Brandon Burn Injury Lawyer
A burn at work does not stop hurting when the ambulance leaves, and the bills, the skin grafts, and the weeks away from a paycheck keep coming long after. For workers in Brandon and across Rankin County, Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles workers’ compensation claims and related injury cases throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, and burn injuries are among the cases we take on.
If you are looking for a Brandon burn injury lawyer, the first thing to know is that most on-the-job burns are handled through workers’ compensation, not a lawsuit against your employer. That system pays for your medical care and part of your lost wages regardless of who caused the accident. It does not pay for pain and suffering, which is why it matters so much whether someone other than your employer contributed to the burn.
Burns also create claim problems that a sprained ankle never does. Scarring, nerve damage, infection, repeated surgeries, and psychological trauma can stretch recovery over months or years, and insurers tend to push back once the treatment gets expensive.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Burn Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm. Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to injured workers in Rankin County and the rest of Mississippi and Louisiana, 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. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish (hablamos español).
Rob Lunsford, our founding partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe, partners, have been recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and The National Trial Lawyers, and the firm was ranked by Best Law Firms for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson. Andrew Rueff has 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 who suffered severe burns to the lower extremities, along with settlements of $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury and $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury. Clients describe attorneys who listen, return calls, and fight the insurance company at every step.
Where Burn Injuries Happen to Mississippi Workers
- Industrial and Plant Burns: Manufacturing and processing facilities expose workers to hot surfaces, steam lines, molten material, and equipment that can fail under pressure. Rankin County and the Jackson metro area have plenty of industrial employers.
- Oil Field and Rig Burns: Flash fires, ignited fluids, and equipment failures cause severe thermal burns, often to the legs and lower body. Our firm has recovered a settlement for an oil rig worker burned in exactly this kind of accident.
- Chemical Burns: Acids, caustics, and cleaning agents injure the skin and eyes at plants, in agricultural work, and in janitorial and sanitation jobs. Exposure records and safety data sheets often become key evidence.
- Electrical Burns: Linemen, electricians, and construction crews working near live current can suffer entry and exit wounds and internal damage that does not show on the surface. Symptoms can surface later.
- Kitchen and Food Service Burns: Fryers, steam, and scalding liquids injure restaurant and cafeteria employees, and the claims are routinely undervalued as minor.
- Welding and Hot Work Burns: Sparks, slag, and arc flash burn ironworkers, pipefitters, and fabricators, sometimes through protective gear that was worn out or the wrong type.
- Firefighter and First Responder Injuries: Thermal injuries on the fire ground, along with job-related conditions affecting the heart, lungs, and more, fall within the claims we handle for first responders.
- Vehicle and Fuel Fires: Truck drivers, delivery workers, and field crews can be burned in crashes and fuel fires, which may also support a claim against a negligent third party.
What to Do After a Workplace Burn in Brandon
Get medical treatment first, and tell every provider the burn happened at work so it is documented that way from the start. Burns can worsen over the first days as tissue damage declares itself, so do not let a mild-looking injury talk you out of a follow-up visit.
Then report it. In Mississippi you must notify your employer of the injury within 30 days of the accident, and doing it in writing the same day is far better than relying on a conversation. Mississippi covers workers from the first day on the job, with no waiting period.
The deadline to file a claim is separate. Generally you have two years from the date of injury, or from the last compensation payment, to file a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Claims are heard by an Administrative Judge, and a decision can be reviewed by the Full Commission, which examines the record already made rather than starting over. A final Commission award can be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and that court may send the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
Photograph the burn at each stage of healing, keep protective equipment and clothing you were wearing, and write down who saw what happened. Save pay stubs, save every medical bill and discharge paper, and avoid giving recorded statements to the insurer before you have talked to a lawyer. Do not return to work before your treating doctor releases you, and do not sign anything the carrier sends that you do not fully understand. If the burn involved a defective machine, a contractor on site, or a negligent driver, say so early. Those facts can open a second claim.
Benefits Available for a Burn Injury Under Mississippi Law
Workers’ compensation covers reasonable and necessary medical care, which for burns can include emergency treatment, wound care, skin grafts, reconstructive procedures, physical therapy, and psychological treatment when trauma follows. Wage replacement for total disability, temporary or permanent, is generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a maximum weekly amount set by the state, and total disability benefits cannot run past 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability benefits are likewise capped at 450 weeks.
Disfigurement and loss of function are where burn claims get argued. Scarring on the hands, arms, or legs can limit grip, flexibility, and the ability to do the physical work you did before. An accurate medical record of those limitations is what supports a fair disability rating and, often, a fair settlement.
When Someone Other Than Your Employer Caused the Burn
Workers’ compensation generally keeps you from suing your employer, but it does not shield everyone else. A manufacturer of defective equipment, a subcontractor who left a hazard in place, or a driver who caused a fuel fire may be separately liable. Mississippi applies pure comparative negligence in these cases, so your recovery is reduced by your share of fault rather than eliminated. Most third-party negligence claims carry a three-year limit, shorter if a governmental entity is involved, so these deadlines differ from the comp deadlines and need to be tracked separately. Our personal injury attorneys make sure the comp claim and the injury claim work together.
Burn Injury Claim Questions We Hear
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation burn claim?
Not always, but if your benefits are denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if you face a long recovery, an attorney can make a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers working for it.
How much does it cost to hire your 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 comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a burn injury in Mississippi?
Report it to your employer within 30 days of the accident. Report it right away if you can, and put it in writing.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Generally two years from the date of injury or the last compensation payment to file with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Exceptions can apply, so do not wait.
Who decides my workers’ compensation case?
The Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, not a court. An Administrative Judge hears the evidence first, and the Full Commission can review that decision.
Does workers’ compensation cover scarring and skin grafts?
Medical treatment for the burn, including reconstructive and grafting procedures that are reasonable and necessary, is covered. Lasting functional limits from scarring can also affect your disability rating.
What if my employer says I was careless and caused the burn myself?
Comp is a no-fault system, so carelessness on your part generally does not defeat a claim. Disputes tend to center on whether the injury happened at work, not on whose mistake it was.
Can I be fired for filing a claim after a burn?
Mississippi and Louisiana both protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting, tell us at the consultation.
What if my burn needs surgeries over several years?
Keep every record. Ongoing and future medical care can be part of a claim, and the settlement strategy should account for future procedures, not just what has happened so far.
Can I recover more than comp benefits if a defective product burned me?
Possibly. A claim against the manufacturer or another third party is separate from comp and can include damages comp does not pay, such as pain and suffering. Mississippi reduces such recovery by your percentage of fault.
Will my claim be treated differently if the burn came from an on-the-job vehicle fire?
The comp claim proceeds the same way, but a negligent driver or equipment maker may also be liable, which can add a personal injury claim alongside it.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Serving Brandon and Rankin County Burn Injury Clients
We represent injured workers in Brandon and throughout Rankin County, including Pearl, Flowood, Richland, Pelahatchie, Florence, Puckett, Star, and Shannon, along with neighboring communities such as Jackson, Clinton, Byram, Terry, Madison, and Ridgeland. Our reach extends across the state, from the Gulf Coast and Hattiesburg to Southaven, north Mississippi, and the Delta.
We also represent injured workers in Louisiana, in South Louisiana and in cities including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport, as well as in north Louisiana.
Talk With a Brandon Burn Injury Attorney Today
If a workplace burn has you out of work or facing a pile of medical bills, a conversation with a Brandon burn injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC costs nothing. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call us to talk through what happened and what comes next. We help injured workers. That is all we do.
