After a Burn Injury on Johns Island
A bad burn usually means an ambulance, a burn unit and months of care. Let a spouse, parent or friend take this list while you focus on healing.
- Call 911 and follow the burn team. Keep every graft, dressing change and therapy appointment, and save the paperwork.
- Ask for the incident report. Write down which fire department, police agency or business responded and any report number.
- Keep what failed, if it's safe. Leave damaged batteries, wiring, propane parts and gas appliances alone until a fire crew or safety professional says how to handle them. Then store the item with its packaging and receipt. Ask a lawyer before returning or tossing it.
- Photograph before cleanup. Someone can capture the room, outlets, appliances, scorch marks, smoke damage and any warning labels.
- Photograph the burns as they heal. Date each set of pictures, from the first dressing to the scars.
- Find proof of purchase. Order emails, store receipts, manuals and boxes can show who made and sold a product.
Fires and Burns on the Island
Burns on Johns Island can come from a house or shed fire, a propane grill at a rental house, a lithium battery in a golf cart or e-bike, a crash on Maybank Highway that ends in fire, or a hot surface at work. Older homes, new construction and outbuildings are all part of island life, and each fire has its own set of questions.
Time Limits After a Burn
South Carolina gives most injured people three years to file a lawsuit.1 The limit is for a court filing, and opening an insurance claim does not stop it.2 Claims against a state or local government body generally have a two-year limit, which a qualifying verified claim may extend to three years.4 Special rules and damage caps may also apply.3
When wiring, gas lines or construction work caused the fire, time can be shorter than it looks. A fixed outer limit can cut off claims against builders, contractors and designers over work on real property, even if no one knew about the problem.5 A lawyer can explain how this applies to you. More is on the statewide page about South Carolina burn injury claims.
Want someone to look at your situation?
Talk with our team about what happened and ask the questions on your mind.
Talk With Us About What Happened
Grafts, dressing changes and scar care can stretch on for a year or more. We begin by hearing how the injury happened and what recovery looks like now. If you hire us, the insurers can usually deal with us.
Our office is on King Street in downtown Charleston, and the way there from Johns Island crosses the Stono. The first conversation can happen by phone. We take cases across South Carolina, including Johns Island.
If a product caught fire or failed, see defective product claims. For burns with lasting effects, see Johns Island catastrophic injury claims. Call and tell us what you still have from the scene.
South Carolina Law on This
- Most personal injury claims in South Carolina must be filed within three years.1
- South Carolina's statute of limitations generally sets the deadline for filing a lawsuit in court. Simply opening a claim with an insurance company or negotiating with an insurance adjuster does not stop the statute of limitations from running.2
- Claims against a South Carolina state or local government agency have their own filing deadline, which can be shorter, and there could be caps on damages under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, depending on the facts of the case.3
- Lawsuits under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act generally must be filed within two years after the loss was or should have been discovered. A three-year deadline may apply if a qualifying verified claim was first filed under the Act.4
- Claims against builders, contractors and designers over work on real property can be cut off by a fixed outer time limit that applies no matter when the problem is discovered.5
- Most injuries that happen on the job in South Carolina go through the workers' compensation system, which has its own rules, and usually limits suing your own employer.6
- An injured worker in South Carolina generally must tell the employer about a work accident right away, and no later than 90 days after it, to receive workers' compensation, unless an exception applies.7
- A South Carolina workers' compensation claim generally must be filed with the Workers' Compensation Commission within two years after the accident, or after a death it caused. Telling the employer does not count as filing. Occupational diseases and repetitive trauma follow different rules.8
- In South Carolina, an employee injured at work may be able to receive workers' compensation benefits and also pursue a personal injury claim against a responsible third party, such as another driver. The workers' compensation insurer may have a right to reimbursement from any settlement or judgment. Special rules and deadlines apply when pursuing both claims.9
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I hang on to the charger or heater that caught fire?
If it is safe, yes. A damaged battery, electrical item or gas appliance can flare up again, so get guidance from the fire department or another safety professional before moving it. When it is safe, keep it with the cord, charger, box and receipt, and ask a lawyer about preserving it before giving it to an insurer or the maker.
I was burned in a kitchen at work. Where do I stand?
Most work burns in South Carolina go through workers' compensation.6 The usual rule is notice to your employer within 90 days and a claim on file within two years, though exceptions exist.78 Workers' comp usually limits suits against the employer, but if an outside company, like an equipment maker or contractor, helped cause the burn, a separate injury claim may be possible.9
The wiring in our house was put in years ago. Is it too late?
It might be, and only the facts can answer that. Claims against builders, contractors and designers over work on real property can be barred by a fixed outer time limit, regardless of when the problem surfaces.5 So after a house fire on the island, an early call to a lawyer about dates makes sense.
Who has the report for a fire on Johns Island?
Start with the fire crew that responded and ask for the written report and its number. If police or deputies came too, ask them for theirs. A lawyer can help if you aren't sure which department it was.
Sources
This page is general information about South Carolina law, not legal advice for your situation. Every case depends on its own facts.
