Lake Charles Burn Injury Lawyer

Burn injuries can leave a victim with physical and psychological scars, overwhelming medical bills, lost wages, and life-changing pain and suffering. Burn injuries are sometimes caused by the negligence of another, such as an employer not following workplace safety regulations. In these instances, the victim may be able to seek compensation for their losses. Insurance adjusters, employers, and others will attempt to minimize payouts to burn injury victims. That’s why if you or a loved one have suffered, you should immediately contact an experienced burn injury lawyer after an accident. Our attorneys can help you and your loved ones hold the negligent party accountable for their actions or inactions, and potentially get you proper compensation for your losses. Our top-rated Lake Charles burn injury attorneys at Morrow & Sheppard LLP fight for victims of negligent employers or others. Our knowledgeable attorneys are equipped to help you navigate this complicated process.

Burn Injuries Can Occur in Many Ways

Our top-rated Lake Charles burn injury lawyers at Morrow & Sheppard LLP have achieved favorable results for our clients, we have successfully fought many of the largest corporations and oil and gas companies in the world. Additionally, our Louisiana trial lawyers have been honored extensively through awards and recognitions in Louisiana and Texas. Our dedicated attorneys handle various lawsuits involving:

• Oilfield accidents;
• Plant explosions;
• Oil rig fires and explosions;
• Offshore platform fires and explosions;
• Tanker explosions;
• Maritime accidents;
• Workplace injuries;
• Industrial accidents;
• Refinery fires and explosions;
• Construction accidents; and
• Electrical accidents.

Burn Injuries Sustained at Work

Some industrial workers in certain workplace settings are susceptible to fire and burn injury. Fires and explosions alone cause 5,000 burn injuries each year, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. When a worker suffers a burn injury at a plant or refinery, they may be able to sue their employer for negligence. Because insurance companies that insurer employers will try to limit the employer’s exposure, workers who have suffered a burn injury on the job should speak with an experienced attorney immediately to discuss their legal rights and options. Though first-degree burns can heal quickly, second, third, and fourth-degree burns can cause severe injury and disfigurement.

Types of Physical Burn Injuries

For a burn injury case, the physical injuries to a burn victim are the primary and obvious source of recovery. However, it is important to understand the severity and classifications of burns in order to help a jury understand the variance of appropriate treatments, the pain involved, long-term effects.

Superficial Burns

These are non-deep burns that are painful. They can include first or second-degree burns. First-degree superficial burns cause damage above the basal layer of the epidermis. Second-degree superficial burns are extremely painful, and cause:

• Moisture on the skin
• Redness
• Blanching
• Blisters

They heal by “re-epithelialization from skin adnexa,” meaning that either the skin naturally heals the wound or may require plastic surgery. The deeper the burn, the slower it heals.

Deep Burns

These range from second to fourth-degree. Deep burns generally require skin grafting and can lead to hypertrophic (raised) scars if they are not grafted.

• Deep second-degree burns cause damage to the deeper dermis. They cause less moisture of the skin than superficial burns, less blanching, and less pain. They heal by scaring and limited re-epithelialization.
• Deep third-degree burns destroy the entire thickness of the skin and go into the fat. They range in color and only heal by contraction and scarring.
• Deep fourth-degree burns are not generally recognized by laypeople but are severe. These burns reach into the muscle, tendon, and bone. They require specialized care because grafting will not work.

Lake Charles Attorneys should recognize the interplay between insurance coverage for burn victims on the front end, and possible damages sources from a defendant who caused a burn. Burn victims must be operated on quickly to achieve good results. Long-term, burn victims can require unique care that should be accounted for when arguing to a jury. At-fault parties will attempt to have experts claim that burn victims are healed or cannot be treated further at the time of trial. Often, they will purposefully avoid discussions of prosthetics and elective surgeries to make a burn victim “whole” again. In Louisiana, lawsuits must generally be filed within one year of the date of a burn injury. This means that treatment can be ongoing at the time the case reaches a jury. Your Lake Charles attorney should understand life-care planning and be able to consult experts that can calculate future damages so that you can afford all necessary future care

Types of Mental Burn Injuries

The prevalence of psychological disorders in burn victims is staggering. The American Journal of Clinical Dermatology reported that 90% of burn victims experience stress symptoms within one week of the injury. Within 3-6 months of the burn injury, up to 33% of burn victims experience symptoms that indicate PTSD. After one full year, 45% of burn victims develop signs of chronic stress that can be categorized as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD stems from a triggering event, like a severe burn. Injuries that require long-term medical care, like burns, often exacerbate psychological problems and can affect mental recovery. The development of PTSD in situations like this is can be vicious and can be worsened by a lengthy recovery.

Our Lake Charles Burn Injury Attorneys Are Ready To Fight For You

If you were injured or lost a loved one in a fire or explosion at a plant or refinery, contact our burn injury lawyers today. Our experienced lawyers will review your case and determine whether they believe you have grounds for filing a suit against an at-fault party. We offer free consultations to all of our clients who are interested in taking legal action.