Serious burns change everything. We help you take on the legal side.

If you were hurt in a fire or crash, a severe burn injury lawyer in Bernalillo County can explain your options. A severe burn claim seeks compensation from the person or business whose negligence caused the burn. El Gringo Law represents people injured across New Mexico, including Bernalillo County. This page explains what these claims involve, what they may cover, and what happens next.

Who This Page Is For: Severe Burn Injuries in Bernalillo County

This page is for adults and families dealing with a serious burn caused by someone else’s negligence.

A severe burn is more than a bad sunburn. It includes deep partial-thickness burns and full-thickness, or third-degree, burns. It also includes burns across a large part of the body, burns to the face, hands, or joints, and burns with breathing injury from smoke.

Survivors aren’t the only people who need a legal review. If a burn caused a death, the family may have rights under New Mexico’s wrongful death law.

Severe burns often mean long hospital stays, skin grafts, repeated surgeries, and months or years of rehabilitation. That makes these claims more involved than many other injury cases. Early records matter.

Residents of Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Sandoval County who were hurt locally are included. Local crash data from the UNM Traffic Research Unit covers Bernalillo and Sandoval counties. A free, confidential first consultation is a simple way to talk through your facts.

What Counts as a Severe Burn and What a Claim May Cover

Burn injuries can involve medical treatment, future care, and other losses that do not always appear on a bill.

Medical losses may include:

• Past and future medical bills
• Burn-center and hospital care
• Skin grafts and reconstructive surgery
• Prosthetics or assistive equipment when medically needed
• Ongoing wound care

Other losses may include:

• Lost wages and reduced ability to earn
• Pain and suffering
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Burn depth matters. Medical records show whether a burn is first, second, or third degree, how it was treated, and what care comes next.

For a wrongful death claim, the New Mexico Wrongful Death Act lets the personal representative bring the case for the family. The jury weighs the financial harm the death caused to surviving family members. Close family members may also have their own loss of consortium claim. The damages depend on the facts and on New Mexico law, so no general page can predict a value.

Common Causes of Severe Burns We Handle

Severe burns can result from crashes, fires, unsafe property, or violence on property.

• Car accidents: Fuel leaks and post-crash fires can follow when another driver’s negligence contributed.
• Trucking accidents: Fires can start in fuel, cargo, or braking and electrical systems on commercial trucks. Federal and state trucking rules may apply.
• Premises liability: Gas leaks, faulty wiring, and unsafe water heaters or heaters can cause burns. New Mexico’s duty to visitors instruction says owners must use ordinary care to keep premises safe.
• Negligent security: A burn can happen during a violent incident on property where the owner failed to provide reasonable security.

The cause shapes who may be responsible. Early work on the scene, reports, and equipment helps show what happened. New Mexico’s Section 41-3A-1 provides that, in any cause of action where comparative fault applies, the rule imposing joint and several liability on two or more wrongdoers whose conduct proximately caused a plaintiff’s injury is abolished except as the statute otherwise provides, so each such defendant’s liability is several. A defendant who shows that someone else’s fault was a proximate cause of the injury is liable only for the share of the total damages awarded that equals that defendant’s ratio of fault to the total fault attributed to all persons, including plaintiffs, defendants and persons not party to the action. That rule matters when more than one party shares blame.

How the Claim Process Works, Step by Step

A burn claim usually moves through five stages, from a first talk to a settlement discussion or lawsuit.

1. First consultation. We review how the burn happened and what medical care you’ve had. The consultation is free and confidential.
2. Investigation. We gather crash or fire reports, photos, and witness information. We work to preserve vehicles, equipment, and premises evidence before they’re changed or thrown out.
3. Medical documentation. We work with treating providers’ records to show the burn’s severity, treatment, and expected future care.
4. Insurance communication. We handle contact with adjusters and prepare a demand that documents your full losses.
5. Resolution. We pursue negotiation or mediation, or file a lawsuit if a fair resolution isn’t reached. Timing varies with court schedules.

Burn cases often take longer than other injury claims. The full extent of scarring and treatment may not be clear for months.

Deadlines matter. Under NMSA § 37-1-8, actions must be brought against sureties on official bonds and on bonds of guardians, conservators, personal representatives and persons acting in a fiduciary capacity, within two years after the liability of the principal or the person for whom they are sureties is finally established or determined by a judgment or decree of the court, and for an injury to the person or reputation of any person, within three years. A wrongful death action must be brought within three years, and that period starts on the date of death, under NMSA 1978, § 41-2-2. Other rules can apply, so act soon.

Why Clients Choose El Gringo Law

El Gringo Law handles severe burn claims in New Mexico as part of its catastrophic injury work, which also includes spinal cord injuries, amputations, and wrongful death.

• Responsible lawyer: Josh Wood is the lawyer responsible for this page. He is licensed in New Mexico and Arizona.
• Team: Our team includes lawyers and support staff who help manage each matter.
• Plain communication: We aim to give clear updates and direct answers about the process.
• Focus: We pay attention to your medical and financial situation, not just the paperwork.

You can reach El Gringo Law through its contact page.

Fees, Costs, and Your Free First Consultation

Your first consultation with El Gringo Law is free, confidential, and carries no obligation to continue.

Any fee is set out in a written agreement that you sign. Under Rule 16-105(D), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client and must state how the fee is to be determined. It must also clearly list the expenses you may owe even if you don’t win.

The firm may advance court costs and litigation expenses if your written agreement provides for it; whether you must repay them, including if there is no recovery, is stated in that written agreement. El Gringo Law does not offer money, gifts, loans, or help with rent, food, bills, or medical costs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Severe Burn Injury Claims