Spokane Burn Injury Lawyer

By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.

The biggest difference for a Spokane burn is distance: Washington’s only ABA-verified burn center is in Seattle, so a severely burned patient from Spokane can be stabilized here and then transferred across the state, as the cases below show. This page explains what that means for a claim, along with the local courts, documented Spokane fires and the Washington rules that apply. For burn depth and graft surgery, see our main burn injury lawyer page, and for statewide rules see Washington burn injury law.

Spokane County courts

Spokane County Superior Court is at 1116 W. Broadway Ave. in Spokane, and the County Clerk is in Room 300 at the same address (Washington Courts directory). Washington district courts can hear injury claims only when the claim does not exceed $100,000 per claimant (RCW 3.66.020), so a larger burn claim is filed in Superior Court.

From Sacred Heart to Harborview

Spokane has state-designated trauma hospitals, and the ABA directory lists no burn center in Spokane. The only Washington burn center the American Burn Association lists as verified is the UW Medicine Regional Burn Center at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, which serves burn patients from Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (ABA directory; UW Medicine Regional Burn Center).

Source: Washington DOH trauma list, May 2026.

Spokane fire records show how this works. On December 15, 2019, Spokane Fire Department crews responded to an explosion and vehicle fire involving a recreational vehicle near 2nd and Cedar in Browne’s Addition. A man in his 50s suffered critical burns. He was taken to Sacred Heart and, after he was stabilized, transferred to the burn unit at Harborview in Seattle. The fire department ruled the fire accidental, caused by attempted engine repairs (Spokane Fire Department, December 15, 2019).

For a claim, a transfer means two hospital records, a flight or ambulance bill, and family members who travel or relocate to Seattle for weeks. Those costs are part of the damages. Follow-up care, including scar treatment and therapy, may also mean repeat trips. Our Seattle burn injury page covers Harborview in more detail, and the burn center directory lists verified centers in each state we cover.

Apartment fires and wildfires around Spokane

GoGo Heights apartments, June 2021. A fire at the GoGo Heights apartments in north Spokane, near Colton and Wedgewood, sent at least seven people to hospitals. One man was flown to Harborview. A mother who helped two of her children leap from a third-floor window to neighbors below hurt her leg and was hospitalized; the children were not injured. The cause was under investigation when the Spokesman-Review reported it (The Spokesman-Review, June 20, 2021). Apartment fire claims can turn on smoke alarms, exits and building maintenance.

The August 2023 fires. The Gray Fire near Medical Lake and Four Lakes and the Oregon Road Fire burned in Spokane County at the same time, and the state Department of Natural Resources said each had burned more than 10,000 acres. A sheriff’s spokesman said one person died in the Oregon Road Fire, and another death was reported in the Gray Fire (ABC7, August 21, 2023).

Statewide, the State Fire Marshal counted 72 fire deaths in Washington in 2024, and 51% of them happened in residential occupancies, including single-family homes, multi-family buildings and manufactured homes. The same report’s list of fires that killed more than one person includes an April 2024 single-family home fire in Spokane County that killed two adults and two children, and an October 2024 recreational vehicle fire in the county that killed two adults (2024 Fire in Washington Report).

Scalds and work burns

Scalds can be as serious as flame burns. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says burns can occur after six seconds in 140°F water or thirty seconds at 130°F (CPSC Publication 5098). A landlord, care facility or restaurant that lets water or food get that hot can be responsible. See scald burns.

Workers burned on the job in Washington are generally limited to workers’ compensation against their own employer, but they can sue a third party who was not in the same employ, such as a contractor, an equipment maker or a property owner (RCW 51.24.030). See workplace and refinery burns.

Washington rules for a Spokane burn case

Since punitive damages are generally off the table in Washington, the value of a Spokane burn case depends on proving every part of the harm: the Harborview stay, future surgeries, lost work and what the scars mean for daily life.

Spokane burn injury questions

Where are severe burns from Spokane treated?

A patient may be stabilized at a Spokane trauma hospital such as Providence Sacred Heart and then transferred, as in the 2019 Browne’s Addition RV fire, to the UW Medicine Regional Burn Center at Harborview in Seattle, the only Washington burn center the American Burn Association lists as verified.

Can I include travel to Seattle in my claim?

The costs a burn forces on you, including medical transport and the expense of treatment far from home, are part of the economic damages you can claim. Keep receipts, mileage and lodging records from the start.

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

Three years from the injury under RCW 4.16.080(2). A claim against the City of Spokane, Spokane County or another local government requires a written claim first and a 60-day wait before suit.

Can I sue my landlord after an apartment fire?

Possibly, if the fire or your injuries were caused by the landlord’s failure to keep the building safe, such as missing smoke alarms, blocked exits or faulty wiring. The fire investigation report and the building’s maintenance records are key evidence.

Do I need a lawyer whose office is in Spokane?

No. Michael Shemtoub holds a Washington law license, so he can handle a Spokane County case from Beverly Law’s Los Angeles office and meet clients by phone or video.

Talk to a Spokane burn injury lawyer

If you or your child was burned in Spokane or anywhere in Spokane County, call Beverly Law at (310) 552-6959 for a free, confidential review in English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.

Related pages

Burn Injury Lawyer

Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 6, 2026.