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Pueblo, Colorado. CGH Injury Lawyers represents burn injury victims in Pueblo and Pueblo County.
Pueblo, Pueblo County, Colorado

Pueblo Burn Injury Lawyers Who Look Past the First Hospital Bill

A serious burn in Pueblo is rarely a one-time expense. Grafts, scar treatment, therapy, and lost time at work can stretch across years, and a quick insurance offer may not account for much of that. CGH Injury Lawyers maps those future costs in a Life Care Plan and pursues every party responsible for them. We serve Pueblo and Pueblo County from our Denver office. No fee unless we win.

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Serving Pueblo 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
What you need to know first
  • The degree and location of a burn substantially affect the medical cost and the value of a claim. A third-degree burn requiring grafting is a different case, medically and legally, than a first-degree burn that heals without surgery. We work from your actual medical records, not an estimate.
  • Colorado caps non-economic damages, compensation for pain, suffering, and similar losses, at $1.5 million for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025, under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5. Claims that accrued earlier fall under a lower cap set by earlier law. Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement, which includes permanent scarring, is not subject to this cap.
  • Colorado's filing deadline depends on how the burn happened. Most personal injury lawsuits, including premises liability claims, must generally be filed within two years of the injury, under C.R.S. 13-80-102. A burn caused by a motor vehicle crash generally carries a longer, three-year deadline under C.R.S. 13-80-101. Claims against a manufacturer for a defective product carry their own two-year deadline. Claims against a government entity carry a separate, much shorter notice requirement. Because the right deadline depends on who is responsible and how the burn happened, we confirm your specific timeline before anything is filed.
Who we represent

Pueblo burn survivors and the people who care for them

Burn injuries in Pueblo happen in rental housing, at industrial and construction sites, on the highway, and when a product fails. Each situation can point to a different party who may be responsible, and Colorado law offers a way to pursue each of them.

Apartment and rental fire victims

Nearly four in ten occupied homes in Pueblo are rented, according to Census Bureau estimates for 2020 to 2024. When a landlord overlooks faulty wiring, fails to repair a dangerous water heater, or does not provide a smoke alarm required by the local fire or building code, a tenant who is burned may be able to pursue a claim under Colorado's Premises Liability Act (C.R.S. 13-21-115). The landlord's responsibility can depend on how much control it kept over the unit or the area where the fire began.

Workplace and industrial burn workers

If you were burned on the job, workers' compensation generally covers your medical care and pays part of your lost wages within set limits. Pain and suffering is not part of it, although a limited benefit for serious scarring can be. If a contractor, an equipment manufacturer, or a property owner other than your employer caused the burn, a separate third-party claim may reach losses that workers' compensation does not.

Vehicle crash burn injuries

Crashes on I-25, US 50, or Pueblo Boulevard can produce burns from fuel fires, electrical fires, or hot vehicle components. When another driver's negligence caused the collision, the burn is part of your injury claim against that driver, and a lawsuit over a motor vehicle crash generally must be filed within three years.

Defective product burn victims

Faulty space heaters, lithium-ion batteries, gas appliances, and industrial machines can all cause serious burns. Colorado's strict product liability rules generally spare you from proving the manufacturer was careless. The claim usually rests on showing that a defect made the product unreasonably dangerous and that the defect caused your burn. These claims generally carry a two-year filing deadline.

The law that governs your case

Colorado burn injury law and what it means in Pueblo

Four areas of Colorado law come up often in Pueblo burn claims. Working out which ones apply to what happened is one of the first steps in building the case.

Premises liability: C.R.S. 13-21-115

The Colorado Premises Liability Act measures a landowner's duty by the reason a person was on the property. Colorado courts have treated paying customers, and tenants in common areas, as invitees, the group owed the highest duty of care: reasonable care to guard against dangers the landowner knew about or should have known about. For a hazard inside a rental unit, the landlord's responsibility often depends on what control it kept, such as repair duties or the right to enter.

  • Scald burns from a water heater a landlord set or maintained
  • Rental fires tied to a smoke alarm that was missing or not working
  • Burns from outdated or poorly kept electrical systems

Comparative negligence: C.R.S. 13-21-111

Colorado permits recovery in a negligence or premises liability case when your share of fault is less than 50 percent, with your award reduced by that share. If a Pueblo landlord let a smoke alarm go dead and a pan was left cooking on the stove, fault could be divided, and you may still recover part of your damages. In a defective product case, your share of fault generally reduces the award without barring it. Insurers may try to inflate your percentage, and the evidence is how that gets challenged.

Non-economic damages cap: C.R.S. 13-21-102.5

Colorado caps pain, suffering, and other non-economic damages at $1.5 million in personal injury claims that arose on or after January 1, 2025, with inflation adjustments scheduled to begin in 2028. The cap does not limit compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5)), and economic losses such as medical bills, lost wages, and future care costs in a Life Care Plan are not subject to it. Claims against government entities, medical negligence claims, and wrongful death claims follow separate limits. In a serious burn case, the categories outside the cap can be a large part of the recovery, which is why a detailed Life Care Plan matters.

The filing deadline in Colorado

In Colorado, a burn injury lawsuit generally has to be filed within two years (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(a)). That period usually starts when you knew, or reasonably should have known, about both the injury and its cause (C.R.S. 13-80-108(1)). After a motor vehicle crash, a lawsuit against the driver generally has three years (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). A product claim against a manufacturer generally has two years (C.R.S. 13-80-106). If a government entity may be responsible, written notice of the claim is generally required within 182 days after the injury is discovered (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)). Children can have more time, depending on their age and whether a court has appointed a guardian or conservator. A missed deadline can end the claim, so confirm yours with an attorney.

Local knowledge

Pueblo burn cases: local trauma care, the Pueblo courthouse, and the city's highways

Pueblo lies in Pueblo County, and a burn case here depends on local facts: the hospital that treated you, the courthouse where a lawsuit may be filed, and the highways where a crash can start a fire. Here is the ground we work on.

Trauma Care

Parkview Medical Center and St. Mary-Corwin Hospital, Level III Trauma Centers

Parkview Medical Center, at 400 W. 16th St., and St. Mary-Corwin Hospital, at 1008 Minnequa Ave., are both Level III trauma centers on Colorado's list of designated trauma facilities. UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs is a Level I trauma center on the same list. Patients with severe burns may be transferred to a burn center verified by the American Burn Association; Colorado's verified burn centers are in the Denver area, at UCHealth's Burn and Frostbite Center in Aurora and HCA HealthONE Swedish in Englewood. Records from every facility that treats you form the foundation of your damages claim.

Courthouse

Pueblo Combined Court, 10th Judicial District

A Pueblo personal injury lawsuit above the county court limit is commonly filed at the Pueblo Combined Court in the Dennis Maes Judicial Building, 501 N. Elizabeth Street, Pueblo, CO 81003. The 10th Judicial District encompasses all of Pueblo County. Where a case is filed can also depend on where the parties are located. CGH handles Pueblo County cases directly.

High-Risk Roads

I-25, US 50, and Pueblo Boulevard (Colorado 45)

I-25 and US 50 are the major regional highways through Pueblo, and Pueblo Boulevard is Colorado 45. The 2025 Pueblo Area Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, published by the City of Pueblo, found that crashes on state highways accounted for 60 percent of fatal and serious injury crashes in Pueblo County from 2018 to 2023, and it flagged Pueblo Boulevard for a history of angle crashes at commercial driveways and non-signalized intersections. A collision that starts a fuel or electrical fire can add burn injuries to the harm of the crash itself.

Local Hazards

Industry, illegal fireworks, and dry-season fire danger

Pueblo has an estimated 110,404 residents, according to the Census Bureau's July 2025 figures, and its long-running steel industry remains part of the local economy. The Pueblo Fire Department provides firefighting and advanced life support emergency medical care, and its strategic plan notes a contract with American Medical Response for ambulance transport. In July 2025, Pueblo police and the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office reported seizing more than a metric ton of illegal fireworks, and in June 2026 the Sheriff put Stage 2 fire restrictions in place across Pueblo County because of extremely high fire danger.

Why CGH

Why Pueblo burn survivors choose CGH Injury Lawyers

We do not publish settlement numbers for burn injury cases. A burn claim's value depends on the depth and extent of the burn, where it is on the body, your age and line of work, and how fault is divided, so a figure from someone else's case says little about yours. What we can show you is how we handle the work.

The Framework

From diagnosis to damages

We link the medical classification of your burn to the legal strategy that fits it. The severity of the burn sets the scope of the Life Care Plan, and the Life Care Plan sets the scope of the demand.

Life Care Plans

Tomorrow's care, valued today.

An insurer's first look often stops at the emergency room bill and the first operation. A serious burn can also bring graft revisions years later, ongoing scar management, counseling, and lost earning capacity if scarring limits your work. We work with medical economists, burn surgeons, and vocational consultants to calculate the present value of that care and present it to every responsible party.

Pueblo County

Pueblo County cases, filed at the Dennis Maes Judicial Building.

The Pueblo Combined Court at 501 N. Elizabeth Street is where a Pueblo lawsuit is commonly filed. CGH handles Pueblo County cases directly.

Honest Case Review

Clear advice, even when it is not what you hoped.

If your situation falls within a legal defense, or the evidence cannot support a viable claim, we will tell you during the free consultation. We decline cases we cannot stand behind, and knowing early lets you plan your next step.

Trial-Ready

ABOTA advocate. 8 attorneys. Built for trial.

Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has tried over 25 cases to verdict. Insurers may treat a demand differently when they know the attorneys are ready to try the case in the 10th Judicial District. CGH, formerly Cheney Galluzzi & Howard, was founded in 2016. A licensed Colorado attorney handles every Pueblo burn case, fronts the case costs, and collects only if you recover.

Bilingual

Hablamos español.

Spanish-speaking staff and attorneys serve Pueblo's Spanish-speaking community.

After a burn injury

What to do after a burn injury in Pueblo

Your health comes first, and the evidence comes right after. Here is the path we follow with each Pueblo burn client.

  1. Get emergency care immediately

    Call 911 for a serious burn. Parkview Medical Center and St. Mary-Corwin Hospital are both state-designated Level III trauma centers in Pueblo, and patients with severe burns may be transferred to a higher-level trauma center or a verified burn center. Even a burn that looks minor can become infected, so get examined and keep records of every treatment from the start.

  2. Preserve the scene and the cause

    Photograph whatever caused the burn, your injuries, and the scene around it. Save any product or clothing involved. If a vehicle was part of it, do not let anyone repair or scrap it before it is inspected.

  3. Report the incident

    Make a report to the right party: the landlord or property manager after a rental fire, your employer after a workplace burn, or law enforcement after a crash. A written record made at the time is difficult for a responsible party to contradict later.

  4. Do not give a recorded statement to an insurer

    An adjuster may call soon after the incident. Your words can be recorded and used to reduce what the insurer pays. Speak with an attorney first. Call (303) 209-9395.

  5. We investigate and build the Life Care Plan

    We preserve evidence, consult fire-origin investigators and burn-care physicians, gather maintenance and code records, and work with medical economists to value the costs ahead, from graft revisions to lost earning capacity.

  6. Negotiate or file at the Pueblo Combined Court

    Many claims resolve once an insurer sees a documented Life Care Plan and counsel ready for trial. When an insurer refuses a fair resolution, we file suit, commonly at the Pueblo Combined Court, and prepare the case for trial.

Compensation

What compensation can a Pueblo burn injury claim include?

Colorado law sorts damages into two broad groups. How the limits apply to each group can decide whether a settlement reaches only the early medical bills or the full course of care.

Economic damages (not subject to the non-economic cap)

  • Emergency treatment, inpatient care, and intensive care
  • Debridement and skin graft surgery, including future revisions
  • Ongoing wound care, scar management, and compression garments
  • Physical and occupational therapy to reduce contractures
  • Counseling and mental health treatment
  • Wages lost during recovery and lower earning capacity
  • Home modifications and adaptive equipment

Non-economic damages (capped, with exceptions)

  • Pain and suffering (subject to the cap in C.R.S. 13-21-102.5)
  • Permanent scarring and disfigurement (not limited by the cap under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5))
  • Compensation for physical impairment (not limited by the cap)
  • Emotional distress and psychological injury
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Loss of consortium for a spouse or family member

Colorado caps non-economic damages at $1.5 million for personal injury claims that arose on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5), with inflation adjustments scheduled to begin in 2028. Economic losses such as medical bills and lost wages are not subject to that cap, and compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not limited by it (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5)). Government entities are subject to their own limits on total recovery. In a third- or fourth-degree burn case, the categories outside the cap can make up much of the recovery, which is why a Life Care Plan that documents future costs is central to the claim.

Defenses insurers raise

Common insurer arguments in Pueblo burn cases, and how we respond

Insurers tend to rely on the same few arguments to limit or deny burn claims. Knowing what Colorado law requires for each one helps a valid claim hold its ground.

  1. "You were comparatively at fault"

    An adjuster may exaggerate your share of fault to shrink the payment. In negligence and premises cases, Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111) allows recovery while your share of fault stays under 50 percent, reduced by that share. We answer inflated fault claims with fire-origin analysis, maintenance records, and testimony from qualified witnesses.

  2. "We only owe the emergency bill"

    An early offer may pay for today's treatment and skip the graft revision down the road, the scar care, the counseling, and the income you stand to lose. A Life Care Plan prepared with a medical economist spells out those future costs. We build that plan before sending the demand.

  3. "The property was posted" or "You were not an invitee"

    Under Colorado's Premises Liability Act (C.R.S. 13-21-115), a landowner's duty depends on why the injured person was on the property. Colorado courts have treated paying customers, and tenants in common areas, as invitees who are owed the highest duty. Inside a rented unit, the landlord's responsibility often depends on the control it kept, so a sign put up after the fact, or a claim that a tenant had no business in a shared space, may not settle the matter.

  4. "Workers comp is your only remedy"

    For an on-the-job injury, workers' compensation is generally the only claim available against an insured employer. A contractor, equipment manufacturer, subcontractor, or property owner that is not your employer may still face a separate third-party claim, and that claim can include losses such as pain and suffering that workers' compensation does not pay.

Who pays

Insurance in Pueblo burn injury cases

Which policy pays depends on how the burn happened. We track down every source of coverage that may apply so nothing is left on the table.

  • Apartment or rental fire: the landlord's liability policy may respond, and in some situations a renters policy may apply as well. A landlord with several rental properties in Pueblo may carry commercial coverage with higher limits than a basic homeowner policy.
  • Workplace burn: workers' compensation generally pays for medical care and part of lost wages within set limits, adds a limited benefit for serious scarring, and does not pay for pain and suffering. A third-party claim against a manufacturer or contractor can run alongside it.
  • Vehicle crash fire: the at-fault driver's auto liability policy is usually the first source. If that coverage is too low, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may add to it.
  • Defective product: the manufacturer, the distributor, and sometimes the retailer may each hold product liability coverage, so several policies may be available.
  • An insurer's goal is to pay as little as it can. Your attorney's job is to document the full loss and hold the insurer to its obligations, which is why representation from the first contact can matter.
Questions

Pueblo burn injury claims: frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a burn injury lawsuit in Pueblo?

A burn injury lawsuit in Colorado generally must be filed within two years (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(a)), a period usually counted from when you knew, or reasonably should have known, about the injury and its cause. After a motor vehicle crash, a lawsuit against the driver generally has three years (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). If a government entity may be responsible, the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act generally requires written notice within 182 days after the injury is discovered (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)), and missing that notice can bar the claim. A child may have additional time based on age and whether a court has appointed a guardian or conservator, while the 182-day government notice generally is not extended for minors. An attorney can confirm the deadline for your situation.

Where would a Pueblo burn injury lawsuit be filed?

A Pueblo personal injury lawsuit above the county court limit is commonly filed at the Pueblo Combined Court in the Dennis Maes Judicial Building, 501 N. Elizabeth Street, Pueblo, CO 81003, in Colorado's 10th Judicial District. Where a case is filed can also depend on where the parties are located. CGH handles Pueblo County cases directly, without referring your case to another firm.

Is there a cap on burn injury damages in Colorado?

For some damages, yes. In personal injury claims that arose on or after January 1, 2025, Colorado caps non-economic damages such as pain and suffering at $1.5 million (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5), with inflation adjustments scheduled to begin in 2028. Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not limited by that cap (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5)), and neither are economic losses such as medical bills and lost wages. Claims against government entities have separate limits on the total recovery. In a serious burn case, the uncapped categories can be the largest part of the recovery.

Can I still recover if I was partly responsible for the burn?

Often, yes. In negligence and premises liability cases, Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111) allows recovery when your share of fault is less than 50 percent, and the award is reduced by that share. At 50 percent or more, recovery is barred. In a defective product case, your share of fault generally reduces the award without barring it. Insurers may overstate an injured person's fault, and evidence is how that gets challenged.

Which hospitals treat serious burns in Pueblo?

Parkview Medical Center, at 400 W. 16th St., and St. Mary-Corwin Hospital, at 1008 Minnequa Ave., are both Level III trauma centers on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's list of designated trauma facilities. UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs is a Level I trauma center on the same list. For severe burns, as of September 2026 the American Burn Association lists two verified burn centers in Colorado: UCHealth's Burn and Frostbite Center on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora and HCA HealthONE Swedish in Englewood. Hold on to every record, from the ambulance report to each follow-up appointment, since together they show the true extent of the injury.

Can I hold my landlord responsible for a burn injury in a Pueblo rental?

In many cases, yes. Under Colorado's Premises Liability Act (C.R.S. 13-21-115), a landlord can be responsible for dangers it knew about or should have known about in areas it controls, such as shared hallways, stairwells, and parking lots. For a hazard inside your unit, responsibility often depends on how much control the landlord kept, such as repair duties and the right to enter. A landlord who supplied a defective appliance, let wiring deteriorate, or left a code-required smoke alarm missing or broken may be held responsible when a burn follows. The key questions are usually what the landlord knew, what it did, and whether that failure caused the burn.

I was burned at work in Pueblo. Can I sue the maker of the equipment?

Possibly. Workers' compensation is generally the only claim available against an insured employer, so suing your own employer for negligence is usually not possible. When an equipment manufacturer, subcontractor, or property owner that is not your employer contributed to the burn, a separate third-party claim may be available. For defective equipment, Colorado's strict product liability rules generally do not require proof that the manufacturer was careless, though the manufacturer may raise defenses such as unforeseeable misuse. That kind of claim can reach losses workers' compensation does not pay, including pain and suffering.

Does CGH Injury Lawyers have an office in Pueblo?

No. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Pueblo and Pueblo County from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We handle Pueblo County cases directly and meet Pueblo clients at our Denver office or another convenient location, including by phone or video. Call (303) 209-9395 to schedule a free consultation.

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It's More Than Money.

A burn injury can follow you for years. We build a claim around the long-term cost.

Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving Pueblo and Pueblo County from our Denver office.

Tell us what happened

100% confidential. No fee unless we win.

Call (303) 209-9395 Get my free burn injury case review

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CGH Injury Lawyers · 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205