Recovering from a serious burn injury is usually a long and painful road. Many burn survivors struggle with long-term effects, disfigurement, and disability. If you have suffered a burn injury in Atlanta, Georgia, caused by someone else, you may be entitled to financial compensation.
An attorney can help you seek the money you need to protect your quality of life and safeguard your future. At Goldstein Hayes & Lina, LLC, we understand the physical pain, emotional trauma, and financial stress that follow a burn injury. We are here to give you the legal support and advocacy you deserve.
Contact us at (404) 869-8600 to schedule a free consultation today with an Atlanta burn injury lawyer to explore your legal options and how we can help.
How Goldstein Hayes & Lina, LLC Can Help After a Serious Burn Injury in Atlanta, GA
Suffering a severe burn injury can leave you facing months or even years of recovery. Medical bills, lost income, and long-term care can quickly overwhelm families. You may face medical and financial setbacks and an uncertain future. Fighting an insurance company for fair compensation should not add to the burdens you already face.
At Goldstein Hayes & Lina, LLC, we are committed to helping burn victims in Atlanta, GA, secure the justice and financial support they deserve.
With over 85 years of combined experience and more than $600 million recovered for our clients, our Atlanta personal injury lawyers know how to take on powerful insurance companies and win. When you work with our firm, you’re not just getting legal help: you’re getting a team that truly cares.
Here’s how we can help you after a serious burn injury, we will:
- Investigate the cause of your accident to establish causation
- Identify all parties who may be held responsible for your injury
- Work with medical and financial experts to assess the full extent of your damages
- Gather evidence to build the strongest case possible
- Handle all insurance claims, paperwork, and legal deadlines
- Negotiate for maximum compensation through a settlement agreement
- Proceed with a lawsuit and take your case to court when necessary
- Provide compassionate guidance and clear communication every step of the way
We’re here to help you move forward after your accident with the resources you need. Call our law office today to schedule a free case evaluation with an Atlanta burn injury attorney. Let’s discuss how we can help.
Burn Injury Overview
Burns are serious soft tissue injuries that damage the skin and underlying layers. They can result from heat, chemicals, electricity, or radiation, and may lead to intense pain, scarring, and reduced mobility. Severe burns may require hospitalization, surgery, or skin grafts, and can have lasting effects on both physical and emotional well-being.
When burns are severe, cover more than 10% of the body, or meet other criteria, victims are typically treated in specialized burn centers. The Walter L. Ingram Burn Center at Grady Memorial Hospital is the only comprehensive burn center for adults and children in Atlanta. It’s one of the country’s largest burn centers.
What Are the Different Types of Burns?
Depending on the source of the injury, burns are grouped into several types:
- Thermal: Caused by heat from fire, hot liquids, or steam. About 86% of burn injuries are thermal.
- Chemical: Resulting from industrial cleaners, bleach, or other harsh chemicals.
- Electrical: Caused by contact with power sources, often damaging tissues deep below the skin.
- Friction: Caused by the skin rubbing against a surface with sufficient force to generate heat. Also called road rash, these injuries are common with bicycle and motorcycle accidents.
- Radiation: Typically from sun exposure or medical treatments.
Understanding the type of burn helps doctors create the right treatment plan.
What Are the Stages or Degrees of Burn Injuries?
Burn injuries are usually classified into degrees based on the depth of the damage.
- First-degree: Red, painful, and affects only the top layer of skin (epidermis). Also called superficial burns.
- Second-degree: Blistered, swollen, and painful, affecting the epidermis and underlying dermis. Also called partial-thickness burns.
- Third-degree: May look white, blackened, or charred. Also called full-thickness burns, they affect deep tissue and cause nerve damage.
Sometimes, a fourth degree is used to refer to the most severe burns that damage muscle and bone.
Burn injuries are also described according to the extent or the percentage of the body surface area affected. A burn is considered severe if it covers at least 20% of the body, or the hands, face, or genitals.
Third-degree and fourth-degree burns can be life-threatening, but even first or second-degree burns can be catastrophic depending on the extent.
What Are the Possible Long-Term Consequences of a Burn Injury?
Burn victims face a long and painful recovery.
These injuries also have a high risk of many types of complications and long-term effects, such as:
- Infection and sepsis
- Organ failure, especially with extensive burns which can trigger multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS)
- Burn shock, a systemic reaction to severe burns that causes fluid loss, inflammation, reduced cardiac output, and other effects
- Respiratory complications like pneumonia, respiratory failure, and reactive airway disease, which are often related to inhalation burns and smoke
- Reduced mobility or range of motion from contractures, or scar tissue affecting joints, tendons, and ligaments
- Cardiac problems, often related to electrical burns
- Skin graft failure
- Chronic pain
- Vision loss
- Loss of limb
Serious burns are often life-changing. These injuries can be disabling and cause chronic pain, disfigurement, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression.
What Causes Most Burn Injuries in Atlanta, Georgia?
Burns can happen anywhere, but in Atlanta, they’re frequently caused by:
- Apartment and house fires: More than 60% of burns happen at a private residence. Leading causes include clothing dryers and space heaters.
- Kitchen and cooking accidents: Including scalding from hot water or steam
- Workplace accidents: Are responsible for up to 42% of treated burn injuries. The most high-risk industries are construction, automotive servicing, chemical and industrial plants, and food preparation.
- Car accidents and other collisions: May cause explosions, fires, and friction burns (road rash)
While these incidents account for most burn injuries, serious burns can happen in other ways. For instance, defective products may overheat or catch fire. Burns can even be the result of medical malpractice, whether it occurs during laser treatments or due to faulty surgical equipment.
What Compensation Can I Recover After a Serious Burn Injury in Atlanta, GA?
A burn injury can lead to overwhelming medical bills and time away from work. If someone else was at fault, you may be entitled to compensation. In Atlanta, burn injury victims can seek damages for both financial and personal losses. These damages are referred to as economic and non-economic damages.
Compensation in a burn injury case can cover:
- Medical expenses, including emergency and long-term medical care
- Ongoing care or rehabilitation
- Out-of-pocket expenses related to your injury
- Lost income and reduced earning potential for lost future earnings
- Physical pain and psychological and emotional suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Every case is different. An Atlanta burn injury lawyer can help you understand the types of damages you may be entitled to.
Can I Get Compensation if I Was Partly at Fault for My Burn Injury?
In Georgia personal injury cases, even if you are partially at fault, you may still be able to recover compensation. However, Georgia follows a modified comparative negligence rule, meaning you cannot recover damages from another party if your share of the fault is 50 percent or greater.
If your fault is less than 50 percent, your compensation will be reduced proportionally to your degree of fault. For instance, if you are found to be 30 percent at fault, you could recover 70 percent of your claim’s value.
Insurance adjusters often try to blame the victim to minimize or deny payouts. It is crucial to challenge these tactics, as they can significantly decrease or completely prevent your recovery.
Our Georgia personal injury lawyers are experienced in dealing with such defense strategies and will vigorously dispute claims of shared fault to protect your right to obtain the compensation you deserve.
What is My Atlanta Burn Injury Worth?
Every burn injury case is unique.
The value of your case depends on obvious factors, like injury severity and medical expenses, and factors that are not so straightforward, like:
- Complications and long-term effects of your burn
- How your daily life and quality of life have been affected
- Whether you are left with mobility issues or long-term disability
- Your overall health, lifestyle, and age when you were hurt
- Your ability to go back to your job or perform any job
- The circumstances of your accident
- Whether the accident occurred at work
- The at-fault party’s behavior and whether it involves gross negligence or intentional behavior
- Avenues to pursue compensation and policy limits
- Whether your own negligence contributed to your injury
To understand what your case might be worth, speak with a personal injury lawyer who can review the details and give you a clearer picture.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Burn Injury in Georgia?
After a burn injury in Georgia, you only have a limited time to file a lawsuit. The deadline is usually two years from the date of the accident. If you miss this window, you may be unable to recover any compensation.
There are limited exceptions to this deadline. If you have a case against a government entity, you have even less time to take action.
Don’t wait to get legal advice. To protect your rights and build the strongest claim, contact a personal injury attorney right away.
Contact Our Atlanta Burn Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Have you or someone you love suffered a serious burn injury in Atlanta? You may be entitled to compensation, and our Atlanta burn injury attorneys are here to help you understand your legal rights.
Goldstein Hayes & Lina, LLC has a track record of more than $600 million recovered for our clients. We’re ready to put our experience and resources to work for you.
Call today to schedule your free consultation with an Atlanta burn injury attorney. Let us help you take the next step toward recovery and a secure financial future.
