If you or a family member received burn treatment at the University of Colorado Hospital Burn Center on the Anschutz Medical Campus, your medical records document the full severity of your injuries in precise clinical detail. Those records — burn depth assessments, total body surface area calculations, surgical logs, and rehabilitation notes — are critical evidence in a burn injury claim, and Colorado's 2-year statute of limitations means the time to act is now.
The University of Colorado Hospital Burn Center, part of UCHealth and located on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, is the Rocky Mountain region's leading ABA-verified burn treatment program. Anchoring one of the largest academic medical campuses in the country, the burn center serves as the referral destination for the most severe and complex burn injuries from across Colorado, Wyoming, and neighboring states — an enormous catchment area that spans the energy fields of the Front Range, the mining districts of the mountains, and the fast-growing metro corridor from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs.
The center provides the full continuum of acute burn care: fluid resuscitation and critical care management of large-surface burns, serial debridement and skin grafting, inhalation injury treatment, and long-term multidisciplinary reconstruction and rehabilitation. Its affiliation with the University of Colorado School of Medicine brings academic-grade resources to patient care and documentation, producing clinical records that are among the most thorough and scientifically detailed available anywhere in the region.
Aurora's location on the eastern edge of the Denver metro places the burn center at the crossroads of Colorado's most hazardous industrial environments — the Denver-Julesburg oil and gas basin to the north, the aerospace and defense corridor around Buckley Space Force Base, and a construction sector expanding as fast as any in the nation. This industrial profile generates a wide range of burn hazard categories, many involving sophisticated regulatory frameworks and third-party liability exposure.
Colorado's economy encompasses several industries that generate serious and legally significant burn hazards. The oil and gas fields of Weld County and the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin — among the most active in the country — expose drilling crews, completion workers, and production operators to flash fires, separator explosions, and hydrogen sulfide hazards. The Front Range construction boom, driven by relentless population growth across the Denver-Aurora metro, puts thousands of workers around welding, torch cutting, and electrical arc-flash risk every day. And Colorado's intensifying wildfire seasons expose outdoor workers and residents across the state to direct flame and smoke inhalation injuries.
Aurora's own economy — dominated by the Anschutz Medical Campus, the aerospace and defense cluster near Buckley Space Force Base, and heavy logistics along the I-70 and E-470 corridors — adds electrical, chemical, and vehicle-fire hazards to the regional risk profile. The following categories account for a large share of the serious burn cases treated at the University of Colorado Hospital Burn Center:
Colorado maintains a workers' compensation system that provides medical benefits and partial wage replacement to most injured workers. Workers' comp does not compensate for pain and suffering, disfigurement, or the full scope of permanent disability, and it generally limits your right to sue your direct employer. It does not, however, bar claims against third parties whose negligence caused or contributed to your burn injury. Colorado's tort law framework supports civil claims against:
Colorado's statute of limitations for personal injury claims is 2 years from the date of injury under C.R.S. § 13-80-102. Colorado follows a modified comparative fault system under C.R.S. § 13-21-111: you may recover damages as long as your share of fault does not reach 50%, with your award reduced proportionally by your percentage of fault. If you are found 50% or more at fault, you are barred from recovery. Claims against Colorado governmental entities require a notice of claim within 182 days under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act. COSH state-plan inspection records and citations following a serious workplace burn are admissible evidence of negligence in third-party civil litigation.
ABA-verified burn centers affiliated with major research universities produce the most thorough and legally valuable clinical documentation available. Records from the University of Colorado Hospital Burn Center typically include:
Your attorney will obtain these records with your written authorization and use them as the core of your damages presentation. An experienced Colorado burn injury attorney understands how to read, analyze, and leverage the burn center's clinical documentation — including its specialized expertise in industrial, wildfire, and electrical burns — to maximize your recovery at settlement or trial.
If your burn was caused by someone else's negligence — a hazardous well site, defective equipment, a chemical manufacturer's failure to warn, a general contractor's unsafe worksite, or a property owner's dangerous conditions — you likely have a viable claim. Colorado law allows burn victims to pursue third-party civil claims alongside workers' compensation benefits. Treatment at an ABA-verified Level I Trauma center like University of Colorado Hospital is itself compelling evidence of injury severity. A free consultation will identify who is liable and what your claim may be worth. Call us or submit the form above — no fee unless you win.
Colorado's statute of limitations for personal injury claims is 2 years from the date of injury under C.R.S. § 13-80-102. Claims against governmental entities require a notice of claim within 182 days under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act. Early action is critical — COSH investigation files, site photos, and witness statements can be lost within days or weeks of a serious incident. Contact an attorney as soon as you are medically able.
Yes. Under HIPAA and Colorado law, you have the right to request copies of your complete medical records from University of Colorado Hospital / UCHealth. Submit a written authorization through the UCHealth Health Information Management department, or authorize your attorney to request the records on your behalf — which is typically the most efficient approach when records are needed for litigation.
Get a free case review from a burn injury attorney familiar with Aurora and the Colorado Front Range.
Colorado's 2-year statute of limitations means you cannot wait. Evidence disappears, memories fade, and witnesses become unreachable. Get your free review today and protect your rights.
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