Burn Injury Attorneys in Atlanta

Burns can be some of the most painful injuries that a person can suffer from. Severe burn injuries can cause lifelong scarring and leave large areas of the skin exposed to infections and other complications. The effects of the burn can remain for a long time, and in some cases, the injury can be permanent and debilitating.

Burn injuries can happen for a number of reasons, and many of these injuries happen in the workplace. When someone suffers a severe burn that is work-related, they may think that workers’ compensation is their only option in order to get reimbursement for medical bills and lost earnings. However, there could be parties other than the employer who are responsible for what happened, in which case it may be possible to file a personal injury lawsuit directly against the at fault party.

At Bailey, Javins & Carter, L.C., we know that burn injuries can be physically, emotionally, and financially devastating for victims and their families, and we are here to provide strong legal guidance and moral support during this difficult time. We have five decades of experience successfully representing individuals who have been injured or killed because of someone else’s negligence, and we have secured millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients.

Our firm is focused exclusively on personal injury and related areas of law, and we have a successful track record with even the most complex cases. We routinely go up against well-funded adversaries such as large corporations and their insurers, and we are not intimidated by their vast resources. We work closely with our clients, taking the time to thoroughly investigate their case and explore every potential legal avenue toward recovering maximum compensation.

Common Causes of Burn Injuries

There are a number of different types of accidents and events that can cause burn injuries, these include:

• Motor vehicle accidents
• Workplace accidents
• Explosions
• Structural fires; e.g., fires in homes, apartments, and commercial buildings
• Electrical fires
• Scalding
• Fires resulting from product defects
• Fires that spread because of defective or negligently installed alarms and smoke detectors
• Acts of arson
• Exposure to harmful chemicals
• Thermal burns
• Radiation burns
• Burns caused by hot liquids

Burn injuries are classified into three different categories based on their degree of severity:

• First-Degree Burns: The mildest type of burn injury, first-degree burns are superficial wounds that affect only the first layer of skin, known as the epidermis. First-degree burns normally do not require medical treatment, and they will usually heal on their own within a short period of time. That said, some superficial burns can affect a large area and be quite painful, in which case you may need to see a doctor.

• Second-Degree Burns: These are more severe burns that affect both the epidermis and the second layer of skin, known as the dermis, and often require medical treatment. Second-degree burns can be very painful and cause blisters and scarring.

• Third-Degree Burns: The most severe type of burn injury, third-degree burns are those that penetrate all three layers of the skin, often resulting in scarring and disfigurement. Third-degree burns can also damage the bones and muscles beneath the skin, as well as the nerves. A third-degree burn is extremely serious and requires immediate medical attention.

Burn injuries can result in scarring and in some cases severely charred skin, but there are other potential complications as well:

• Ongoing chronic pain in the affected area.
• Serious infections, especially when the burn affects a large area of skin.
• Damaged lungs and breathing problems from excessive hot air and smoke inhalation.
• Limited mobility due to joint, bone, and nerve damage.

Pursuing a Georgia Burn Injury Claim

When someone else’s negligence causes or contributes to a burn injury, the victim may be entitled to compensation. Compensatory damages can be divided into two general categories:

• Economic Damages: These are damages for direct monetary losses that the victim sustains. Examples include hospitalization costs, costs for surgeries or other medical procedures, rehabilitation expenses, cost of ongoing medical care (in the case of a long-term debilitating injury), lost wages, loss of earning capacity, property damage, and funeral and burial expenses (in the case of a burn injury that results in a wrongful death).

• Noneconomic Damages: These are damages for intangible losses that are not as easy to quantify. Examples include pain-and-suffering, emotional trauma, psychological distress, diminished quality of life, disfigurement, permanent injury, loss of consortium, and loss of comfort, guidance, support, and care.

In cases when the actions of the defendant that led to the injury were willful, malicious, or grossly negligent, punitive damages may also be awarded. Punitive damages are meant to punish the wrongdoer and help discourage similarly egregious actions in the future. In Georgia, there is a cap of $250,000 on punitive damages in most cases.

Recovering Compensation for Burn Injuries in the Workplace

If your burn injury happened at work, you may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. However, workers’ comp only provides coverage for reasonable and necessary medical bills, a percentage of lost wages for the time you are out of work, and a few other reimbursements. Unfortunately, this program does not allow you to recover compensation for noneconomic losses such as pain-and-suffering.

In general, you are not allowed to file a personal injury lawsuit against a Georgia employer that has workers’ compensation coverage. But this does not mean that there are no options for you to get the full and fair compensation you deserve. In many workplace injury cases, a party other than the employer is responsible (or at least shares responsibility) for the injury. When this is the case, you can file a personal injury claim directly against the outside party.

Here are a few examples of burn injuries in the workplace that could be caused by a third party:

• You are making a delivery for your employer when another car collides with yours and causes a vehicle fire. In this case, you may be able to file an accident injury claim against the driver who crashed into you.

• A subcontractor is doing some wiring at your workplace and causes an electrical fire. In this case, you may be able to sue the subcontractor for damages.

• While you are working, a hot water heater explodes in your building and causes a fire. It turns out that the explosion happened because of a defective part inside the unit. In this case, you may be able to file a product liability claim against the maker of the faulty product.

Workplace burn injury cases can be very complicated, and it is important to work with a firm that understands the complexities and nuances involved with these types of cases. At Bailey, Javins & Carter, L.C., we thoroughly investigate the case and examine all potential factors to get to the bottom of what happened. And we look beyond workers’ compensation to identify any and all available legal avenues for our clients.

Contact Our Skilled and Knowledgeable Atlanta, GA Burn Injury Lawyers

For experience legal guidance with burn injuries in Georgia, call Bailey, Javins & Carter, L.C. at 678-498-5810 for a free consultation and case assessment. You may also send us an online message with more details about your case.

We work on a contingency fee basis. You only pay attorney fees if we win your case.