Burn injury in Tucson: where to get care, who investigates, who pays
Banner University Medical Center Tucson has a burn unit and a Burn and Complex Wound Care Clinic. Chemical and electrical burns are 911 calls. Pain is a poor guide, because the deepest burns can feel like nothing. A burn suit would be filed in Pima County Superior Court, and the deadline is 2 years.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (34)
Where do I get burn care in Tucson?
Banner University Medical Center Tucson sits at 1625 N. Campbell Ave. and has a burn unit and a Burn and Complex Wound Care Clinic. It lists skin grafting, wound care, critical care and plastic surgery for scar repair, for thermal, chemical and electrical burns. It is also one of two state-designated Level I trauma centers here.
Urgent care helps prevent scarring, disability and deformity. Scarring after a burn can limit movement, which doctors call contracture.
For chemical or medicine exposure, the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center answers free and in confidence at 1-800-222-1222, all day, every day.
Who looks into a burn in Tucson, and what should I save?
| How you were burned | Local office or record | What to save |
|---|---|---|
| House or apartment fire | Tucson Fire takes fire report requests by online form or at [email protected]. Allow 30 business days. | The fire report, photos of the smoke detector, the lease |
| Car fire | Tucson Fire takes car fire record requests the same way. | The car, if you still have it, and the tow records |
| Phone, e-bike or scooter battery | Tucson Fire says a small number of lithium-ion batteries are defective and can catch fire. | The battery, charger and receipt. Do not throw them away. |
| Hot water or a heater in a rental | Tucson Code Enforcement, (520) 791-5843. | Photos, the lease, texts asking for repairs |
| Job site | ADOSH Tucson, (520) 628-5478. Workers' comp claims go to the Industrial Commission, 2675 East Broadway. | The injury report and who was on shift |
What if I was burned in a Tucson rental?
Tucson requires working smoke detectors in every existing dwelling unit, and electrical facilities kept hazard-free and in good repair. Arizona landlords must make all needed repairs, and a lease cannot excuse a landlord's legal liability.
Scalds are a quiet risk. Water at 140 degrees burns skin in 6 seconds, and at 130 degrees in 30 seconds. If the water heater was set too hot and you asked for a fix, keep the message. Photograph the burn every day as it changes.
Who pays for burn care in Tucson?
A Tucson hospital or ambulance company that treated you can claim a lien on your recovery. If the burn happened at work, file the comp claim within one year. The Industrial Commission charges no fee to process it. and know that you may also sue someone outside the job, also within one year or the claim moves to the insurer.
Arizona jury instructions list medical costs, lost earnings, and pain, disability, disfigurement and anxiety. Arizona does not cap what you can recover.
How long do I have to file a burn injury claim in Tucson?
- Lawsuit against a person or business: generally 2 years.
- Claim against a city or county: 180 days.
- Child burned: time under 18 does not count toward the deadline.
Questions
Do I need to keep the battery that burned me?
Yes. It is the main evidence. Tucson Fire says to stop using a battery with an odor, color change, too much heat, a change in shape, leaks or odd noises. Store it somewhere safe, away from anything that burns.
Are burn settlements taxable?
Not for a physical injury in general, so a burn settlement is usually not taxed, unless you deducted medical costs earlier. Ask a tax preparer.
Why is a pain-free burn a bad sign?
A burn that does not hurt can still be a deep one. Get seen anyway.
How long does a trial take?
Jury trials averaged 27 months in the national figures we use.
Burn injury in Tucson? See if you are owed money.
A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
See if I’m owed moneySources (34)
- Banner Health, Banner University Tucson Burn Services, checked 2026-11-09. “burn unit at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and our Burn and Complex Wound Care Clinic”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “The burn is caused by chemicals or electricity.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “The most serious burns can be painless.”
- Pima County Superior Court, Contact, checked 2026-11-08. “110 West Congress Street”
- A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, checked 2026-11-09. “Burns will also occur with a six-second exposure to 140 degree water or with a thirty second exposure to 130 degree water.”
- City of Tucson Fire Department, Lithium Ion Battery Safety, checked 2026-11-09. “Stop using the battery if you notice these problems: odor, change in color, too much heat, change in shape, leaking or odd noises.”
- City of Tucson Fire Department, Request Fire Records, checked 2026-11-09. “Allow 30 business days to process your request.”
- Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “1625 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719 11/11/24 11/11/27”
- Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital 350 N. Wilmot Rd., Tucson, AZ 85718 01/14/25 01/14/28”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Major burns need urgent medical care. This can help prevent scarring, disability, and deformity.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Scarring after traumatic injury or burns”
- Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, checked 2026-11-09. “1-800-222-1222 - Free - Confidential 24 Hours a Day - 7 Days a Week”
- City of Tucson Fire Department, Lithium Ion Battery Safety, checked 2026-11-09. “Like any product, a small number of these batteries are defective which can also cause them to catch fire.”
- City of Tucson, Code Enforcement, checked 2026-11-09. “Hours: Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone: (520) 791-5843”
- ADOSH, How to Report a Workplace Fatality, checked 2026-11-08. “Tucson Office at (520) 628-5478”
- Industrial Commission of Arizona, Claims Division, checked 2026-11-08. “Tucson Office: 2675 East Broadway Tucson, AZ 85716”
- Tucson City Code 16-11, checked 2026-11-09. “Every existing dwelling unit shall be provided with smoke detectors in good operating condition”
- Tucson City Code 16-11, checked 2026-11-09. “are to be maintained hazard-free and in a state of good repair.”
- A.R.S. 33-1324, checked 2026-11-09. “Make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.”
- A.R.S. 33-1315, checked 2026-11-09. “Agrees to the exculpation or limitation of any liability of the landlord arising under law”
- A.R.S. § 33-931, checked 2026-11-09. “is entitled to a lien for the care and treatment or transportation of an injured person”
- A.R.S. § 23-1061(A), checked 2026-11-08. “no claim for compensation shall be valid or enforceable unless the claim is filed with the commission by the employee, or if resulting in death by the parties entitled to compensation, or someone on their behalf, in writing within one year after the injury occurred or the right thereto accrued.”
- Industrial Commission of Arizona, Injured Worker, checked 2026-11-08. “does not charge a fee to process a workplace injury claim”
- A.R.S. § 23-1023(A), checked 2026-11-08. “by the negligence or wrong of another person not in the same employ, the injured employee, or in event of death the injured employee's dependents, may pursue the injured person's remedy against the other person.”
- A.R.S. § 23-1023(B), checked 2026-11-08. “do not pursue a remedy pursuant to this section against the other person by instituting an action within one year after the cause of action accrues [...] the claim against the other person is deemed assigned to the insurance carrier or self-insured employer”
- Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Civil), Personal Injury Damages 1, checked 2026-11-09. “Reasonable expenses for necessary medical care, treatment, and services already incurred and reasonably probable to be incurred in the future.”
- Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Civil), Personal Injury Damages 1, checked 2026-11-09. “Lost earnings to date, and any decrease in earning power or capacity in the future.”
- Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Civil), Personal Injury Damages 1, checked 2026-11-09. “The pain, discomfort, suffering, disability, disfigurement, and anxiety already experienced, and reasonably probable to be experienced in the future.”
- Arizona Constitution, art. 18, sec. 6, checked 2026-11-09. “the amount recovered shall not be subject to any statutory limitation”
- A.R.S. § 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
- A.R.S. 12-502, checked 2026-11-09. “the period of such disability shall not be deemed a portion of the period limited for commencement of the action”
- IRS Publication 4345, checked 2026-11-09. “did not take an itemized deduction for medical expenses related to the injury or sickness in prior years, the full amount is non-taxable”
- U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Civil Bench and Jury Trials in State Courts, 2005, checked 2026-11-09. “the processing of a case required an additional half year for a jury trial (27 months), compared to a bench trial (21 months)”