Court
Douglas County is part of the 23rd Judicial District, and its listed court location is the Douglas County Courthouse at 4000 Justice Way, Ste. 2009, Castle Rock, CO 80109. Where a Lone Tree burn lawsuit is filed will depend on the facts.
Lone Tree, Douglas County, Colorado
Lone Tree Burn Injury Lawyers for Restaurant and Service Workers Burned on Shift
A fryer basket slips, a pan of oil tips off the flat-top, and a steam table lid lets go during the dinner rush. For cooks, dishwashers, servers, and other service workers in Lone Tree, a burn on shift raises two sets of questions at once: what workers' compensation covers, and whether someone outside your employer is also responsible. We help sort out both from our Denver office.
No fee unless we winIt's More Than Money.
Serving Lone Tree from our Denver Office
CGH Injury Lawyers
2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201
Denver, CO 80205
(303) 209-9395
Se habla español
5-star rated on Google
ABOTA trial advocate on the team
Life Care Plans for burn cases
No fee unless we win
A grease burn on the line can happen at any point in a shift. If hot oil from a fryer splashed across your forearm or a scald sent you from the line to the emergency room, you may already have a workers' compensation claim open and still be unsure whether it's the whole story.
A Lone Tree burn injury lawyer can look at who else played a part, such as the company that built the equipment.
When you're ready to talk, CGH Injury Lawyers picks up at (303) 209-9395. You can also leave the details on our contact page between shifts.
Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always consult a licensed attorney for advice specific to your situation.
What This Page Covers
- Kitchen, equipment, delivery and apartment burns
- Workers' compensation and claims against outside companies
- Premises rules, shared fault, the damages limit and filing deadlines
- The court, trauma center and fire district that serve Lone Tree
- How our firm prepares a burn claim
- What to do after a burn at work
- Compensation categories and who may pay
- Questions from people burned while working in Lone Tree
Key Takeaways
- The MedlinePlus burn guide from the National Library of Medicine names scalding from steam or hot liquids as a cause of burns and says "Major burns need urgent medical care."
- Workers' compensation is generally the only claim against your own employer (C.R.S. 8-41-102). If a defective fryer caused the burn, its manufacturer can still face a separate claim for damages beyond what workers' compensation provides (C.R.S. 8-41-203(1)(a)).
- If workers' compensation has paid benefits, its insurer may have a right to be repaid from what you recover from the outside party (C.R.S. 8-41-203). It's worth asking about early.
- Tort claims generally have two years to be filed (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(a)), and a claim against a public entity, or one of its employees on the job, brings a 182-day notice rule. Have a lawyer confirm your deadline.
- A $1.5 million limit on noneconomic damages applies for claims arising on or after January 1, 2025. Medical malpractice and wrongful death sit under different rules, and the limit leaves medical bills, lost wages, and compensatory damages for physical impairment or disfigurement outside the limit in C.R.S. 13-21-102.5.
Who we represent
Who We Represent After a Lone Tree Burn
Burns at home, on the road, and from faulty products follow their own rules.
Kitchen and service workers burned on the job
Line cooks, prep cooks, dishwashers, baristas, servers, and hotel staff can work around fryers, ovens, steam wands, and hot water every shift. Colorado still allows a separate claim against a party outside your employment when its negligence or wrong caused the burn, and you can pursue it while also taking workers' compensation (C.R.S. 8-41-203(1)(a)).
Examples of an outside party include the manufacturer of a fryer with a faulty thermostat or a property owner who isn't your employer and lets a dangerous building condition stand.
Burns from a defective fryer, warmer or steam unit
When a piece of commercial or household equipment fails, a product liability claim can rest on negligence, strict liability, or other theories (C.R.S. 13-21-401(2)).
Under strict liability, the questions are whether the equipment had a defect and whether that defect caused the burn.
Delivery drivers and others burned in a crash
Food delivery and catering drivers spend shifts on the road. A crash burn can be part of a claim against a driver whose negligence caused the crash, alongside any workers' compensation benefits for an on-duty driver.
Burns at home or in a rental
Off the clock, a burn can come from a rental unit's wiring, a scalding water heater, or a gas appliance the landlord didn't repair. Colorado's premises statute reaches the person legally responsible for a property's condition, and that can be a landlord.
Your status is up to a court, based on the facts. An invitee's claim can generally reach hazards a landlord knew of or reasonably should have known of, and a licensee's claim generally needs proof the landlord actually knew.
The law that governs your case
The Colorado Rules That Apply to a Lone Tree Burn
Property owners' duties under C.R.S. 13-21-115
The Premises Liability Act looks first at why the injured person was on the property, then assigns one of three statuses: trespasser, licensee, or invitee.
An invitee is a person who is present to do business that interests both sides or who enters because the owner indicated that the public was expected. A social guest counts as a licensee under the Act.
An invitee gets the most protection, covering both what the owner knew and what the owner should have known. A licensee generally needs to show actual knowledge of the danger (C.R.S. 13-21-115(4)(b)). Under C.R.S. 13-21-115(4)(c)(II), actual knowledge is also the invitee's standard on land classified for property tax purposes as agricultural or vacant.
Status is a question for the court, answered from the facts (C.R.S. 13-21-115(6)).
Shared fault under C.R.S. 13-21-111
In a negligence case, Colorado compares the injured person's fault with the fault of the party being sued. A smaller share lets you recover, reduced by that share. An equal or bigger share leads to judgment for the defendant.
Consider a restaurant customer burned by a patio heater that the owner knew was leaking gas. If a jury found the customer 10 percent at fault for moving the heater and the owner 90 percent at fault, the customer's damages would be reduced by 10 percent.
Noneconomic damages and the $1.5 million limit
Losses like pain and suffering, inconvenience, and emotional stress are subject to a $1.5 million noneconomic limit for claims arising on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5). Medical malpractice and wrongful death claims follow different rules. The amount is adjusted for inflation starting January 1, 2028.
Medical bills and lost wages aren't noneconomic damages, so this limit doesn't cap them.
Colorado law also keeps compensatory damages for physical impairment or disfigurement outside the section's limits (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5)).
A cook who can no longer grip a pan may have damages for physical impairment, and scarring may be compensated as disfigurement.
Filing deadlines
- Two years generally applies to tort claims, including negligence and premises claims (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(a)) and strict liability product claims (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(b)).
- Three years is the vehicle rule: tort claims arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle generally have three years (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). For a strict liability claim against whoever built a defective vehicle part, two years generally remains the limit (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)(II)).
- 182 days is the notice period for a claim against a public entity or one of its employees on the job, counted from the day you discover the injury. It runs even if you don't know every element of the claim yet, and a missed notice ends the claim (C.R.S. 24-10-109).
Colorado generally starts the two-year and three-year periods when you learned, or reasonably should have learned, that you were injured and what caused the injury, under C.R.S. 13-80-108. If the person burned is a child, separate rules can change the timing. A lawyer should confirm the deadline in your case.
Local knowledge
Lone Tree's Court, Trauma Center and Fire District
The City of Lone Tree was incorporated in 1995 and is one of the local governments in Douglas County.
Trauma center
HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge sits at 10101 RidgeGate Pkwy in Lone Tree. The Colorado health department's designated trauma facility list shows it as Level II. Your treatment records from that first visit onward help document the burn's depth, size, and location.
Fire district
Lone Tree appears in South Metro Fire Rescue's list of the cities that the agency serves. You can make records requests that aren't medical through its records request page, and a fire report may help show how a kitchen fire started.
Our office
CGH Injury Lawyers doesn't have a Lone Tree office. Our office is in Denver.
Why CGH
How We Build a Lone Tree Burn Claim
We don't publish burn settlement figures. What a claim is worth depends on the burn and on what it has taken from your work and your life.
Looking for outside parties
Workers' compensation may cover part of a workplace burn. We look at who else may be responsible, such as the company that built the fryer. When a fault argument comes up, fire origin analysis, maintenance records and expert testimony are the tools we use to answer it.
Measuring what the burn will cost later
A cook with grafts on both hands may not return to the line. We work alongside medical economists, burn surgeons, and vocational experts to put together a Life Care Plan that covers future treatment and lost earning ability.
Being straight with you
Should a claim against an outside party lack support in the facts or the law, we'll tell you so.
Trial preparation
Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). CGH Injury Lawyers, formerly Cheney Galluzzi & Howard, was founded in Denver in 2016 and prepares each case as if it will be tried.
After a burn injury
What to Do After a Burn at Work in Lone Tree
-
Get treated first
Call 911 in an emergency. Ask for copies of every discharge note.
-
Report the injury to your employer in writing
Include the date, the station or equipment involved, and what happened.
-
Note the equipment
Write down the brand and model of the fryer, oven, or steamer, and ask that it be kept as it is until it can be inspected.
-
Photograph what you can
Take pictures of the equipment, the floor, and your injury, and keep taking photos of the burn during healing.
-
Talk to a lawyer before a recorded statement
The fryer maker's insurer, or another company's, may reach out. Before you give a recorded statement to an insurance company, you can ask to speak with a lawyer first. We're at (303) 209-9395.
-
Keep a file
Store workers' compensation letters, medical bills, pay stubs, missed-shift records, and notes about pain and limits on what you can do.
Compensation
Compensation That May Be Available After a Lone Tree Burn
What you can recover depends on the facts and on whether the claim is against an outside party. Colorado's noneconomic limit applies to only some damages.
Economic damages
- Emergency and hospital care
- Grafts and future reconstructive procedures
- Wound care supplies and pressure garments
- Hand therapy and occupational therapy
- Psychological counseling
- Lost tips and wages, and lost future earning capacity
- Adaptive tools and home changes
Noneconomic damages
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Anxiety and emotional distress
- A spouse's claim for loss of consortium
- Losing activities you used to enjoy
Physical impairment and disfigurement
These compensatory damages sit outside the noneconomic limit (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5)).
When a government body is the defendant, C.R.S. 24-10-114 sets the claim's own maximum amounts, recalculated by the Colorado Secretary of State on a four-year cycle.
Defenses insurers raise
What Insurers Argue After a Workplace Burn
-
"Workers' comp is your only remedy"
Against your employer, that's generally correct. Against an equipment maker or other outside party, Colorado allows a separate claim for damages beyond workers' compensation, subject to the insurer's possible right to be repaid from that recovery.
-
"You weren't following kitchen procedure"
In a negligence claim, shared fault reduces what you recover by your percentage and bars recovery when your share equals or exceeds the other side's. We look at what the equipment and the maintenance history actually show.
-
"The fryer was fine when it left the factory"
Whether the product was defective is a central question in a strict liability claim, and fire origin analysis and expert testimony can help answer it.
Who pays
Where Payment Can Come From After a Lone Tree Burn
- Workplace burn: workers' compensation may pay benefits. A claim against an outside company can add that company's insurance.
- Equipment defect: a fryer or steamer manufacturer is a possible defendant, with its own insurance.
- Delivery crash: coverage under the at-fault driver's auto liability policy is a starting point. If that driver's insurance falls short or doesn't exist, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage you carry may help.
- Rental or business property: the owner's or landlord's liability insurance may respond.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the deadline to act after a burn in Lone Tree?
The general limit for a tort claim is two years (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(a)). A public entity, or one of its employees on the job, adds a 182-day notice rule of its own (C.R.S. 24-10-109). A crash on a delivery run can change the two-year figure, since tort claims arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle generally have three years (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). Have your deadline confirmed by a lawyer.
Which court would hear a burn case from Lone Tree?
Lone Tree is in Douglas County, part of the 23rd Judicial District, and the Douglas County Courthouse is at 4000 Justice Way, Ste. 2009, Castle Rock. The facts of the case decide which court is proper.
Can I recover for scarring, or is it capped?
Scarring may be compensated as disfigurement, and the statute expressly leaves compensatory damages for disfigurement or physical impairment outside its limit (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5). For pain and other noneconomic losses, a $1.5 million cap governs claims arising on or after January 1, 2025. Medical malpractice and wrongful death cases have their own rules, and medical bills and lost wages aren't subject to that cap.
Can I recover if I was partly to blame?
In a negligence claim, yes, as long as your share of fault stays below the share of the party you're pursuing. The award drops by your percentage, and a share that matches or exceeds theirs means no recovery (C.R.S. 13-21-111).
Is workers' comp my only option after a burn at work?
Against your own employer, yes, generally (C.R.S. 8-41-102). When a company outside your employment caused the burn, such as an equipment manufacturer, you can accept workers' compensation benefits while separately pursuing that company for damages the benefits don't cover (C.R.S. 8-41-203).
Does CGH Injury Lawyers have an office in Lone Tree?
No. Our office is at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. Call (303) 209-9395.
A city vehicle or a problem on public property caused my burn. What changes?
When the responsible party may be a public entity, or one of its employees on the job, then written notice must be filed within 182 days after you discover the injury, even if pieces of the claim are still missing. Without it, C.R.S. 24-10-109 bars the claim forever. Claims against a government body also have their own maximum amounts (C.R.S. 24-10-114). More than one limitation rule can apply to a claim against a public entity, so have a lawyer confirm the deadline.
If I recover money from the fryer maker, can workers' comp take some of it back?
It may. Once workers' compensation benefits have been paid, the carrier that paid them may be entitled to reimbursement out of your recovery from the outside company (C.R.S. 8-41-203). How that works in your case depends on the benefits paid and the recovery, so it's worth discussing early.
Keep Reading
Related pages
Lone Tree
Statewide Practice Area
Denver Money Pages
It's More Than Money.
Speak With a Lone Tree Burn Injury Attorney
If you were burned on shift, call (303) 209-9395, or write to us using the contact page. We'll hear what happened on your shift, explain how Colorado law may apply, and tell you honestly what we think. Spanish-speaking callers can use (303) 835-9177.
We're based in Denver. Learn more on our Lone Tree personal injury lawyers page. A Colorado burn injury attorney page covers statewide rules, and the Denver burn injury lawyer page is another resource. For a rental burn or a delivery crash, see the pages for a Lone Tree premises liability lawyer and a Lone Tree car accident lawyer, which go into those claims in more depth.
CGH Injury Lawyers · 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205
Attorney Advertising. CGH Injury Lawyers.