What Is a Burn Injury Lawyers in Columbia, SC Case?

Roden Law represents burn-injury victims across Columbia, South Carolina and the Midlands — Lexington, Irmo, West Columbia, Cayce, and Forest Acres. Burn injuries are among the most catastrophic and painful injuries a person can suffer, often requiring skin grafts, multiple surgeries, and lifelong care for scarring and disfigurement. We handle every case on a contingency […]

— Reviewed by Graeham C. Gillin, Partner, COO at Roden Law

Key Takeaways

If you were injured in a burn injury in Columbia, South Carolina, you generally have 3 years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit (S.C. Code § 15-3-530). South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence rule — you can still recover as long as you are Modified — recover if less than 51% at fault, with your award reduced by your percentage of fault. There is no cap on compensatory damages in an ordinary South Carolina injury case. Roden Law represents Columbia injury victims on a contingency fee: the consultation is free and there is no fee unless we win.

Roden Law represents burn-injury victims across Columbia, South Carolina and the Midlands — Lexington, Irmo, West Columbia, Cayce, and Forest Acres. Burn injuries are among the most catastrophic and painful injuries a person can suffer, often requiring skin grafts, multiple surgeries, and lifelong care for scarring and disfigurement. We handle every case on a contingency fee basis: you pay nothing unless we win. Roden Law has recovered more than $300 million for injured clients across Georgia and South Carolina and holds a 4.9-star average from hundreds of client reviews. Call (803) 219-2816 for a free, confidential case review.

Why Choose Roden Law for a Columbia Burn Injury Claim

Serious burn cases are expensive to prove and expensive to treat, and insurers routinely dispute how a fire or explosion started and push to settle before the full cost of future skin-graft revisions and scar-management care is known. What separates Roden Law is the investigation and expert work needed to trace the cause and document lifetime needs. Our Columbia office at 1545 Sumter Street, Suite B sits in the downtown corridor minutes from the Richland County Circuit Court.

  • No fee unless we win — free consultation and no out-of-pocket cost to pursue your claim.
  • We trace the cause — defective products, unsafe premises, and workplace hazards each point to a different responsible party and a different insurance policy.
  • Full lifetime value — disfigurement, future surgeries, and long-term care often drive the value of a burn case, and we account for all of it before any settlement.

Common Causes of Burn Injuries in the Columbia Area

Burn injuries in the Midlands arise from fires and explosions, scalding liquids and steam, chemical exposure, electrical contact, and defective consumer products such as water heaters, space heaters, and lithium-ion batteries. The area’s distribution and manufacturing employers add industrial burn risks, and residential fires can involve faulty wiring or appliances. Identifying whether a burn stems from a defective product, an unsafe premises, or a workplace hazard is the first and most important step in a Columbia burn case.

South Carolina Burn Injury Law You Should Know

Many burn cases sound in product liability — South Carolina recognizes strict liability for defective products under S.C. Code § 15-73-10, so a manufacturer can be liable for a dangerously defective product without proof of negligence. Other burn claims arise from premises liability (an unsafe condition on someone’s property) or, when the injury happened at work, from workers’ compensation, which in South Carolina can include a scheduled component for serious bodily disfigurement. The general deadline to file a personal-injury lawsuit is three years from the date of injury under S.C. Code § 15-3-530, South Carolina follows modified comparative negligence (you can recover as long as you are 50% or less at fault), and there is no cap on compensatory damages in ordinary injury cases. Learn more on our South Carolina product liability lawyers page and our South Carolina comparative negligence guide.

Free Case Review — No Fees Unless We Win Available 24/7 · Georgia & South Carolina
844-RESULTS

What to Do After A burn injury in Columbia, SC

  1. Ensure safety and call 911. Move to a safe location if possible. Call emergency services to report the accident and request medical attention for anyone injured.
  2. Seek immediate medical attention. Even if injuries seem minor, get examined by a doctor. Some injuries — such as traumatic brain injuries or internal bleeding — may not show symptoms immediately.
  3. Document the scene. Take photos of all vehicles, injuries, road conditions, traffic signs, and any visible damage. Collect names and contact information from witnesses.
  4. Exchange information with all parties. Get the other driver's name, insurance information, license plate number, and driver's license number. Do not admit fault or apologize.
  5. Report the accident to police. South Carolina law requires accident reports when there are injuries or significant property damage. Request a copy of the police report.
  6. Notify your insurance company. Report the accident to your insurer promptly. Provide factual information only — do not speculate about fault or the extent of your injuries.
  7. Contact an experienced personal injury attorney. An attorney can protect your rights, handle communications with insurance companies, and help you pursue the full compensation you deserve. Roden Law offers free consultations — call today.

South Carolina Personal Injury Law

Statute of Limitations 3 years (S.C. Code § 15-3-530)
Comparative Fault Modified — recover if less than 51% at fault

Filing a Personal Injury Case in Columbia

Filing a personal injury case in Columbia means working through the Richland County Court of Common Pleas at 1701 Main Street, where civil complaints are submitted electronically through South Carolina’s statewide Tyler Odyssey e-filing system and placed on a 365-day case-management track under SCRCP Rule 40. Most contested cases are sent to mandatory mediation before trial under SC ADR Rule 3.

Crash victims in the Midlands disproportionately come from one place: the I-26/I-20/I-77 interchange known as Malfunction Junction, now in the middle of SCDOT’s $2.08 billion Carolina Crossroads reconstruction — the largest project in agency history — which will keep active work zones on I-26 between Piney Grove Road and I-77 in flux through roughly 2029. Severe-injury crashes from that corridor, from I-77 north toward Blythewood, and from Two Notch and Broad River Roads are routed to Prisma Health Richland, the Midlands’ only Level I trauma center.

South Carolina law gives injured plaintiffs three years to file under S.C. Code § 15-3-530, applies a 51% modified-comparative-fault bar, and allows stacking of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage — a critical lever when a Malfunction Junction pile-up exceeds the at-fault driver’s 25/50/25 minimum policy.

Do I Have a Burn injury Case in Columbia?

Burn cases are not their own theory — liability rides on the underlying claim: premises liability (defective heaters, scalding water), product liability (flammable garments, defective lithium batteries, fuel-fed post-collision fires), motor vehicle, or workplace exposure. Cause-and-origin experts are central — fire investigators must rule out alternative ignition sources to support a defect or negligence theory. South Carolina’s standard four-element negligence framework applies, with negligence per se available where building codes, OSHA standards, or fire-safety regulations were violated. Filing deadline: 3 years under S.C. Code § 15-3-530.

Types of Compensation in South Carolina Burn injury Cases

Burn damages skew toward extreme noneconomic values: scarring, disfigurement, multiple skin grafts, contracture-release surgeries, and lifelong cosmetic and psychological consequences. Both Georgia and South Carolina permit disfigurement damages as a separate jury consideration; in workers’ compensation, statutory disfigurement awards apply under S.C. Code § 42-9-30(20). Severe burn cases routinely include burn-unit ICU costs of $1 million+, multi-year reconstructive surgery, and lifelong pressure-garment and psychological care.

Free Case Review — No Fees Unless We Win Available 24/7 · Georgia & South Carolina
844-RESULTS

Roden Law Burn Injury Lawyers in Columbia, SC Results at a Glance

$300M+ Recovered for injured clients across Georgia and South Carolina
4.9 / 5.0 Average client rating across hundreds of verified Google reviews from our six offices
5,000+ Cases successfully handled since 2013
62 years Combined attorney experience across 5 office locations

Source: Roden Law firm records and verified Google Business Profile reviews, updated July 2026.

Recent Case Results

Settlement $27,000,000 $27,000,000 Settlement | Truck Accident
Verdict $10,860,000 $10,860,000 Verdict | Product Liability
Recovery $9,800,000 $9,800,000 Recovery | Premises Liability

Results shown are gross settlement/verdict amounts before fees and costs. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

About the Author

Graeham C. Gillin, Partner, COO at Roden Law

Graeham C. Gillin

Partner, COO

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Our Columbia Office Today

If you were injured in Columbia and believe another party is at fault, contact us for a free, no-obligation review. Call (803) 219-2816 — no upfront cost.