Burn Injury Attorney in New Orleans
Trusted Advocates for Burn Injury Victims in New Orleans
Severe burns can upend life in seconds. After the emergency room, many people face surgeries, grafts, infection risks, and months of recovery that affect work, family, and finances. If you or a loved one suffered New Orleans burn injuries, you should not have to handle insurance calls and legal deadlines while you heal.
Tonry & Giraud Trial Attorneys is a burn injury law firm serving New Orleans, Louisiana. We help burn injury victims pursue full compensation for medical care, lost income, and the lasting human impact of scarring and trauma. Our team investigates the cause, identifies every responsible party, and presents clear evidence so insurers and juries understand the true scope of your losses.
Call (504) 470-0738 now for a free consultation with a burn injury lawyer in New Orleans.
How Burn Injury Claims Work in Louisiana
A burn injury claim is a civil action seeking compensation when another party’s negligence or wrongful conduct caused your harm. Depending on where and how the incident occurred, your case may involve an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit in Orleans Parish Civil District Court or another Louisiana court.
Key Issues We Prove
- Duty: The other party had a responsibility to act with reasonable care
- Breach: They failed to meet that responsibility
- Causation: their conduct caused the burn injuries
- Damages: your financial and human losses tied to the event
Louisiana generally has a one-year prescriptive period for personal injury claims. Certain situations may shorten or extend timelines, and claims involving public entities have special procedures. Because deadlines move quickly, it is safest to speak with a burn injury lawyer in New Orleans as soon as possible.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries in New Orleans
Burn injuries can happen across the city in homes, rentals, workplaces, and public spaces. We regularly investigate incidents involving:
- Apartment, hotel, and short-term rental fires
- Restaurant, bar, and commercial kitchen accidents
- Industrial and refinery incidents, chemical exposures, or explosions
- Electrical failures, faulty wiring, and product defects
- Motor vehicle collisions with post-impact fires
- Scalds from dangerously hot water or malfunctioning boilers
- Missing or inadequate smoke alarms, sprinklers, or emergency exits
Careful cause-and-origin analysis helps identify every liable party, from property owners and management companies to contractors, manufacturers, and others.
Types and Severity of Burns
Understanding the medical nature of your injuries allows us to connect treatment needs to compensation.
Degrees of Burns
- First degree: affects the outer layer of skin, often red and painful
- Second degree: damages deeper layers, may blister and scar
- Third degree: destroys the full thickness of skin, may require grafts
- Inhalation injuries: airway damage from smoke, heat, or chemicals
Complications We Document
- Infection and sepsis risk
- Contractures and mobility limitations
- Nerve damage and chronic pain
- Disfigurement and psychosocial harm
- Respiratory issues and long-term pulmonary care
What Compensation May Cover
Every case is unique. We translate the medical journey and life changes into a persuasive damages presentation that reflects both financial and human losses.
Economic Damages
- Emergency transport, hospitalization, surgeries, and grafting
- Burn unit care, wound care supplies, and infection control
- Rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, and counseling
- Prescription medications, scar management, and reconstructive procedures
- Lost wages, reduced hours, and diminished future earning capacity
- Home modifications, assistive devices, and transportation to appointments
Non-Economic Damages
- Physical pain and ongoing discomfort
- Scarring, disfigurement, and body-image impacts
- Emotional distress, anxiety, and sleep disruption
- Loss of enjoyment of life and day-to-day activities
- Loss of consortium for qualifying family members
In catastrophic cases, we work with life-care planners to forecast future needs across years or decades.
Building a Strong Burn Injury Case
Winning results come from meticulous preparation and clear storytelling rooted in evidence.
The Investigation
- Obtain fire department reports, incident reports, and building code records
- Analyze photographs, surveillance video, and scene measurements
- Preserve defective appliances, wiring, or products for testing
- Interview witnesses, neighbors, and first responders
- Consult fire origin-and-cause specialists and electrical engineers
The Medical Foundation
- Coordinate with treating providers to document the full course of care
- Track grafting, debridement, and infection control steps
- Summarize future procedures and scar revision recommendations
- Present medical timelines that connect symptoms to functional limits
Proving the Impact on Daily Life
- Summaries of work restrictions and employer documentation
- Evidence of childcare needs, household help, and missed milestones
- Day-in-the-life visuals when appropriate
- Psychological evaluations and counseling records supporting trauma
Insurance Company Tactics and Our Response
Burn injuries are costly to treat, which means insurers often push back. We anticipate these tactics and respond with organized proof.
Common Insurer Strategies
- Minimizing scarring and the long tail of care
- Pointing to alleged code compliance to deny premises liability
- Blaming the victim for the delayed evacuation
- Offering early settlements before the full course of treatment is known
How We Counter
- Use provider notes and medical literature to explain staged procedures
- Compare actual conditions to safety requirements with code consultants
- Reconstruct events to show why the evacuation was delayed or blocked
- Negotiate from a position of strength while preparing the case for trial
Fault, Comparative Responsibility, and Multiple Defendants
Louisiana’s comparative fault rules can reduce your recovery by your share of fault, but they do not bar recovery. We focus on accurate allocation and pursue every viable source of coverage.
- Property owners and managers for dangerous conditions or code violations
- Manufacturers and distributors of defective products or warnings
- Contractors and maintenance companies for negligent work
- Drivers and employers under negligent entrustment or vicarious liability
- Government entities for roadway or utility hazards are subject to special procedures
Workplace Burns and Third-Party Claims
If a burn occurred on the job, workers' compensation may cover medical care and a portion of lost wages. You may also have a separate third-party personal injury claim if someone other than your employer contributed to the incident.
- Faulty equipment or defective products
- Negligent subcontractors or site owners
- Vehicle collisions during work duties
We evaluate how workers' compensation and third-party claims interact to maximize overall recovery.
What To Do After a Burn Injury
Your health and safety come first. These steps can protect your well-being and your legal rights.
- Seek immediate medical care and follow all treatment instructions
- Photograph injuries at regular intervals to document healing and scarring
- Keep wound care receipts, prescriptions, and out-of-pocket costs
- Save damaged clothing, appliances, and devices in a safe place
- Avoid recorded statements to insurers before speaking with counsel
- Contact a burn injury lawyer in New Orleans to understand your options
New Orleans Burn Injuries: Local Considerations
Local conditions shape both fault and damages. We tailor every investigation to the New Orleans setting.
- Older buildings may involve outdated wiring, stairwells, or alarm systems
- Short-term rentals and hospitality properties create complex responsibility chains
- Restaurants and commercial kitchens require strict safety protocols
- Chemical handling and industrial facilities add exposure and explosion risks
- Coastal weather and power disruptions can complicate evacuation and alarms
When Burns Are Catastrophic
Some burns lead to permanent disfigurement, disability, or a need for structured care. We plan cases for the long term.
- Life-care planning to forecast medical, therapy, and equipment costs
- Vocational assessments for reduced earning capacity
- Future scar revisions and staged reconstructive procedures
- Counseling and trauma-focused therapy support for you and your family
Why Choose Tonry & Giraud
Selecting the right representation matters when injuries are serious. Our New Orleans team brings disciplined investigation and clear communication to every case.
What Sets Our Approach Apart
Focused personal injury practice with thorough trial preparation
- Direct access to your legal team and frequent updates
- Relationships with respected medical, fire, and engineering professionals
- No fee unless we recover compensation for you
- We measure success by the stability and dignity we help our clients regain.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a burn injury attorney in New Orleans?
We work on a contingency fee, which means you do not pay attorney fees unless we recover compensation. We explain all terms at the start so you can decide with confidence.
What if I was burned in a rental property or hotel?
You may have a claim against the property owner, manager, or others if unsafe conditions, code violations, or inadequate alarms contributed to the fire or scalding. We investigate maintenance records and safety systems to determine responsibility.
Can I bring a claim if I was partially at fault?
Yes. Under Louisiana comparative fault, your compensation may be reduced by your percentage of responsibility, but you can still recover damages from others who contributed to the incident. We focus on accurate fault allocation.
How long will my burn injury claim take?
Timelines vary with medical recovery, the number of defendants, and insurer cooperation. We avoid settling before the care plan is clear so future procedures or revisions are not undervalued.
What compensation can I recover for scarring and disfigurement?
Beyond medical bills and lost income, non-economic damages can address pain, emotional distress, and the lasting impact of scarring. We present medical opinions and photographs to explain these harms.
What if my burn happened at work?
Workers' compensation may provide medical care and wage benefits. You may also have a separate third-party personal injury claim against equipment manufacturers, contractors, or drivers. We evaluate both paths to maximize recovery.
Rebuild With Confidence in New Orleans
Serious burns call for focused legal action and a long-term plan for care. Tonry & Giraud is ready to investigate, organize the proof, and pursue full compensation so you can focus on recovery in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Request your free burn injury case evaluation online or call (504) 470-0738 to speak to our legal team today.
