Severe Burn Injuries Change Everything. We Help You Understand Your Options.

A severe burn injury claim asks the at-fault person or company to pay for the harm a serious burn caused. In Georgia, these claims follow the state’s fault, deadline and damages rules. Slam Dunk Attorney, based in Duluth, Georgia, represents people burned in car, truck, motorcycle and rideshare accidents, at rental properties and in other incidents caused by someone else.

If you’re looking for a severe burn injury lawyer in Georgia, it helps to understand how these claims work before you decide what to do next.

What a Severe Burn Injury Claim Covers

A severe burn injury claim is a personal injury claim for serious burns caused by another party’s negligence or wrongful conduct. The claim looks at two kinds of losses. Special damages, such as medical bills and lost wages, must be proved. General damages are presumed to flow from the injury under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-2.

This type of claim is for:

• Injured adults in Georgia who were burned because someone else was negligent.
• Families when a burn injury leads to a death. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-4-2, a surviving spouse, or children if there is no surviving spouse, may recover the full value of the decedent’s life, as shown by the evidence.

The firm handles these matters across metro Atlanta and Georgia. That includes Atlanta, Lawrenceville, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Marietta, Norcross, Kennesaw and Dunwoody.

Severe burns often involve long hospital stays, repeated procedures and ongoing care. They can also change how you work and live. The firm’s catastrophic injury practice covers these long-term effects.

Common Causes of Severe Burn Injuries in Georgia

Severe burns in Georgia often come from vehicle fires, fuel leaks, rideshare vehicle fires, rental property fires and scalding at properties that were not kept safe. Each cause points to different people and different evidence.

• Car and truck crashes: Fuel leaks and fires can start after impact. Trucks can carry fuel and cargo that burn fast.
• Motorcycle crashes: Riders can be burned by heat, hot fuel or road friction.
• Rideshare trips: Burns can happen to Uber or Lyft drivers and passengers when a vehicle catches fire or a crash occurs.
• Short-term rentals: Faulty wiring, gas appliances or hot water systems in Airbnb or VRBO properties can cause fires and scalds.
• Premises liability: Apartments, businesses and other properties can cause burns when an owner or manager fails to repair or maintain dangerous conditions.

The cause matters because it decides who may be responsible. It also decides which records to request. A fire marshal’s report, a crash report and a maintenance log each tell a different part of the story. Preserving these records early helps protect the evidence.

Burn Severity and Long-Term Consequences

Burn severity, meaning how deep and how large the burn is, often shapes the treatment and care that follow. Doctors classify burns by depth. Shallow burns affect only the outer skin. Deeper burns destroy full skin thickness and can reach muscle, fat or bone. The medical team makes that classification.

Severe burns often need hospital care, wound care, skin grafts and reconstructive surgery. Some burns take months or longer to heal. Others leave permanent changes that need follow-up care.

Long-term effects to document include:

• Scarring and changes to appearance
• Contractures, which are tight scars that limit movement
• Chronic pain and infection risk
• Anxiety, sleep problems and trauma after a serious fire or crash
• Lost income and reduced ability to work

In serious cases, a life care plan may be used to estimate future medical needs and costs. Keep every record of treatment, medication and time missed from work. These records help show the full picture of the injury.

Who May Be Responsible and How Georgia Fault Rules Apply

More than one party can share responsibility for a burn injury. Georgia assigns fault by percentage, and that affects how much you can recover.

Parties that may be responsible include at-fault drivers, trucking companies, rideshare drivers and companies, property owners, property managers and rental hosts. Who is responsible depends on the facts of each incident.

Georgia’s fault rules work like this:

• Your share of fault reduces damages. If you are partly responsible, the judge reduces your award in proportion to your percentage of fault, under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33.
• The 50% bar. A plaintiff who is 50 percent or more responsible for the injury is not entitled to receive any damages, under the same statute.
• Separate shares. Each person found at fault pays only its own share. Those shares are not joint liability, under the same statute.

The filing deadline is also important. Georgia generally requires a personal injury lawsuit to be filed within two years after the claim arises, under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. Other rules can apply to some claims, so early review matters.

Evidence often matters most in burn cases. Useful evidence includes photos, incident and crash reports, medical records, property maintenance records and witness statements.

How the Process Works, Step by Step

The process usually starts with a free consultation and moves through investigation, medical documentation and claims. A lawsuit is filed only if a fair resolution is not reached. Timelines vary with the injuries, the parties and the court schedule.

1. Free consultation. You describe the incident, your injuries and your treatment. The firm reviews the facts with you.
2. Investigation. The firm can request crash, fire and maintenance records and work to preserve physical evidence.
3. Medical documentation. The firm gathers treatment records and bills. Georgia limits medical expense claims to the reasonable value of medically necessary care, under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-1.1. Medical charges handled under a letter of protection are also discoverable under that statute.
4. Claims and negotiations. The firm presents the claim to insurers or responsible parties and negotiates.
5. Lawsuit, if needed. If a fair resolution is not reached, the case may be filed in the proper Georgia court. It may then move through discovery and, possibly, trial.
6. Resolution. The case ends by settlement or judgment. Next steps depend on the case.

How Slam Dunk Attorney Handles Serious Burn Cases

Slam Dunk Attorney is a personal injury firm based in Duluth, Georgia. It serves clients across Georgia, including the metro Atlanta communities listed above.

Burn claims often overlap with other practice areas the firm handles, including:

• Car, truck, motorcycle and pedestrian accidents
• Rideshare accidents and short-term rental injuries
• Premises liability and slip and fall
• Negligent security, nursing home abuse, dog bites and wrongful death
• Catastrophic injuries

Peter F. Jaraysi is the responsible lawyer for this page. The firm’s lawyers include Peter F. Jaraysi and Brian D. Wright. They work with the firm’s assistants and office staff. You can reach the team by phone or through the contact form to ask about the case process.

No result is promised. Every case depends on its own injuries, evidence and parties.

Severe Burn Injury Questions, Answered

Request Your Free Consultation

If a burn from a crash, a rideshare trip, a rental property fire or a scald is still affecting your treatment, work or family, contact Slam Dunk Attorney for a free, confidential consultation. Talk through the facts with the firm before you decide your next step.

Attorney advertising. Responsible lawyer: Peter F. Jaraysi, Slam Dunk Attorney, Duluth, Georgia. Contact the firm at slamdunkattorney.com/contact-us.