Gulfport Burn Injury Lawyer
A burn on the job is not like most workplace injuries. The wound heals in weeks; the skin grafts, scarring, nerve pain, and months of therapy can run much longer, and the claim has to account for all of it. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers in Mississippi and Louisiana, and a Gulfport burn injury lawyer from our team can handle the claim while you focus on treatment. We serve Gulfport and Harrison County, along with the rest of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Gulfport’s economy puts workers close to the things that burn people: the port and its cargo operations, shipyards and fabrication shops, marine and industrial repair, restaurant and casino kitchens, and the electrical and construction crews that rebuild and maintain the coast. Flame, scalding steam, hot oil, chemical exposure, and electrical arcs all produce burns, and each one raises different questions about medical care and long-term earning capacity.
Burn claims also get contested in ways that surprise people. Insurers question whether the injury was work-related, push for an early return to the job, and downplay scarring or nerve damage that does not show up on a simple X-ray. Building the file correctly from the start makes a real difference.
Burn Injuries Under Mississippi Workers’ Compensation
Mississippi workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. If you were hurt while doing your job, you do not have to prove your employer did anything wrong, and fault on your part generally does not defeat the claim. Coverage starts on your first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement. Employers with five or more employees must carry coverage.
The benefits that matter most in a burn case are medical care and wage replacement. Medical benefits cover treatment that is reasonable and necessary, which for a serious burn can include emergency care, burn center treatment, surgery, grafting, wound care, therapy, and follow-up procedures. Wage-loss benefits are paid at up to two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a weekly maximum set by the state. Temporary and permanent total disability benefits are capped at 450 weeks, and permanent partial disability in most other cases is also limited to 450 weeks.
Claims are heard by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, an administrative body rather than a court. A claim is first heard by an Administrative Judge at an evidentiary hearing. A party who disagrees can seek review by the Full Commission, which works from the record already made and does not hold a new trial. A final Commission award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which often assigns the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. That makes the evidence you build at the first hearing critical.
Where Burn Injuries Happen and What They Involve
- Industrial and Shipyard Burns: Welding, cutting, and grinding in fabrication yards and vessel repair can cause flash burns, molten metal injuries, and flame exposure. These injuries often involve deep tissue damage and require specialist treatment.
- Chemical Burns: Port, plant, and cleaning-product exposures can cause burns that continue to damage tissue until properly treated. Records showing what substance was involved are often central to the claim.
- Electrical Burns: Linemen, electricians, and construction workers can suffer arc flash injuries and contact burns that damage tissue beneath the skin, sometimes with nerve and cardiac effects that appear later.
- Scalds from Steam, Hot Water, and Oil: Commercial kitchens at restaurants, casinos, and hotels along the coast produce a steady stream of grease and scalding injuries, often to hands, forearms, and legs.
- Explosion and Fire Injuries: Fuel, gas, and combustible dust incidents can cause burns together with blast trauma, smoke inhalation, and fractures, which makes the claim more medically complex.
- Firefighter and First Responder Injuries: Firefighters face burn injuries on the scene, along with heart and lung conditions, hypertension, posttraumatic stress, and cancers tied to the work. We handle first responder claims as part of our practice.
- Scarring, Contracture, and Nerve Damage: A burn that has healed on the surface can still limit grip, range of motion, or the ability to work in heat. These lasting effects are what drive permanent disability evaluations and settlement value.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for Gulfport Burn Injury Claims
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, including Gulfport, Harrison County, and the Gulf Coast. Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience, and we have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. We work on a no recovery, no fee basis, consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and our phones are answered 24 hours a day. Hablamos español.
Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe, both Partners, 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. Andrew Rueff has successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and regularly appears before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
Our results include a $221,000 settlement for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns to the lower extremities, along with settlements of $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, and $385,000 for a project manager injured after being struck in his work vehicle. Clients tell us they felt heard and kept informed, and that their attorney stood up to the insurance company at every step. Past results do not guarantee a particular outcome, but they reflect the kind of serious injury work we do.
What to Do After a Serious Burn at Work
Get medical care first, and make sure the providers know the burn happened at work. In a Gulfport emergency, that usually means treatment at a local hospital, and severe burns may call for transfer to a facility with burn care capability. Follow every treatment instruction and keep every appointment. Gaps in treatment are one of the first things an insurer points to.
Report the injury to your employer promptly, and in writing if you can. Mississippi requires notice within 30 days of the accident. Do not rely on a verbal mention to a coworker. Then protect the two-year clock: generally, if no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the injury, the right to benefits is barred unless a claim has been filed with the Commission within that period. A Petition to Controvert is the form used to start a contested claim before the Commission. Payments that have already been made can affect how that period runs, so talk to a lawyer rather than guessing.
Photograph the burn at every stage, including the site where it happened if you can safely do so. Save the names of witnesses, any incident report, safety data sheets for chemicals, and your pay records. Be careful with recorded statements to the insurance adjuster; what you say about how the injury happened, and about earlier injuries or conditions, will be used to evaluate the claim. Do not sign medical releases broader than what the claim needs without advice.
Two mistakes come up repeatedly. Workers go back to the job before their doctor clears them, which can hurt both recovery and the claim. And they accept a modest early settlement before the full extent of scarring, nerve damage, or limited motion is known. A burn’s permanent effects may not be clear for many months.
Third-Party Claims and Louisiana Workers
Workers’ compensation usually does not allow a lawsuit against your employer, but it does not always end the story. If a defective piece of equipment, a negligent contractor, or an outside company caused the fire or explosion, you may have a separate personal injury claim against that party, which can include compensation for pain and suffering that comp does not pay. Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence, so your own share of fault reduces a recovery rather than barring it. Our firm handles personal injury and wrongful death cases alongside comp claims so the two work together.
Some Gulf Coast workers are hurt across the state line or live in Louisiana. For Louisiana injuries, you should report to your employer within 30 days, and a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, with that period extending to three years from the last payment when benefits have been paid. A disputed medical treatment denial must be challenged on Form 1009 within 15 calendar days of written notice. We handle claims in both states.
Gulfport Burn Injury Questions Answered
How much is a burn injury workers’ compensation claim worth?
There is no standard figure. Value depends on the depth and location of the burns, how much treatment you need, whether you can return to your old job, lasting scarring or loss of motion, and your pre-injury wages. Wage benefits are capped at two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to the state maximum.
Does workers’ compensation cover skin grafts and burn center care?
Reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the work injury is covered, which includes surgery, grafting, wound care, therapy, and follow-up care. Disputes usually arise over which provider you may see and whether a specific procedure is necessary.
How long do I have to report a burn at work in Mississippi?
You must give your employer notice within 30 days of the accident. Reporting immediately, in writing, is far safer.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Generally two years from the date of injury, unless disability benefits have been paid, in which case the period is measured from the last payment. Because exceptions are fact-specific, speak to an attorney early.
Can I sue my employer for a burn injury?
Typically no, because workers’ compensation is the exclusive remedy against an employer. You may, however, have a claim against a third party such as an equipment maker or an outside contractor whose negligence contributed to the burn.
What if the insurance company says my burn was my own fault?
Fault generally does not defeat a Mississippi comp claim, because the system is no-fault. The question is whether the injury arose out of and in the course of your work.
Will I be compensated for scarring?
Scarring and disfigurement can affect the permanent disability picture, especially when they limit motion, grip, or the ability to work in certain conditions. How they are valued depends on the medical evidence and how they affect your earning capacity.
What happens if my claim is denied?
A denial is not the end. You can file a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission and have the dispute heard by an Administrative Judge, with review by the Full Commission and an appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court available afterward.
Can my employer fire me for filing a claim after a burn?
Retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim is prohibited in both Mississippi and Louisiana. If you were let go or punished after reporting your injury, tell us so we can review it.
Will my health insurance pay while my comp claim is pending?
Sometimes a group health plan steps in while a comp claim is disputed, but it may seek reimbursement later. Do not assume either way; tell us about any bills so they can be handled correctly.
What if I had skin conditions or earlier burns before this injury?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If the job caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, benefits may still be owed, and strong medical evidence is the way to answer that argument.
Serving Gulfport and Harrison County Burn Injury Clients
We represent injured workers in Gulfport and throughout Harrison County, including Long Beach, Pass Christian, Biloxi, D’Iberville, and Saucier, along with the surrounding Gulf Coast communities. Our reach continues across the coast into neighboring Hancock County and Jackson County, to workers in Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, and Gautier, and inland to Hattiesburg, Madison, and Jackson.
We also represent workers in the Delta and in Southaven and north Mississippi, and in Louisiana, from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles to Shreveport and communities across south and north Louisiana. Whether the burn happened at a port terminal, a shipyard, a restaurant kitchen, or a plant, we can help.
Talk to a Gulfport Burn Injury Attorney Today
If you were burned at work, you do not have to fight the insurance company alone. A Gulfport burn injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain what benefits apply, and handle the employer and insurer while you recover. Call us any time, day or night. Consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you.
