Burn injuries can be extremely traumatic, permanently disabling, and life-threatening. They can create a lifetime of complications and a broad range of unexpected challenges, not just for the person suffering the injury but also for your entire family.
At Gatti, Keltner, Bienvenu & Montesi, our lawyers can fight to get you the resources you need to address all the issues and challenges associated with your burn injury. For nearly 50 years, our catastrophic injury lawyers have represented personal injury clients in the Memphis Tri-State area, including western Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, and northern Mississippi. We can take on complex litigation and fight for the results you need.
If you have suffered a serious burn in a car, construction, airplane, or any other accident, call (901) 526-2126 to talk to a Memphis burn injury lawyer to protect your right to full compensation.
Burn Injuries That Occur On the Job
Many blue-collar workers are at high risk of suffering severe burns because of the nature of their jobs. Even if you followed all appropriate safety guidelines, third-party negligence could cause explosions, electrocution, and exposure to toxic chemicals.
Suppose you suffered a burn injury at work. In that case, you may have a significant personal injury claim for third-party negligence, particularly if you have suffered a long-term, disfiguring injury or lost a loved one to wrongful death. Even if you have already filed for workers’ compensation from your employer in Memphis, you can still pursue further damages with our burn injury lawyers.
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How Burn Injuries Happen: Common Causes
Burn injuries do not discriminate — they happen in homes, workplaces, vehicles, and public spaces, often without any warning. What many victims do not realize until after the fact is that a significant number of serious burns are the direct result of someone else’s negligence. When that’s the case, the injured party has the right to pursue compensation for their losses.
Situations that frequently give rise to serious burn injury claims include:
- Fires and explosions: Structural fires, vehicle fires, and industrial blasts can engulf victims almost instantly, producing severe burns across large portions of the body and leaving lasting physical and emotional damage.
- Hazardous chemical contact: Workers and bystanders exposed to corrosive industrial substances without adequate protective equipment or proper safety warnings face serious risk of deep tissue destruction that goes far beyond the skin’s surface.
- Electrical contact: Faulty wiring, improperly maintained equipment, and unguarded electrical systems can send dangerous current through the body, causing both external burns and internal tissue damage that is not always immediately visible.
- Scalding liquids and steam: Dangerously hot water, grease, or pressurized steam can cause severe burns rapidly, particularly in commercial kitchen environments where safety standards are not consistently enforced.
- Defective or malfunctioning products: Consumer goods and industrial equipment that overheat, short-circuit, or ignite due to design or manufacturing defects can cause serious injury to people.
- Unsafe property conditions: A property owner’s failure to maintain functional fire suppression systems, clear emergency exits, or properly store flammable materials can turn an ordinary visit into a life-altering event.
- Vehicle collisions: High-impact crashes that rupture fuel systems can trigger fires that injure or kill drivers, passengers, and bystanders within moments of impact.
If any of these circumstances contributed to your injury, the responsible party may owe you far more than an apology. Our Memphis attorneys can evaluate your situation and help you understand what your burn injury claim may be worth.
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Understanding Burn Types and Severity
Burn injuries are not a single category of harm. Instead, they vary widely in both their cause and their depth, and those differences matter enormously when it comes to treatment, recovery, and the value of a legal claim.
Medically, burns are classified by degree based on how deeply they penetrate the body’s tissue. First-degree burns are the least severe classification, limited to the skin’s outermost layer and generally producing mild irritation and redness that clears up without medical treatment. Second-degree burns reach into the deeper layers of skin, producing blistering, significant pain, and an elevated risk of infection. Depending on their severity, second-degree burns may require skin grafting and leave permanent scars. Third-degree burns destroy the skin entirely and damage the underlying tissue and nerves, almost always requiring surgery and producing lasting disfigurement. Fourth-degree burns are the most devastating, reaching through tissue all the way to bone, and frequently result in amputation, permanent disability, or death.
Beyond degree, burns are also categorized by the material or medium that transferred the heat or otherwise caused the bodily damage:
- Thermal burns result from direct contact with flames, hot surfaces, or extreme heat and are the most common type seen in accident cases
- Scald burns are caused by hot liquids or steam and tend to affect larger surface areas, making them particularly dangerous for children and elderly victims
- Chemical burns occur when corrosive substances come into contact with skin or are inhaled, and they can continue causing damage long after initial exposure if not properly treated
- Electrical burns are uniquely deceptive — the entry and exit wounds on the skin’s surface may appear minor while serious internal damage goes undetected without medical imaging
- Radiation burns can result from prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light, X-rays, or other radiation sources, and are sometimes seen in medical malpractice contexts
- Friction burns occur when skin is dragged across a rough surface at speed, as in motorcycle accidents or industrial incidents, and often combine characteristics of both burns and abrasions
Together, the degree and type of a burn determine the full scope of a victim’s medical needs — and by extension, the compensation they deserve. Our Memphis attorneys work with medical experts to ensure every dimension of your burn injury is fully documented and accounted for in your claim.
Protecting Your Health and Your Claim After a Burn Injury
The hours and days immediately following a serious burn injury are critical, not just for your physical recovery, but for your ability to hold the responsible party accountable. Certain early actions can significantly strengthen your legal position, while missteps during this period can give insurance companies ammunition to reduce or deny your claim.
Get Medical Care Without Delay
A physician’s evaluation should be your first priority regardless of how the burn appears initially. Some of the most serious burn damage is not visible to the untrained eye, and prompt treatment creates a medical record that forms the foundation of your legal case.
Capture the Scene Before it Changes
Photograph your injuries, the location where the incident occurred, and any equipment, substances, or conditions involved. Evidence can disappear quickly — surfaces get cleaned, products get discarded, and scenes get altered.
Make Sure the Incident is On Record
Report what happened to the appropriate party, whether that’s a supervisor, property owner, or law enforcement officer, and obtain a written copy of any report that is created. An undocumented incident is far easier for an opposing party to dispute.
Hold Onto Physical Evidence
Clothing worn during the incident, the product that caused the burn, or any equipment involved should be preserved exactly as-is. Do not allow these items to be thrown away, repaired, or tampered with.
Be Cautious With Insurance Adjusters
Insurers often reach out to burn victims very quickly after an accident. Their goal is to gather information that limits their exposure. Decline any recorded statement until you have legal representation in place.
Reach Out to an Attorney Promptly
State law limits the amount of time you have to seek compensation for an injury. Acting quickly gives your lawyer the best opportunity to secure witness accounts, preserve evidence, and build the strongest possible burn injury case on your behalf in Memphis.
If a serious burn injury has reshaped every aspect of your life, you deserve an advocate who takes the full weight of that reality seriously and fights accordingly.
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What Compensation Is Available for Burn Injuries?
While some burn injuries can be minor, others are catastrophic, requiring extensive medical treatment and may never fully heal. The expenses associated with a severe burn injury can be astronomical, not to mention the added financial strain of being unable to work.
Our Memphis burn injury attorneys are ready to fight for the compensation you deserve for:
- Hospital bills and other medical treatment
- Physical therapy and other long-term recovery costs
- In-home medical care, if necessary
- Lost wages and loss of earning potential
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium/companionship
The decisions you make now about how to pursue your compensation and who you put on your side can impact your life for years. If you are owed lost wages, medical expenses, and damages for lost earning potential, getting the right legal guidance is important. Our office works tirelessly to help you get the results you deserve. We also have an office located in Olive Branch.
One Call, That’s All. Dial (901) 526-2126 To Speak With a Memphis Burn Injury Attorney Today
Whether you come to see us in Memphis or we travel to meet with you in your home, the consultation is free — no strings attached. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day. You can also contact us online anytime.
When bills and expenses are already mounting, it can be difficult to imagine who you will retain to provide the representation you need. Your Memphis burn injury lawyer will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we only collect our fee when you collect your verdict or settlement.
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