Burns are among the most painful and life-altering injuries a person can suffer. If you or a loved one sustained a severe burn injury in Atlanta due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and permanent disfigurement. The Atlanta burn injury lawyers at Butler Kahn help people and families pursue justice after devastating burns caused by fires, explosions, chemical exposure, electrical accidents, and defective products.
The Atlanta burn injury lawyers at Butler Kahn understand how devastating it can be to suffer a burn injury due to someone else’s carelessness or recklessness. We take each client’s burn injury lawsuit personally. We believe the people of Atlanta deserve the dedicated work, personalized service, and compassionate care that can make a difference. Contact us at (678) 940-1444 for a free consultation.
Burn injuries change lives. When you or a loved one is injured, you deserve an honest, hard-working, experienced burn injury lawyer in Atlanta who will take the stress of seeking proper compensation for a burn injury off of you. Butler Kahn takes fewer cases on purpose so we can devote deeper attention to each client’s situation.
We are ready to talk with you about your situation during a free consultation whenever you want to reach out to us. We offer a free consultation to burn injury victims. You can reach us by phone at (678) 940-1444 or by filling out our online contact form.
What Sets Butler Kahn Apart
Serious injury focus – We handle catastrophic burn cases, not minor claims
Trial-ready approach – We prepare every case as if it’s going to trial
Proven results – Major verdicts and settlements in complex injury cases
Personalized attention – Fewer cases means more time devoted to you
Local Atlanta office – Conveniently located at 10 Lenox Pointe
Client Story: Personal Injuries in a Car Accident
How Can a Burn Injury Attorney Help Me?
When people suffer catastrophic burn injuries, they often assume that insurance will cover the cost of medical treatment and other losses they experience. But the reality might be very different. Those responsible for your injuries could deny responsibility, their insurers might refuse coverage, and you could be facing unexpected expenses – all while dealing with a painful and potentially lasting injury.
Our Atlanta burn injury attorneys can help you with every part of your case and keep the focus on what’s best for you. We deal with injury cases every day, and we know how to protect your rights. Burn injuries often result in extensive medical treatment, including surgeries, skin grafts, and long-term rehabilitation. These injuries frequently lead to permanent scarring that can affect your ability to work and your quality of life. An experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer understands how to value these complex damages.
Our burn injury attorneys can help you by:
Explaining your rights and options for compensation
Connecting you with the resources you need for your burn injuries
Handling discussions with insurance companies
Taking care of the paperwork a burn injury claim requires
Building a case for the economic damages and non-economic damages you deserve
Negotiating from a position of strength with insurance companies
Preparing a burn injury lawsuit and taking your case to court if a settlement is impossible
Types and Degrees of Burn Injuries
Many different types of accidents could cause severe burn injuries. While some people might think that burns only happen from exposure to fire, quite a few other causes can lead to burn injuries. Understanding the type and severity of your burn is important for determining the appropriate medical treatment and calculating the full value of your claim.
Types of burn injuries include:
Thermal burns – Caused by contact with flames, hot liquids, steam, or hot surfaces
Chemical burns – Result from exposure to acids, alkalis, solvents, or other corrosive substances
Electrical burns – Occur when electrical current passes through the body
Friction burns – Often seen in motorcycle accidents and commonly called “road rash”
Radiation burns – Caused by exposure to ultraviolet light, X-rays, or radiation therapy
According to the National Institutes of Health, burns come in several degrees of severity. These range from first-degree burns to sixth-degree burns. Each degree of burn comes with its own challenges and its own treatments. What are the differences between them? The answer is that the more severe the burn, the more it affects the skin and deeper tissues.
Burn Severity Classifications
First-degree burns – These types of burns affect the outermost layer of the skin. They can cause the skin to become red and can result in significant pain. Sunburns are a common example.
Second-degree burns – This category of burns is more severe and may penetrate more deeply. Second-degree burns can affect multiple layers of skin and can result in blistering and scarring. They are often extremely painful.
Third-degree burns – Third-degree burns are severe burns that may affect all layers of skin. Like other higher-degree burns, these injuries can result in permanent nerve damage and require skin graft surgery. Victims may experience numbness because nerve endings are destroyed.
Fourth-degree burns – These serious burns can be life-threatening and may extend into the fat layers beneath the skin. Extensive surgical treatment is typically required.
Fifth-degree burns – Like fourth-degree burns, these major burns can endanger the victim’s life. When burns extend into the muscle, they are considered a fifth-degree burn. Amputation may be necessary.
Sixth-degree burns – Sixth-degree burns are life-threatening and could extend to the bone. These catastrophic injuries often result in permanent disability or death.
Serious burn injuries often cause secondary complications, including infections, sepsis, respiratory problems from smoke inhalation, and psychological trauma. Burn victims may also develop conditions like traumatic brain injuries from associated accidents or oxygen deprivation.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries in Atlanta
There are many possible causes for a serious burn injury, ranging from contact with fire or steam to exposure to chemicals or radiation. Many burn injuries in the Atlanta area occur in preventable accidents caused by negligence.
Some top causes of burn injuries include:
Exposure to fire at home, on the road, or at dangerous properties
Contact with hot liquid or steam in restaurants, workplaces, or homes
Chemical exposure from cleaning agents or toxic industrial materials
Radiation from medical imaging equipment or industrial sources
Exposure to heat or fire from defective products, including vehicles with fuel system defects
Electrical burn injuries in the workplace or from faulty wiring
Explosions from gas leaks, industrial accidents, or defective products
Some burn injuries in Atlanta result from premises liability situations where property owners failed to maintain safe conditions. Others involve defective products that catch fire or explode. In cases involving vehicles, Jeep fires and explosions have been a particular concern due to rear-mounted fuel tank designs in certain models.
Jeep Fire & Wrongful Death Case
Compensation for Burn Injuries
If you suffered a burn injury due to someone else’s negligence, you could be entitled to significant compensation under Georgia law. The types and amount of compensation you could seek will depend on the facts and circumstances of your situation.
For example, suppose you suffer a burn injury in a motor vehicle accident caused by another driver’s careless actions. In that case, you might be entitled to different compensation than for an accident at work. That is because your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company will typically provide limited benefits for injuries sustained while on the job.
If you were injured at work, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for:
Two-thirds of your average weekly earnings, up to a capped maximum
Coverage of medical expenses, including the cost of medical equipment
Compensation for disabilities
If you suffered severe burn injuries outside of work – or if a non-employer third party was liable for your workplace injury – you may be able to seek other types of compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. An Atlanta burn injury lawyer can help determine which options apply to your situation.
You could obtain compensation for your burn injuries for:
Medical bills – Emergency care, surgeries, skin grafts, hospital stays
Future medical costs – Ongoing treatment, revision surgeries, compression garments
Lost wages – Income lost during recovery
Diminished earning capacity – Reduced ability to work due to permanent injuries
Physical pain and psychological suffering
Disfigurement and permanent scarring
Mental anguish – Anxiety, depression, PTSD from the injury
Diminished quality of life
Punitive damages in exceptional cases – When the defendant’s conduct was especially reckless
Georgia’s modified comparative negligence rule means you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault, as long as you were less than 50% responsible. However, your recovery will be reduced by your percentage of fault. Understanding how insurance applies to your situation is critical for maximizing your recovery.
What Type of Lawsuit Can Burn Victims File?
The type of personal injury claim a burn injury victim needs to file will depend on how the burn happened. Georgia law recognizes several legal theories that may apply to burn injury cases.
For example, if someone is burned on a business’s property due to unsafe conditions, they would file a premises liability lawsuit. This could include burns from fires caused by faulty wiring, gas leaks, or other hazardous conditions the property owner knew about or should have discovered.
If they were injured by a defective product that started a fire or exploded, they could pursue a product liability lawsuit. This includes cases involving defective appliances, vehicles with fuel system defects, faulty electrical equipment, and dangerous chemical products.
If they were burned in a car accident, they would file a car accident lawsuit against the other driver or another at-fault party. Vehicle fires sometimes occur after collisions, particularly in rear-end crashes that rupture fuel tanks.
Other types of burn injury lawsuits include:
Workplace injury claims – When employer negligence or third-party actions cause burns
Medical malpractice – Burns from surgical equipment, radiation treatment errors
Wrongful death claims – When a family member dies from burn injuries
Nursing home abuse – Burns caused by negligent care of elderly residents
If your burn injury resulted in the death of a loved one, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit to seek compensation for your family’s losses. If you have questions about what type of burn injury case you are eligible to file, our experienced Atlanta burn injury lawyers are prepared to review your case and inform you of your rights and legal options at no cost to you.
How Georgia Law Applies to Burn Injury Cases
Understanding Georgia’s legal framework is essential for pursuing a burn injury claim. Several key laws and deadlines affect your rights.
Statute of Limitations
Under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, you generally have two years from the date of your burn injury to file a personal injury lawsuit in Georgia. If you miss this deadline, you typically lose your right to sue. However, some exceptions may extend this period, such as cases involving minors or situations where the injury was not immediately discoverable.
Proving Negligence in Burn Injury Cases
To recover compensation, you must prove that another party’s negligence caused your burn injury. This requires showing:
The defendant owed you a duty of care
The defendant breached that duty
The breach caused your burn injury
You suffered actual damages as a result
Comparative Negligence
Georgia follows a modified comparative negligence rule under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33. If you are found partially at fault for your burn injury, your compensation will be reduced proportionally. If you are 50% or more at fault, you cannot recover any damages.
Steps to Take After a Burn Injury in Atlanta
If you have suffered a burn injury, taking the right steps can protect both your health and your legal rights.
Seek immediate medical attention – Burns require prompt treatment to minimize damage and prevent infection. Follow your doctor’s instructions carefully.
Document the scene and your injuries – Take photographs of where the burn occurred and your injuries. Preserve any evidence of what caused the burn.
Report the incident – File a report with the appropriate authorities (police, fire department, employer, or property owner).
Keep records of all expenses – Save medical bills, receipts for medications and supplies, and documentation of missed work.
Don’t give recorded statements to insurance companies – Insurers may try to minimize your claim or use your words against you.
Contact an Atlanta burn injury lawyer – An experienced attorney can protect your rights and help you pursue full compensation.
Atlanta Burn Injury Service Areas
Butler Kahn represents burn injury victims throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area. Our Atlanta office at 10 Lenox Pointe serves clients in:
If you’ve suffered a burn injury through no fault of your own, contact Butler Kahn to discuss your situation whenever you are ready for legal advice. We only take a small number of personal injury claims so that we can devote our full attention to you.
We are real lawyers handling real cases. We’re ready to stand up and fight for you.
Butler Kahn – Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyers
10 Lenox Pointe
Atlanta, GA 30324
Phone: (678) 940-1444
Frequently Asked Questions About Burn Injuries in Atlanta
You generally have two years from the date of your burn injury to file a lawsuit under Georgia’s statute of limitations. However, some circumstances may affect this deadline. Contacting an Atlanta burn injury lawyer promptly helps ensure you don’t miss important deadlines.
Burn injury victims may recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, permanent scarring and disfigurement, emotional distress, and diminished quality of life. Severe burns involving extensive medical treatment and permanent disability typically result in higher compensation.
Yes, you may still have a valid claim. Some burn-related complications, such as infections or nerve damage, may not be immediately apparent. Additionally, the full extent of scarring often isn’t known until after initial healing. Seeking medical attention promptly creates documentation of your injury.
We recommend consulting with an Atlanta burn injury attorney before giving any recorded statements to insurance companies. Adjusters are trained to minimize claims, and your statements could be used against you. Your lawyer can handle communications to protect your interests.
We handle burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. This allows burn victims to access quality legal representation regardless of their financial situation.
Workplace burn injuries are typically covered by workers’ compensation insurance. However, if a third party (not your employer) caused your injury, or if your employer’s conduct was willfully negligent, you may have additional legal options. A Georgia work injury lawyer can evaluate your situation.
You may have a product liability claim against the manufacturer, distributor, or seller of the defective product. Common examples include appliances that overheat, vehicles with fuel system defects, and chemical products with inadequate warnings.
The timeline varies depending on the complexity of your case, the severity of your injuries, and whether the case settles or goes to trial. Some cases resolve within months, while others may take a year or longer. Your attorney can provide a more specific estimate based on your situation.
Georgia’s comparative negligence law allows you to recover compensation even if you were partially at fault, as long as you were less than 50% responsible. Your recovery will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Yes. Georgia law allows surviving family members to file a wrongful death lawsuit when a loved one dies due to another party’s negligence. The deceased person’s spouse, children, or parents may be eligible to file a claim.
Key evidence includes photographs of the scene and injuries, medical records documenting your treatment, witness statements, incident reports, and any physical evidence related to the cause of the burn. Expert testimony from medical professionals and accident reconstruction specialists may also be valuable.
Most burn injury cases settle before trial. However, we prepare every case as if it’s going to trial because insurance companies know which lawyers are willing to fight in court. This trial-ready approach often results in better settlement offers.
Yes. Georgia law allows burn victims to recover compensation for permanent scarring and disfigurement. The amount depends on the visibility and extent of the scarring, its impact on your daily life and employment, and other factors.
Several options may be available, including treatment on a lien basis (where providers agree to wait for payment until your case resolves), letters of protection from your attorney, or health insurance coverage. We can discuss resources available to help you get the treatment you need.
