medical-care burns, the deadline is extended by the years of childhood, up to 10 years after the claim arose (CPLR 208).
What is a burn injury case worth?
No one can name a fair figure before reviewing the medical records. What drives value:
The depth, size and location of the burns; scars on the face and hands are visible every day and can limit movement.
Past and future medical care, such as grafts, scar-release surgery, compression garments and therapy, often priced in a life-care plan.
Lost earnings and lost ability to earn in the future.
Pain and suffering, including scarring and disfigurement, and emotional harm such as anxiety, depression or PTSD.
Who is responsible and how much insurance coverage is available.
When a burn is fatal, the estate's personal representative can bring a wrongful death claim for the family's financial losses, such as lost support, plus medical, nursing and funeral expenses (EPTL 5-4.3); New York does not award damages for grief. The representative can also claim for pain the person consciously suffered before death (EPTL 11-3.2(b)). See wrongful death claims.
What to do after a serious burn
Get medical care right away, and keep every follow-up appointment.
Photograph the burns as they heal, the scene and the product.
Keep the product, battery, charger and clothing; do not return or discard them.
Note witnesses, the building owner or managing agent, and any fire or police report numbers.
Do not give a recorded statement or sign a blanket medical authorization for an insurance company before getting legal advice.
Call a lawyer before the scene is cleaned up or repaired.
What a burn injury lawyer costs and how to choose one
Burn cases are handled on a contingency fee, so there is no fee unless money is recovered. The fee is one-third of the net recovery in most burn claims, or the sliding scale in Judiciary Law § 474-a for burns caused or made worse by medical care. The fee and the handling of case expenses are written into a retainer agreement.
The first consultation is free, in person, by phone or by video. If you cannot travel, Reza Yassi can come to you at home or in the hospital.
No list of the "best burn injury lawyer" tells you who will actually work on your case. Ask instead:
Who will handle my case personally, and how do I reach that person?
How will you find out what caused the fire or which product failed?
How will you prove my future medical care and lost earnings?
At Yassi Law P.C., you deal directly with Reza Yassi.
Guides on this topic
NYC lithium-ion battery fire injuries in 2026: who is responsible when an e-bike or scooter battery fire burns tenants and neighbors.
Fatal apartment fire: how to hold the landlord liable: how blocked exits, missing smoke detectors or an illegal conversion can make a landlord liable.
Electrocuted on the job in New York: how a burned worker can collect comp and sue a utility, owner or contractor.
Don't sign the adjuster's blanket medical authorization after a gas explosion burn: what not to sign when an insurer asks for your medical records.
Frequently asked questions
Can you sue for first-degree burns in New York?
You can if someone else's carelessness or a defective product caused the burn, but a first-degree burn that heals in days without a scar is rarely worth a lawsuit. Suits make sense for deeper burns, burns that need grafts or leave scars, and burns to the face or hands.
What is the average settlement for a third-degree burn injury?
There is no reliable average. Third-degree burn cases vary with how much of the body was burned, where the scars are, the surgeries needed, lost earnings and the insurance available. A fair estimate needs the hospital records and often a life-care plan.
Can I sue my landlord after an apartment fire?
Often, yes. In a New York City apartment building with three or more units, you can sue if a problem the owner knew or should have known about, such as faulty wiring or a broken self-closing door, caused the fire or your injuries (Multiple Dwelling Law § 78). In a one- or two-family house, or in most of Nassau and Suffolk, the claim usually rests on ordinary negligence. For a NYCHA building, a notice of claim is generally due within 90 days.
Can I sue my employer for a chemical burn at work?
Usually not, because workers' compensation is the exclusive remedy against your own employer (Workers' Compensation Law § 11). You can still collect comp and sue a property owner, contractor or maker of the chemical, cleaner or sanitizer whose negligence or defective product caused the burn (§ 29(1)).
How long do I have to file a burn injury lawsuit in New York?
Generally three years from the injury (CPLR 214(5)), or two years and six months for burns caused or made worse by medical care (CPLR 214-a). Against the City, NYCHA or another local public body, a notice of claim is usually due within 90 days. A wrongful death suit must be filed within two years of the death (EPTL 5-4.1).
What if my child was burned by scalding water, an outlet or an appliance?
A child generally has until three years after turning 18 to sue (CPLR 208). A parent's own claim for the child's medical bills is not extended and generally must be brought within three years of the injury. Act early anyway: evidence disappears, and a claim against a public body needs a prompt notice of claim.
How long do burn injuries take to heal, and should I wait before settling?
Burns can look worse a few days after the injury, and deep burns that need grafts can take months to close. Settling before your doctors know whether you need more surgery can leave future costs uncovered, but the lawsuit deadline keeps running.
If you or a family member was badly burned in New York City, Nassau or Suffolk, call Reza Yassi at (646) 992-2138 or contact the firm. The consultation is free, and if your injuries make travel hard, he can meet you at home or in the hospital.
