Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
Burned because of someone else?
Leave your name and phone. We call back today, in English or Spanish. The consultation is free and confidential.
Free consultation · English y Español · No fees or costs unless we win
San Antonio is unusual because its ABA-verified burn center is run by the U.S. Army and treats civilians. This page explains that, along with the local courts, the 2026 North Side gas explosions and the deadlines that apply. For burn depth and how damages are calculated, see the main burn injury lawyer page, and for statewide rules see Texas burn injury law.
Bexar County courts
Bexar County’s district courts are in downtown San Antonio. The county directory lists most of them at 100 Dolorosa or 300 Dolorosa, along with the Chief Trial Assignment Clerk at 100 Dolorosa (Bexar County District Courts directory).
A burn lawsuit can be filed in Bexar County when the injury happened here or a defendant is based here. A case against a company from another state may be moved to federal court in San Antonio, and a claim against the United States follows federal rules described below.
The Army Burn Center and other burn care
The U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Burn Center, known as the Army Burn Center, is at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, the post that is also home to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC). The American Burn Association lists it as a verified burn center (USAISR; ABA directory). The Army says the Burn Center accepts military and civilian patients and treats civilian patients from across Texas (USAISR patient information). The same page says that in the Bexar County area, ambulances normally take patients with major burns to the Army Burn Center.
BAMC reports caring for more than 6,000 military and civilian trauma patients a year, including 750 burn patients, from an area of 22 counties in Southwest Texas with more than 2.8 million people (BAMC).
| Hospital | ABA burn status | Texas trauma level |
|---|---|---|
| USAISR Army Burn Center / Brooke Army Medical Center, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston | ABA-verified | Level I (Brooke Army Medical Center) |
| University Hospital (University Health) | Listed by the ABA as another burn center (not ABA-verified) | Level I |
| Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital burn program | Listed by the ABA as another burn center (not ABA-verified) | Level III (Methodist Hospital) |
Sources: ABA directory, Texas DSHS trauma facilities.
For a lawsuit, the hospital matters mostly because of the records. A civilian treated at the Army Burn Center has records held by a military hospital, so we ask for them early. Our burn center directory lists every verified center in Texas.
Free burn injury case review
Tell us what happened. We will tell you plainly whether there is a case and what to do next. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
The 2026 Preston Hollow Drive gas explosions
On April 21, 2026, at about 6:04 p.m., a natural gas-fueled explosion and fire damaged a house on Preston Hollow Drive on San Antonio’s North Side. About two hours later, while the emergency response was still underway, a second natural gas-fueled explosion and fire destroyed a house two doors away. Five residents were seriously injured, and a CPS Energy employee was hurt and later released. The NTSB says a CPS Energy employee had found a leak that evening in a service line to the house between the two homes (NTSB investigation PLD26FR006).
KSAT reported that the gas main and service lines on the street were installed in 1993 and that sections of pipe were sent to the NTSB laboratory (KSAT, May 21, 2026). The NTSB calls its information preliminary and has not determined a probable cause. If you were hurt in a gas explosion, the physical evidence is often in the utility’s hands, so a written request to preserve it should go out quickly. See our page on gas explosion burns.
Fires and burns at home in San Antonio
Most burns happen at home: 61% of burn incidents in the ABA’s burn center data occurred at private residences (ABA burn incidence fact sheet). In San Antonio, the Fire Department has also seen more fires in empty buildings. KSAT reported in September 2023 that vacant structures accounted for 16% of the 546 fires SAFD responded to in 2021, 26% in 2022 and 29% of fire calls through July 31, 2023 (KSAT). A fire that starts in a vacant property and spreads to an occupied home can raise a claim against the owner who left it open.
Hot liquids are the other common cause, especially for children. Our page on scald burns covers coffee, restaurant and bath-water scalds. For burns at work, including claims against contractors and equipment makers that Texas allows even when the employer has workers’ compensation (Labor Code § 417.001), see workplace and refinery burns.
Deadlines and Texas rules for a San Antonio burn claim
| Who may be responsible | First deadline | Law |
|---|---|---|
| A business, landlord, utility or manufacturer | Lawsuit within two years | CPRC § 16.003 |
| A Texas city, county or other governmental unit | Written notice within six months of the incident (a city charter can set its own period) | CPRC § 101.101 |
| The United States (for example, a federal agency or employee) | Written claim to the federal agency within two years; a lawsuit within six months after the agency mails a final denial | 28 U.S.C. § 2401(b) |
| Any defendant, when the injured person is a child | Time under age 18 is not counted for the state two-year period | CPRC § 16.001 |
Two more Texas rules affect what a case is worth. A jury that puts more than half of the responsibility on you ends the claim (CPRC § 33.001), and a smaller share lowers the award by that percentage (§ 33.012). Punitive damages, which Texas calls exemplary damages, need clear and convincing proof of fraud, malice or gross negligence (§ 41.003), and § 41.008 limits them to a formula based on the economic and noneconomic damages, with a $200,000 floor on the cap (§ 41.008).
San Antonio burn injury questions
Does the Army Burn Center treat civilians?
Yes. The Army says its Burn Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston accepts military and civilian patients and treats civilians from across Texas. It is the ABA-verified burn center in San Antonio.
Is University Health’s burn unit ABA-verified?
The American Burn Association lists University Health System and the Methodist burn program in San Antonio under “other burn centers,” not as verified centers. University Hospital is a Level I trauma facility on the Texas state list.
How long do I have after a burn in San Antonio?
Two years for most lawsuits under Texas law. A claim involving a city or county needs written notice within six months, or sooner under a city charter, and a claim against the federal government must be presented in writing to the agency within two years.
Can I sue after a house explosion if the cause is still under investigation?
Yes. You do not have to wait for the NTSB. Federal law keeps the Board’s report, with its probable-cause findings, out of civil damages cases (49 U.S.C. § 1154(b); 49 C.F.R. § 835.2), so the claim is built on the physical evidence and the utility’s records.
Who will handle my case?
Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Beverly Law is based in Los Angeles and meets San Antonio clients by phone or video, in English or Spanish.
Talk to a San Antonio burn injury lawyer
If you or your child was burned in San Antonio or anywhere in Bexar County, call Beverly Law at (310) 552-6959 for a free, confidential review in English or Spanish. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Ask a question
Not ready to call? Write your question and someone on our team will answer. No cost, no commitment.
Burn injury lawyer — Beverly Law
If you or your child was burned because of someone else in California, Texas and Washington, talk to a burn injury attorney. Free, confidential, English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Related pages
Sources
- bexar.org/m/directory/department
- ameriburn.org/burn-care-team/resources/find-a-burn-center
- usaisr.health.mil/index.cfm/media/news/2022/USAISR_burn_center_earns_prestigi
- usaisr.health.mil/index.cfm/burn_center/patients
- bamc.tricare.mil/News-Gallery/Articles/Article/4362317/bamc-provides-compreh
- dshs.texas.gov/dshs-ems-trauma-systems/trauma-system-development/texas-tra
- ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/PLD26FR006.aspx
- ksat.com/news/local/2026/05/21/ntsb-releases-initial-findings-of-inv
- ksat.com/news/ksat-investigates/2023/09/13/san-antonio-fire-departme
- ameriburn.org/resources/burn-incidence-fact-sheet/
- govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title28/html/USCODE-2023-title28-pa
- govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title49/html/USCODE-2023-title49-su
- ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-835/section-8
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.16.htm
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.16.htm
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.33.htm
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.33.htm
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.41.htm
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.41.htm
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.101.htm
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/LA/htm/LA.417.htm
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.