Southaven Burn Injury Lawyer
A burn at work in DeSoto County rarely stops at the emergency room bill. It turns into skin grafts, wound care, months away from a job site, and an insurance adjuster asking questions before you have finished your first round of treatment. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles workers’ compensation and related injury claims for people hurt on the job across Mississippi and Louisiana, and a Southaven burn injury lawyer from our team can take over the claim while you focus on healing.
Southaven sits in the heart of the north Mississippi distribution corridor, where warehouses, trucking terminals, manufacturing plants, and construction crews keep thousands of people on the clock. Those workplaces carry real burn risks: flash fires, electrical arcs, chemical splashes, steam, hot oil, and molten material. Burns also tend to produce some of the most expensive workers’ compensation claims, because treatment is long, painful, and often involves specialists the insurer would rather not authorize.
Mississippi workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. You do not have to prove your employer was careless to receive medical care and wage benefits. What you do have to do is report the injury on time, get the right treatment documented, and keep the carrier from steering the claim in a direction that shortchanges you.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Burn Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers in Southaven, across DeSoto County and north Mississippi, and throughout Mississippi and South Louisiana. Our attorneys bring over 75 combined years of experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off early, and the firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish with clients from the first call forward.
Rob Lunsford, our founding partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Partners Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe have been recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and The National Trial Lawyers, and the firm was ranked by Best Law Firms in 2026 for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
Results matter most in serious injury cases. We secured $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns to the lower extremities, and larger recoveries for injured workers include $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury and $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury. Clients consistently describe a team that listened, answered questions, and stood up to the insurance company when it pushed back.
Burn Injuries and Work Settings We See in North Mississippi
- Thermal burns from fire and flash events: Welding, cutting, and hot work in fabrication shops, plants, and construction sites can ignite fuel, dust, or insulation. Deep burns often require debridement, grafting, and repeated surgeries.
- Chemical burns: Warehouse and distribution workers who handle cleaning agents, battery acid, or industrial solvents can suffer burns to skin and eyes, sometimes from a leaking container nobody labeled correctly.
- Electrical burns: Contact with energized lines or equipment can cause entry and exit wounds, nerve damage, and cardiac problems that surface days later. Linemen, electricians, and general laborers near temporary power are at risk.
- Scalds and steam burns: Food processing, laundry, and plant maintenance jobs involve pressurized steam and hot liquids. These burns are often underestimated at first and worsen over the following days.
- Burns on oil and gas jobs: Rig and well-site work, including the kind of work behind our $221,000 burn recovery for an oil rig worker, exposes people to fires, hot fluids, and explosions.
- Vehicle and equipment fires: Truck drivers and delivery workers can be burned in a crash fire or an engine compartment fire during a roadside repair.
- Firefighter and first responder burns: Responders face direct fire exposure, and the firm also handles first responder claims tied to the job, including heart and lung disease and cancer.
What to Do After a Burn Injury at Work
Get medical care first. For serious burns, that means an emergency room or burn-capable hospital, not a wait-and-see approach. Tell every provider the injury happened at work so the records say so from day one. Those first notes are what the insurer will read when it decides whether to dispute the claim.
Then report the injury to your employer, ideally in writing and right away. Mississippi gives you 30 days from the accident to give notice, and missing that window can jeopardize the claim. Keep a copy of whatever you send. If your supervisor says they will “take care of it,” follow up anyway.
The deadline to file a formal claim is separate. In Mississippi, if no disability benefits have been paid, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. If benefits were paid, the clock can run from the last payment. Do not wait to find out which situation you are in.
Photograph the burn at every stage of healing, and photograph the scene, equipment, and any chemical labels if you can do so safely. Write down who saw it happen. Save pay stubs, since wage benefits are calculated from your average weekly wage. Be cautious with recorded statements to the adjuster, and do not sign medical releases broader than you understand.
Mississippi workers’ compensation claims are decided by the Commission, which is an administrative body rather than a court. Disputed claims go to an evidentiary hearing before an Administrative Judge, and a decision can be reviewed by the Full Commission on the existing record. A final Commission award can then be appealed within 30 days, and the Mississippi Supreme Court may assign the appeal to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Appeals are decided on the record built below, which is why the evidence gathered early matters so much.
Benefits Available for a Serious Burn Claim
A covered burn injury entitles you to reasonable and necessary medical treatment, which can include emergency care, surgery, skin grafts, specialized dressings, physical and occupational therapy, scar management, and psychological counseling when trauma follows. Coverage begins your first day on the job, with no waiting period.
When you cannot work, temporary total disability pays two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum set by the state. If a burn leaves lasting limitations, permanent partial or permanent total disability benefits can follow, generally for up to 450 weeks. Because burns often cause scarring, loss of motion, nerve pain, and sensitivity to heat and sunlight, the question of permanent impairment and your ability to return to your old job deserves careful medical documentation.
Insurers contest burn claims in predictable ways: arguing the injury was not work-related, pressing you back to work before your surgeon clears you, or cutting off therapy as “maintenance.” A Southaven workers’ compensation attorney can push for the treating specialists you need and challenge those moves.
When Someone Other Than Your Employer Caused the Burn
Workers’ compensation does not always tell the whole story. If a defective piece of equipment, a negligent contractor, or an outside driver caused your burn, you may also have a personal injury claim against that third party. Comp benefits do not pay for pain and suffering, but a third-party claim can. Our personal injury lawyers coordinate the two so one claim does not undercut the other. Claims against a county or government agency carry shorter deadlines and notice rules, so raise that possibility early.
Southaven Burn Injury Claim Questions
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation burn claim?
Not every claim requires one, but a serious burn almost always justifies a call. Long treatment, possible surgery, and time away from work give the insurer more room to dispute, delay, or minimize the claim.
What does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance case costs, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation are limited and approved under state law.
How soon must I report a burn injury to my employer in Mississippi?
Within 30 days of the accident. Report it immediately and in writing if possible, so there is no dispute later about whether or when you gave notice.
How long do I have to file a claim with the Commission?
Generally two years from the date of injury, or from the last compensation payment if benefits were paid. Filing a Petition to Controvert protects your rights if the carrier denies or stops paying.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Mississippi protects workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or disciplined after reporting your burn, tell us during your consultation so we can review your options.
What if the employer says I was careless and caused the burn myself?
Workers’ compensation does not turn on fault. Your own mistake generally does not defeat a claim for a work injury, though intoxication or deliberate self-injury defenses can arise. We look at what the insurer actually claims and answer it with evidence.
Will workers’ comp pay for skin grafts and reconstructive surgery?
Reasonable and necessary treatment for a compensable burn is covered, and that can include grafting and later procedures to address scarring or function. Disputes over what is “necessary” are common, and a treating surgeon’s documentation is key.
My burn healed, but I have scarring and nerve pain. Is the case over?
Not necessarily. Permanent impairment, lasting restrictions, and reduced earning ability can all support continued benefits or a settlement. Do not close out your claim before a physician has addressed the long-term effects.
Can I sue my employer for a burn injury in Mississippi?
Workers’ compensation is generally the exclusive remedy against your employer. A separate lawsuit may be possible against a negligent third party, such as an equipment manufacturer or an outside contractor.
What if the burn happened to me while I was working a job in Louisiana but I live in Southaven?
Where the injury occurred and where you were hired can affect which state’s law applies. Louisiana generally requires notice within 30 days and a formal claim within one year of the accident, so speak with us promptly if your job crosses state lines.
Does my health insurance have to cover burn treatment while the claim is pending?
Health plans often refuse work-related injuries and look to the comp carrier instead. If the carrier denies authorization, treatment can stall, which is one reason to involve an attorney early.
What if my claim has already been denied?
A denial is not the end. Many denials are challenged successfully with stronger medical evidence and witness accounts, and the Commission process exists for exactly that purpose.
Serving Burn Injury Clients From Southaven Across North Mississippi
We represent injured workers in Southaven and throughout DeSoto County, including those who work in the distribution and logistics hubs along the state line corridor. Our reach extends across north Mississippi and the rest of the state, from Jackson and Madison to Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast, and the Delta. We also handle claims in South Louisiana and north Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport. Whether the burn happened in a warehouse, a plant, an oil field, or on a construction site, the work is the same: get the care authorized and the benefits paid.
Talk to a Southaven Burn Injury Attorney Today
If you were burned on the job, a Southaven burn injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your situation, explain your deadlines, and take on the insurance company so you do not have to. Call today for a free consultation. You pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you.
