Lawyers in the burns unit - a review of pro bono legal services provided for patients with burn injury.

StudyBurns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries· Jun 2026

Lawyers in the burns unit - a review of pro bono legal services provided for patients with burn injury.

Justine V Sullivan, Ben Rogers, Kara M Smith … Odhran P Shelley

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Burns & Wound ReconstructionStudyClinical practiceQ1IF 2.3

Settled compensation claims from a burns unit legal service topped £3.7 million.

Lawyers in the burns unit - a review of pro bono legal services provided for patients with burn injury.

Justine V Sullivan … Odhran P Shelley

Burns · Jun 2026 · Q1 in Surgery

Purpose

We present a review of a pro bono legal service provided to patients treated at a regional burns centre in the United Kingdom for the period between October 2012 and October 2019.

£3.7 million

Results

£3.7 million

recovered patients over £3.7 million in settled compensation claims

n = 108 patient

More results

DATA SOURCES: A solicitor, supported by a paralegal, was available to give pro bono advice to any patient attending the burns service.

DATA SELECTION: The pro bono legal service has advised on 108 patient cases since this service began in October 2012 and has provided more than 2100 h of solicitors' time.

More results

DATA EXTRACTION: 777 h were spent on non-compensation advice given on welfare benefits and insurance.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

This review shows a likely benefit to patients from pro bono legal advice available in a burns unit setting.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

It also showed the significant financial gain to the government and potentially the NHS when a compensation claim was made by a patient.

Lawyers in the burns unit - a review of pro bono legal services provided for patients with burn injury.

Lawyers in the burns unit - a review of pro bono legal services provided for patients with burn injury.

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