Burn Injury Attorney in Polk County

We’ve Tried the Largest Single-Fire Death-Toll Case in Iowa History in Polk County

Burn injuries are among the most devastating outcomes of any accident, demanding emergency care, repeated surgeries, and years of rehabilitation. At LaMarca Law Group, P.C., we represent burn injury victims throughout Polk County from our Des Moines office, and we bring something concrete to this work: we’ve actually tried the largest single-fire death-toll case in Iowa history in the Iowa District Court for Polk County.

That case was the Younkers Merle Hay Department Store fire litigation. George A. LaMarca led the representation of all families of the deceased and seriously injured in a two-month trial. It was the first civil case in Iowa to have in-court television coverage. His work was described as one of the largest scientific battles of the decade and produced the first jury verdict on the national debate over PVC combustion. Few firms serving Polk County can point to a comparable courtroom record in fire litigation in this jurisdiction.

A Multidisciplinary Team for Complex Burn Cases

Burn injury claims against property owners, employers, or product manufacturers are rarely straightforward. Proving cause and liability requires resources that go beyond legal argument alone. Our team includes attorneys, accountants, and in-house investigators working alongside an expert network covering fire-origin analysis, arson investigation, fire marshal review, electrical and chemical engineering, materials science, construction standards, medical projections, and forensic economic loss calculations.

We have the experience and financial resources to fund expert-intensive litigation. When the defendant is a large corporation or a national insurer, we don’t ask our clients to absorb that asymmetry. We level it.

Common Causes of Burn Injuries in Polk County

Polk County residents can suffer burn injuries in a wide range of circumstances, and many involve another party’s negligence. Thermal burns from fires and explosions, chemical burns from industrial or household chemical exposure, electrical burns from arc flash or faulty wiring, scalding injuries from hot liquids or steam, and friction burns in vehicle accidents all carry potential legal claims depending on what caused them and who failed in a duty of care.

Liable parties vary by scenario. A property owner who neglected fire-safety systems, a landlord who allowed defective wiring to go unrepaired, an employer who failed to provide adequate protective equipment, or a manufacturer whose product caused a fire or chemical release may each bear legal responsibility under Iowa premises liability, product liability, or negligence law. Iowa’s comparative fault rules allow recovery even when a victim bears some share of fault, though compensation is reduced by the plaintiff’s percentage of responsibility. A plaintiff found more than 50 percent at fault is barred from recovery entirely.

Burn Severity & Its Impact on a Legal Claim

The degree of a burn directly shapes the scope of recoverable damages. First-degree burns affect only the outer skin layer and typically resolve without significant medical intervention. Second-degree burns damage both the epidermis and the underlying dermis, often causing blistering and sometimes requiring skin grafts. Third-degree burns destroy all skin layers and can extend into subcutaneous tissue, requiring emergency treatment, multiple surgeries, and extended rehabilitation, with permanent scarring and disability as common outcomes. Fourth-degree burns, the most severe, reach deeper tissue including muscle and bone and typically result in lifelong disability.

Third- and fourth-degree burn cases carry substantially higher economic damages because they require prolonged hospital stays, repeated reconstructive procedures, and years of physical therapy. Fully documenting those future costs is a critical part of building a complete claim.