MEMPHIS BURN INJURY ATTORNEY

Your burn injury attorney will determine if you have a valid claim for damages under Tennessee law. In handling your case, your attorney may:

• Gather and secure all relevant evidence, including fire department reports, police records, and photographs of the scene of the accident.
• Review medical records and reports prepared by your treating physicians.
• Work with medical experts to evaluate the extent of your injuries and the costs associated with any necessary future medical procedures or rehabilitation services.
• Retain safety inspectors, electricians, or accident investigators to help establish the cause or causes of the accident and determine who may be held liable for your injuries.

Our burn injury lawyers handle lawsuits involving:

• Apartment building fires;
• Workplace injuries;
• Truck accidents and tanker explosions;
• Motor vehicle accidents;
• Electrical cord fires;
• Defective products;
• Locked fire exits;
• Scalding water and pipes;
• Electrical accidents; and
• Recreational fires (hotel, restaurant, retail outlet, nightclub).

Many common instances of burn injuries occur in buildings and homes with landlords, including public housing. Landlords have a responsibility to keep their properties in as good a condition as possible, and that includes following codes and basic safety standards. But they don’t always live up to that responsibility.

If they don’t maintain it to proper standards, and a fire starts and injures the tenant as a result, it’s possible they could be held liable for the damages - even if you believe the fire was your fault. Despite this, there are landlords who will pressure tenants into not taking action against them, despite their negligence being the cause of a fire and subsequent injury.

Some of a landlord’s responsibilities regarding fire safety can include:

• Ensuring the property’s electrical wiring is in good condition, and safely installed;
• Making sure smoke alarms are on the property and properly located;
• Having a safe, sturdy fire escape;
• Keeping the fire escape clear;
• Installing fireproof doors;
• Having regularly serviced fire extinguishers on the property; and
• Keeping escape routes clear in shared areas of a building, such as the hallway or laundry room.

Burn injuries are far too common in the workplace, with fires and explosions alone causing 5,000 such injuries each year, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. When an employee suffers a burn injury at work, they may be able to file a workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance which provides employees who were injured on the job with wage replacement and medical benefits.

In exchange for these benefits, the employee forfeits their right to sue their employer for negligence. Because insurance companies will try to limit payouts or deny benefits entirely, workers who have suffered a burn injury on the job should speak with an attorney immediately to discuss their legal rights and options. Workers’ compensation benefits do not offer payment for pain and suffering, loss of life’s enjoyment, loss of consortium or disfigurement; however, these damages may be available for burn injury victims who pursued third party claims.

In these cases, the worker will file a suit against a third-party, such as a subcontractor or product manufacturer, to seek damages which may supplement their workers’ compensation benefits. Our burn injury lawyers handle both workers’ compensation and third-party claims stemming from a number of accidents including refinery fires, chemical plant explosions, construction site accidents and chemical exposure.

Though first-degree burns can heal quickly, second, third and fourth-degree burns can cause severe injury and disfigurement. If you or a loved one has faced a severe burn injury, contact our Memphis burn injury lawyers today for a free consultation. The statute of limitation in some states limit the amount of time a burn injury victim has to file a claim, with Tennessee's being one year, so contact us as soon as you can.