Find a burn injury lawyer in Midland: care, fire reports and who pays
For a serious burn from Midland, a verified regional burn center is UMC's Timothy J. Harnar Burn Center in Lubbock, one of only four American Burn Association verified centers in Texas. To get a Midland fire report, file a public information request online with the city. Most suits are due 2 years after the injury.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (30)
Where do people burned in Midland get specialized care?
Midland Fire medics answer burn emergencies in the city and across the county. Midland Memorial's emergency department is a Level III trauma center. For a major burn, the regional option is the UMC Timothy J. Harnar Burn Center in Lubbock, an American Burn Association verified center. Its phone number is 806-761-0293.
How serious is a burn, and when is it an emergency?
| Sign | What it means |
|---|---|
| Blisters across both skin layers | A partial-thickness burn |
| White or blackened skin, maybe numb | A full-thickness burn that reaches the deep skin layers |
| Burn on the hands, feet, face, groin, buttocks or a major joint | Treated as a major burn |
| Burn from chemicals or electricity | Call 911 |
| Smoke, steam or fumes breathed in | The airway can burn too |
Do not judge by pain, because the worst burns may not hurt. Getting urgent care for a major burn can help prevent scarring, disability and deformity. Watch for pus, fever, more pain or red streaks spreading from the burn. Those are signs of infection.
What causes burns in Midland that lead to claims?
- Faulty space heaters, furnaces or industrial equipment.
- Hot tap water. A six-second exposure to 140 degree water can burn.
- Grills on apartment patios. The city says most patios and balconies lack the clearance the fire code requires for open flame cooking.
- Work. Texas gives lifetime income benefits for third-degree burns over at least 40 percent of the body that need grafting. A private employer may have chosen no comp coverage.
How do you get a fire report in Midland?
- File a public information request online with the City of Midland.
- Call the Fire Marshal's Office at 432-685-7333 to ask who investigated.
- Photograph the burn, the scene and the item that failed. Do not repair or throw out the item.
- Write down the date and hour you were treated, and keep each discharge paper.
Midland's Fire Marshal's office has seven certified fire inspectors and arson investigators. It also does fire and life safety inspections, and home inspections on request.
What can a burn claim cover in Texas?
Scarring after a burn can limit movement. That is called contracture. Medical bills are limited to the amounts paid or owed. Pay you will lose in the future is figured after income tax.
Punitive damages are rare. A Texas jury can award them only with clear and convincing proof of fraud, malice or gross negligence. Even then, the cap is two times economic damages plus up to $750,000 of noneconomic damages, or $200,000.
How long do you have to file a burn injury claim in Midland?
Burn suits are usually due within two years. If a government unit is involved, notice is due in six months. A claim against the City of Midland needs written notice in 60 days.
Questions
Do I need to go to Lubbock for a burn?
Not for a small burn, but major burns may need a burn center. Midland Memorial is a Level III trauma center, and the Lubbock burn center is at 806-761-0293.
Who investigates a fire in Midland?
The Fire Marshal's Office, 432-685-7333, has certified fire inspectors and arson investigators.
Can I claim for a burn I got on a job?
Yes, through workers' comp, or by suing the employer if it chose no coverage. The claim form is due within one year.
Burn injury in Midland? See if you are owed money.
A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
See if I’m owed moneySources (30)
- UMC Health System, checked 2026-11-09. “Timothy J. Harnar Regional Burn Center is one of only four American Burn Association (ABA) verified burn centers in Texas”
- City of Midland Fire FAQ, checked 2026-11-09. “How do I obtain a fire or accident report? To make a public information request for access records, please file a request online.”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- 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.”
- City of Midland, About MFD, checked 2026-11-08. “provides fire protection and emergency medical services”
- Texas DSHS Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-09. “MIDLAND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PROBATIONARY 10/1/2029 TSA - J MIDLAND 79701”
- UMC Health System, checked 2026-11-09. “Phone: 806.761.0293”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Partial-thickness burns (formerly known as second-degree burns) affect both the outer and underlying layer of skin.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Full-thickness burns (formerly known as third-degree burns) affect the deep layers of skin.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Second-degree burns on the hands, feet, face, groin, buttocks, or over a major joint”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “You can also burn your airways if you breathe in smoke, steam, superheated air, or chemical fumes”
- 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. “Red streaks spreading from the burn”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Faulty space heaters, furnaces, or industrial equipment”
- 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 Midland FAQ, checked 2026-11-09. “Most apartment patios and balconies do not permit the required clearance.”
- Texas Labor Code § 408.161, checked 2026-11-09. “third degree burns that cover at least 40 percent of the body and require grafting”
- Texas Labor Code 406.002, checked 2026-11-09. “an employer may elect to obtain workers' compensation insurance coverage”
- Midland Fire Marshal's Office, checked 2026-11-09. “contact the Fire Marshal's office at 432-685-7333”
- City of Midland, checked 2026-11-09. “The Midland Fire Marshal's office has a staff of seven certified Fire Inspectors/Fire and Arson investigators and one secretarial position.”
- Midland Fire Marshal's Office, checked 2026-11-09. “This office conducts numerous fire and life safety inspections every year and is available by request to conduct home inspections.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Scarring after traumatic injury or burns”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.0105, checked 2026-11-09. “recovery of medical or health care expenses incurred is limited to the amount actually paid or incurred by or on behalf of the claimant”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 18.091, checked 2026-11-09. “must be presented in the form of a net loss after reduction for income tax payments or unpaid tax liability”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.003, checked 2026-11-09. “exemplary damages may be awarded only if the claimant proves by clear and convincing evidence”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.008, checked 2026-11-09. “two times the amount of economic damages; plus (B) an amount equal to any noneconomic damages found by the jury, not to exceed $750,000; or (2) $200,000”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
- City of Midland Charter, Sec. 8, checked 2026-11-08. “duly verified within sixty days after the same has been sustained”
- TDI, DWC Form-041, checked 2026-11-08. “within one year of the dat”