Meridian Burn Injury Lawyer
A burn injury claim succeeds when the medical picture, the wage picture, and the cause of the injury all line up on paper before the insurance carrier gets a chance to frame them differently. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles workers’ compensation and related injury claims for people hurt on the job across Mississippi and Louisiana, and that includes workers burned in industrial settings, on rigs, in plants, and around the heat, chemicals, and electrical equipment that make some jobs far more dangerous than others. If you are looking for a Meridian burn injury lawyer, the firm serves Meridian, Lauderdale County, and communities across east Mississippi.
Burns are unlike most workplace injuries because the damage rarely ends when the wound closes. Deep partial-thickness and full-thickness burns can require debridement, skin grafts, repeated surgeries, pain management, and long stretches of therapy to keep scar tissue from limiting movement. Workers in Meridian’s manufacturing, industrial, and trades employment may be exposed to open flame, steam, hot liquids, molten material, caustic chemicals, and electrical arcs, and a single incident can leave someone unable to return to the same work for months or ever. The medical bills arrive first, the lost paychecks follow, and the insurance carrier’s questions come soon after.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Workplace Burn Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, serving Meridian and Lauderdale County along with communities from the Gulf Coast to the Delta. Most attorneys who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury only when one walks in the door. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and you owe no fee unless benefits or a settlement are recovered. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language through the entire case.
Burn cases call for lawyers who understand how severe injuries are valued. The firm secured $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns to the lower extremities, and it has handled larger claims involving catastrophic back injuries, including $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury and $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury. 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 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, and the team also includes Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, communicates, and fights the insurance company at every step, which matters when a carrier is deciding how much a scarred, grafted, or disabled worker is really owed.
Types of Burn Injuries and Where They Happen on the Job
- Thermal Burns from Fire and Flash Events: Flash fires, ignited vapors, and equipment fires at plants, fabrication shops, and industrial sites cause deep burns across the hands, arms, face, and torso. These injuries often involve multiple surgeries and long recovery periods.
- Scalds from Steam and Hot Liquids: Pressurized steam lines, boilers, hot oil, and heated process fluids can cause severe scald injuries in manufacturing, food processing, and maintenance work. Scalds to the lower extremities are common when a line ruptures or a vessel is opened too soon.
- Chemical Burns: Caustic cleaners, acids, and industrial solvents can burn skin and eyes on contact, and some injuries worsen for hours after exposure. These claims turn on documenting what substance was involved and how long treatment was delayed.
- Electrical Burns: Contact with energized lines or equipment can burn tissue far deeper than the visible surface wound suggests, and may also cause nerve damage and heart problems. Electricians, linemen, and maintenance workers face the greatest exposure.
- Oil Rig and Industrial Site Burns: Workers on rigs and in plants face fire, heat, and pressurized hazards, and the firm has recovered benefits for a rig worker with severe burns to the lower extremities. Claims from these settings often involve catastrophic injury benefits.
- Firefighter and First Responder Burns: Burns suffered fighting fires or responding to emergencies are covered work injuries, and responders often face related claims for heart, lung, and other conditions tied to the job.
- Burns That Also Involve a Third Party: When faulty equipment, a negligent contractor, or an unsafe site owned by someone other than your employer caused the fire, you may have a personal injury claim in addition to comp benefits.
What to Do After a Burn Injury at Work in Meridian
Get medical care first, and tell every provider the burn happened at work so the records connect the injury to your job from the first visit. Then report the injury to your employer promptly. In Mississippi you must give notice within 30 days of the accident, and the claim itself generally must be filed with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission within two years of the date of injury or the date of the last compensation payment. The Commission, which administers the system rather than operating as a court, handles these claims through evidentiary hearings before Administrative Judges and review by the Full Commission, which meets in Jackson. Coverage begins on an employee’s first day on the job, with no waiting period.
Write down what happened while it is fresh: what was burning or leaking, who was nearby, what safety equipment was or was not provided, and whether anyone had complained about the hazard before. Photograph the wound at every stage of healing, keep every medical record and receipt, and preserve the clothing, gloves, or protective gear you were wearing. Insurance carriers often argue that a burn was caused by the worker’s own carelessness, that the accident did not happen at work, or that the worker can return to duty before the doctor has cleared them. Be cautious about giving recorded statements before you understand your rights, and do not return to work against medical advice because a supervisor or adjuster pressures you to.
If the carrier denies the claim or cuts off benefits, the matter is taken to the Commission, and a final award can be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days of filing and notice to the parties. That court may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Appeals are decided on the record made before the Commission, which is why building the evidence correctly at the hearing level matters so much. If your injury happened in Louisiana, the timelines differ: notice within 30 days and a formal claim generally within one year of the accident.
Benefits Available When a Burn Keeps You Out of Work
Mississippi workers’ compensation pays for reasonable and necessary medical treatment, which for a serious burn can include wound care, surgery, grafting, specialists, therapy, and prescriptions. When you cannot work, wage replacement is generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum set by law, and total disability benefits are capped at 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability benefits are likewise limited to 450 weeks in the general category of cases. Burns that cause lasting scarring, restricted motion, or disfigurement can affect how much permanent disability is assigned, which makes the quality of your medical documentation central to the value of the claim.
Many burn victims also need help with the part of recovery that does not show up in a bill: returning to a job that may no longer be physically possible. Vocational rehabilitation and settlement negotiations should account for whether you can go back to your old work, what you can still earn, and what future treatment you will likely need. An attorney who knows how carriers value these claims can push for a settlement that reflects the full picture rather than the first number offered.
Frequently Asked Questions About Burn Injury Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a workplace burn injury claim?
Not every claim requires one, but a serious burn almost always benefits from representation. If benefits are denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if you will be out of work for a long time, a lawyer can make a major difference against an insurer that has its own adjusters and attorneys.
How much does it cost to hire Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of your case, and fees are paid only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a burn injury to my employer in Mississippi?
You must give notice within 30 days of the accident. Reporting immediately is far better, because delay gives the carrier an argument that the injury did not happen at work or was not as serious as claimed.
How long do I have to file a workers’ compensation claim in Mississippi?
Generally two years from the date of injury or from the date of the last compensation payment, filed with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. If no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the injury and no claim has been filed, the right to benefits can be lost.
What does workers’ compensation pay for after a burn?
It covers all reasonable and necessary medical treatment, wage replacement while you cannot work, and additional benefits for permanent disability. For burns, medical coverage can include surgeries, skin grafts, specialist care, and ongoing therapy.
Can I sue my employer for a burn injury?
In general, workers’ compensation is the exclusive remedy against your employer for a covered work injury. But if someone other than your employer, such as an equipment manufacturer, a negligent contractor, or a property owner, caused the burn, you may have a separate personal injury claim.
What if my employer says the burn was my own fault?
Workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system, so carelessness on your part does not ordinarily defeat a claim for a work injury. If the carrier raises fault, a lawyer can respond with witness accounts, safety records, and medical evidence.
Will scarring or disfigurement increase what my case is worth?
Lasting scarring, loss of motion, and functional limits can affect the permanent disability picture, and they matter in settlement discussions. The records documenting those limits, including physician ratings and photographs over time, carry real weight.
Can my employer fire me for filing a claim after a burn?
Both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from being fired in retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting your injury, tell your attorney during the consultation so your options can be reviewed.
Does a burn from a car or truck accident on the job count as a comp claim?
Yes, an injury suffered while working, including in a crash in a work vehicle, can support a comp claim. If another driver caused the crash, you may also have a personal injury claim against that driver, and the firm coordinates the two so they work together.
Can I still get benefits if I was burned in Louisiana but live near Meridian?
Possibly. The law that applies depends on where the injury happened and the circumstances of your employment. Louisiana has its own deadlines, including notice within 30 days and a claim generally within one year, so talk with an attorney promptly to determine which state’s rules govern.
Serving Burn Injury Clients Across Meridian and East Mississippi
The firm represents injured workers in Meridian and throughout Lauderdale County, including the communities of Marion, Collinsville, Toomsuba, Russell, Zero, and Arundel, along with the surrounding east Mississippi area. Clients also come from neighboring Kemper, Neshoba, Newton, Clarke, and Wayne counties, including towns such as Philadelphia, Newton, Quitman, De Kalb, and Waynesboro. The firm’s reach extends across the state, from Jackson and Madison to Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast, Southaven, north Mississippi, and the Delta, and into south and north Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport. Wherever the burn happened, whether in an industrial plant, on a job site, or on an oil rig, the same team handles the claim from start to finish.
Talk With a Meridian Burn Injury Attorney Today
If you were burned at work, a Meridian burn injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which deadlines apply to you, and take on the employer and its insurer so you can focus on healing. Consultations are free, no fee is owed unless benefits are recovered, and the phones are answered around the clock. Call today to talk through your claim.
