Seattle Burn Injury Lawyer

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

Seattle has the only ABA-verified burn center in Washington, and much of this page is about what that means for a case, along with the courthouse, the 2016 Greenwood gas explosion and the Washington rules that set a claim’s value. The medical background on burn depth and skin grafts is on our main burn injury lawyer page, and the statewide rules are on Washington burn injury law.

King County Superior Court

King County Superior Court is at 516 3rd Ave. in downtown Seattle, with the County Clerk in Room E609. The court also holds hearings at the Maleng Regional Justice Center, 401 4th Ave. N. in Kent (Washington Courts directory).

Harborview: the only verified burn center in Washington

The UW Medicine Regional Burn Center is at Harborview Medical Center, 325 9th Ave. It is verified by the American Burn Association and the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, and it is the only Washington center the ABA lists as verified (UW Medicine Regional Burn Center; ABA directory).

For a Seattle case, this means the burn records, the operative notes for grafts and the therapy records usually all come from one hospital system. It also means a patient burned elsewhere in Washington who needs a verified burn center may be treated far from home, and those travel and family costs belong in the claim. See our burn center directory for the verified centers in the other states we cover.

Seattle fires on the record

The Greenwood explosion, March 9, 2016. At 1:04 a.m. the Seattle Fire Department got a call about a gas leak in the 8400 block of Greenwood Avenue North. Firefighters traced it to a threaded coupling on the above-ground part of a line between the Mr. Gyros and Neptune Coffee buildings. The gas ignited at 1:43 a.m., injuring nine firefighters and causing extensive property damage, and gas kept leaking for nearly six hours after the explosion. Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) staff found the explosion would not have occurred but for Puget Sound Energy’s failure to properly disconnect and seal the line, which its 2004 records showed as cut and capped (WUTC staff investigation, Docket PG-160924). In June 2017 the WUTC approved a $2.75 million penalty, with $1.25 million suspended on the condition that PSE complete an inspection and remediation program for deactivated gas lines. The commission called it the highest it had imposed for a pipeline safety violation (WUTC Order 04). Our page on gas explosion burns covers these claims.

Seattle Fire Department, 2024. The department’s Fire Investigation Unit looked into the origin and cause of 260 fire incidents in 2024. It found 93 accidental and 107 intentionally set; 59 could not be determined and one had natural causes. There were eight fire-related deaths in the city that year. In June 2024 the city also gave the department authority to order dangerous vacant buildings fixed or demolished, after an increase in vacant building fires (SFD 2024 Annual Report).

Apartment fires are a separate concern. The State Fire Marshal’s 2024 list of fires that killed more than one person includes two multi-family home fires in King County, one in July that killed two adults and one in September that killed an adult, a child and a newborn (2024 Fire in Washington Report).

Scalds and workplace burns

Hot liquids burn faster than most people expect. The American Burn Association’s scald guide says water at 140°F causes a third-degree burn in adult skin in about 5 seconds (ABA scald guide). Scald claims in Seattle can come from coffee counters and from apartment water heaters set too hot. See scald burns.

A worker burned on the job in Washington can sue the employer only in the narrow case where the employer deliberately intended the injury (RCW 51.24.020), but can sue a third party who was not the worker’s employer, such as a general contractor’s subcontractor, an equipment maker or a property owner (RCW 51.24.030). See workplace and refinery burns.

Washington law for a Seattle burn claim

Because Washington generally does not allow punitive damages, a Seattle burn case is about full compensation: every future surgery, scar treatment, lost earnings and the pain of the injury itself. That puts more weight on documenting the long-term medical plan with the Harborview team.

Seattle burn injury questions

How long do I have to sue for a burn in Seattle?

Three years from the injury under RCW 4.16.080(2). If a city, county or other local government is involved, you must present a claim first and wait 60 days before filing suit. For a child, the three years generally do not run until age 18.

Is Harborview the only burn center in Washington?

It is the only Washington burn center the American Burn Association lists as verified. Harborview says its burn center treats patients from Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Montana.

Can I get punitive damages for a burn in Washington?

Generally no. The Washington Supreme Court has held that punitive damages are not allowed without express authorization from the Legislature. The case focuses on compensatory damages instead.

What if I was partly to blame for the fire?

Washington uses pure comparative fault. Your share of fault reduces your award by that percentage, but it does not bar recovery.

Is Michael Shemtoub licensed in Washington?

Yes. Michael Shemtoub is licensed in California and Washington, and Beverly Law meets Seattle clients by phone or video.

Talk to a Seattle burn injury lawyer

If you or your child was burned in Seattle or anywhere in King 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.