Burn Injury Lawyer in Alpharetta, GA

How serious burns are classified

First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of skin — painful, but they heal. Second- degree burns go deeper, blister, and can scar. Third-degree burns destroy the full thickness of the skin and usually need skin grafts. Fourth-degree burns reach muscle, tendon or bone.

The depth matters, but so does the size and location. A burn across a joint can tighten as it heals — a contracture — and limit movement for life. Burns to the face and hands carry particular consequences, functional and otherwise.

The American Burn Association runs the verification program that burn centers are measured against.

How these injuries happen

• Vehicle fires after a crash, especially in high-speed and truck collisions.
• Workplace burns — kitchens, industrial sites, electrical work, chemical exposure.
• Electrical burns, which can look small on the skin and cause serious internal damage.
• Chemical burns from industrial products or improperly stored substances.
• Scalds from hot liquids, including in rental properties with unsafe water heaters.
• Fires in rental or commercial properties with missing smoke alarms or blocked exits.

The long course of treatment

A serious burn is not one hospital stay. It is often a burn unit admission, wound care and grafting, then months of rehabilitation and scar management. That means compression garments, therapy to keep joints moving, and sometimes further surgery years later to release contractures or revise scars.

Infection risk is high throughout. So is pain, and so is the psychological impact, which is real and treatable and belongs in the claim.

That timeline is why a burn claim should not be settled early. The full extent of scarring and function often is not clear for a year or more.

Severe burns are among the catastrophic injury claims we handle, where future care drives most of the value.

Proving the claim

Burn cases often turn on why the fire or exposure happened. Think of a vehicle that caught fire after a crash, a property owner who ignored a gas leak, or an employer that skipped safety training. That evidence includes the vehicle, the scene, maintenance records and inspection reports. It needs to be preserved early, before it is repaired, cleared or thrown away.

Photographs of the injuries through every stage of healing are some of the most important evidence in the case.

Burns at work

If you were burned on the job, you likely have a workers’ compensation claim — but comp pays nothing for pain, suffering or disfigurement. Sometimes a third party contributed, such as a contractor, a property owner, or a driver who hit you on a work drive. A separate claim against them can cover what comp does not.

Generally you have two years from the injury to file suit (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33).

Related: catastrophic injuries · truck accidents · premises liability

Common questions

What are the degrees of burns?

First-degree burns affect only the outer skin and heal. Second-degree burns go deeper and can scar. Third-degree burns destroy the full thickness of the skin and usually need grafts, and fourth-degree burns reach muscle, tendon or bone.

Why can't a burn claim be settled quickly?

Because the full extent of scarring and lost movement often is not clear for a year or more. Surgery to release contractures or revise scars can come years later.

Can an electrical burn be worse than it looks?

Yes. Electrical burns can look small on the skin and still cause serious internal damage, so they need a full medical evaluation.

Does workers' comp cover burns at work?

It covers medical care and part of lost wages, but nothing for pain, suffering or disfigurement. If a third party contributed, a separate claim can cover those.

What evidence matters in a burn case?

Evidence of why the fire or exposure happened, such as the vehicle, the scene, maintenance records and inspection reports. It has to be kept before it is repaired or thrown away. Photographs of the injuries at every stage of healing matter too.