What is the deadline to file a burn injury lawsuit in St. Tammany Parish?

Two years from the date of injury under La. C.C. Art. 3493.1 (https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=1386443), effective July 1, 2024; injuries before that date fall under the prior one-year period. A St. Tammany suit is filed in the 22nd Judicial District Court in Covington. If the burn came from a government-owned facility, vehicle, or road condition, a separate notice-of-claim step may apply, so the safe course is to call well inside the first year.

Can I sue for a burn injury I received at work on the Northshore?

Yes, when someone other than your employer caused it. Workers' compensation covers most employer-caused workplace burns but pays no damages for pain, disfigurement, or lost earning capacity. If a contractor, an equipment manufacturer, a chemical supplier, or a property owner other than your employer bears responsibility, you can bring a tort claim against that party in the 22nd JDC alongside the comp claim. The two claims are not mutually exclusive.

Where are serious burns from Covington treated, and does that affect the case?

Serious burns are usually stabilized at St. Tammany Parish Hospital or Lakeview Hospital and then transferred to a regional burn center. The transfer matters to the case because the burn center's records, including total body surface area and grafting notes, are what a damages expert uses to project lifetime care. We collect those records from both the receiving hospital and the burn center so nothing is valued from a summary.

How is the TBSA percentage used in valuing a burn injury claim?

Total body surface area is the clinical measure of how much of the body was burned. Higher percentages mean more grafting, longer hospital stays, more infection risk, and more reconstruction. A burn physician who can explain what a given TBSA figure means for the next twenty years of treatment is the most valuable expert in a severe burn case, and insurers use the same number to anchor their own, lower, projections.

Does Louisiana law allow compensation for psychological trauma from a burn?

Yes. PTSD, anxiety, and depression after a burn are compensable non-economic damages under Louisiana law. Recovering them at full value requires a treating or retained psychiatrist or psychologist who connects the condition to the burn event and states its severity and likely duration. Without that testimony the defense treats the psychological injury as an afterthought.

How does the 2026 medical expense rule affect a burn injury recovery?

A 2026 amendment under La. R.S. 9:2800.27 (https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=224692) limits recoverable medical expenses to the amounts actually paid by health insurers, Medicare, or Medicaid rather than the amounts billed. In a burn case the gap between billed and paid is large, so the damages model has to be built on paid amounts and on future care from the start. Deductibles, co-pays, and other out-of-pocket costs remain recoverable.

How long does a burn injury case take on the Northshore?

A case that settles without suit typically resolves 12 to 24 months after the burn has reached maximum medical improvement. A case with a product-liability defendant, an employer defendant, or disputed fault that goes to trial in the 22nd JDC commonly runs three to five years from the incident. Settling before the injury stabilizes almost always undervalues it because future care cannot yet be projected.

Covington Burn Injury Lawyer | Trey Morris Injury Lawyers

A burn is a skin injury from heat, chemicals, or another energy source, and first-degree damage stays at the surface while second-, third-, and fourth-degree burns destroy deeper layers, nerves, muscle, or bone. Trey Morris Injury Lawyers treats a Covington burn that traces to someone else’s conduct as a car-crash, workplace, or product file, not a single diagnosis.

What Is a Burn Injury?

On a physical level, burns can cause profound, irreversible trauma, including scarring, nerve damage, and loss of function. Psychologically, burn injuries may be no less serious. Many burn survivors develop post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and other lasting psychological impacts.

Our Covington Office

661 River Highland Blvd
Covington, LA 70433

985-328-2332

Open 24/7 for injured Covington residents

Get directions →

Burn Injury Statistics

The latest data on burn accidents and injuries shows how common and serious they are (source: American Burn Association).

What to Do After a Burn Injury

Call 911 or go to the emergency room as soon as any serious burn injuries occur. Serious burns include those that char the skin, cause deep damage, or cover more than 3 inches of the face, major joints, hands, or feet. While you wait for emergency care, here are other important steps to take:

Stop, drop and roll: Put out any flames as soon as possible.

Get out of harm’s way: Move away from any fire, chemicals, power source, or other agents that caused burns.
Take off restrictive items: This includes anything on or around your fingers, waist, or neck, like rings, belts, and neckties. Burns can immediately inflame your skin, and leaving restrictive items on can quickly cause more damage.
Do not peel items off of burn injuries: If clothing or other items have melted onto your skin, do not try to remove those items. It could worsen your injuries.
Cover and elevate the burns: Use a clean, cool cloth or bandage to cover your burns until a medical professional can attend to them. Keep the injured areas raised, ideally above heart level.
Watch for shock: Serious burn injuries can trigger shock, which may cause breathing problems or fainting.

After receiving emergency care, document what happened, preserve any evidence of the cause, and contact an attorney before speaking with insurance companies.

What We Handle

Covington Practice Areas

What Causes Burn Injuries?

Burns can result from exposure to fires, explosions, electricity, chemicals, toxins, and radiation. Those exposures can occur in various ways, including motor vehicle accidents, dangerous products, and work accidents.

Motor Vehicle Accidents & Burn Injuries

Traffic crashes often cause severe burns complicated by other injuries. The burn injuries from motor vehicle accidents can result from the force of an impact causing car fires and explosions. Auto accident victims can also suffer burn injuries when exposed to scalding debris, deploying airbags, and caustic chemicals or live currents.

Burns from Dangerous Products

Poorly designed and badly manufactured products can malfunction and cause serious burn injuries. This includes consumer goods, household appliances, medical equipment, industrial equipment, and vehicle parts. Often, the accidents and burns caused by dangerous products could have been prevented if manufacturers had prioritized public safety.

Work Accidents & Burn Injuries

Workplace burn injuries are more likely to occur in settings involving flammable substances, volatile chemicals, power tools, and heavy equipment. This can include the construction, manufacturing, food service, welding, trucking, and oil and gas industries. Employers are responsible for providing safe workplaces and sufficient training for jobs that carry burn risks, but not every employer honors this responsibility.

Representative Results

$409 Million Wrongful Death

A tragic case where an impaired driver of a commercial vehicle ran a red light, then collided with our client, causing serious bodily injury to the mother and the loss of life of her daughter.

$49 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

An impaired driver of a stolen vehicle driving the wrong way collided with our client head-on, resulting in brain injury and multiple broken bones.

$32.2 Million Industrial / Workplace

Failure to maintain proper safety protocols led to an explosion at an industrial plant causing a series of catastrophic injuries from broken bones, burns, spinal injury, and mental anguish.

$31.5 Million Industrial / Workplace

Brain and spinal injuries followed an oil-field company failing to maintain equipment and provide a safe work site.

$17.2 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

Client was struck head-on by a disconnected load of an 18-wheeler that crossed the median causing broken bones and amputation.

$13 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

On the interstate, an 18-wheeler failed to yield right of way then made an unsafe lane change causing the accident which resulted in major bone breaks, damaged organs, and ultimately a leg amputation.

$12.1 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

A commercial vehicle failed to stop at a red light subsequently crashing into our client causing serious brain injury and permanent loss of function.

$7 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

When the other vehicle struck our client, the result was a major hemorrhage and a stroke.

$7 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

An 18-wheeler cut across traffic on an illegal left turn and hit our client, who suffered neck and back injuries.

$6.2 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

A fatigued commercial-vehicle driver fell asleep at the wheel and rear-ended our client, leaving our client with severe neck and back injuries.

$5 Million Wrongful Death

A hydraulic line exploded at a job site, taking the life of our client's loved one.

$4 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

Our client's vehicle was struck by the at-fault vehicle, resulting in neck and back injuries.

$3.2 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

Commercial vehicle collision. Details not publicly disclosed.

$3.2 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

While our client was stopped, the at-fault driver rear-ended our client's vehicle and set it on fire, leaving our client seriously hurt.

$3.1 Million Wrongful Death

An 18-wheeler caused a fatal collision that took the life of our client's loved one.

$3 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

A commercial vehicle struck and killed our client's loved one, who was on foot.

$3 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

Out on the highway, the at-fault driver hit our client.

$2.9 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

Our client was rear-ended by the other driver and seriously injured.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes; each case is decided on its own facts. See our full case results.

Why Do I Need a Covington Burn Injury Lawyer?

Burn injury claims involve several layers that are difficult to navigate without legal counsel. A burn injury attorney can improve the strength and outcome of your case in the following ways.

Liability Determinations

Fault for burn accidents and injuries is not always straightforward. It can take additional investigations and analysis of the evidence to identify every party that shares fault. Identifying all liable parties is the key to maximizing recovery from a case.

Insurance Companies

At some point in most burn injury cases, insurance companies will get involved. Insurance companies are looking to limit payouts. A burn injury lawyer knows the tactics insurers use and can counter them to protect your rights.

Damage Calculations

Knowing the full value of a burn injury case requires evaluating both economic and non-economic damages. A burn injury attorney can examine every detail of your case to calculate what you are entitled to recover.

Settlement Negotiations

Settlement talks are high-stakes discussions involving multiple parties. An attorney can push back on low offers, counter strategically, and take a case to court if negotiations are not successful. The Covington burn injury lawyers at Trey Morris Injury Lawyers can provide counsel and representation through each stage of the process.

Your Covington Injury Attorneys

Founding partners Trey Morris lead every Covington injury case Trey Morris Injury Lawyers takes.

Trey Morris
Founding Partner

Who Can You Sue for a Burn Injury?

You can sue negligent parties when their actions or oversights contributed to your burn injuries. Depending on the circumstances and causes of a particular injury and case, the parties who may be sued for burn injuries can include:

How Much Is Burn Injury Compensation?

Monetary settlements and awards for burn injury claims depend on case-specific factors. These can include the severity of the burns, the type of negligence involved, and the extent of the losses suffered. Generally, the damages for burn injuries can include compensation for economic and non-economic losses. View our case results.

What clients say

★★★★★
The team here (Brian, Seth, Chelsea, and Jessica) have been amazing.
We were new to the area and hit by an impaired driver. Their support, guidance and friendship got us through a very difficult time. Thank you so much!
Pamela HughesCovington Office · Sep. 3, 2026
★★★★★
Working with Trey Morris and his team on my case was incredibly easy.
They kept me informed throughout the entire process and took care of everything for me. It was such a blessing not having to deal with the insurance companies myself. They were efficient, professional, and truly made the whole experience stress-free. I would highly recommend Trey Morris and his team to anyone needing an exceptional personal injury team.
eliCovington Office · Sep. 2, 2026
★★★★★
First time being injured and needing a lawyer they where very helpful.
They answered my questions Id have very well. Highly recommend them.
Sarah StarlingCovington Office · Jun. 5, 2026
★★★★★
Attorney Shavers & Sarah were awesome!
They made me feel important & as if I was their only client! A big thank you to the entire business.
Kimberly CapersCovington Office · Jun. 1, 2026
★★★★★
I was overwhelmed dealing with everything after my injury, but their team took a lot of the pressure off of me.
They were patient, answered all my questions, and made sure I understood what was happening.
Emma DvorakShreveport Office · Sep. 3, 2026
★★★★★
Great experience with the Trey Morris Injury Lawyers Ruston office.
The staff is friendly, helpful, and always willing to answer questions. Definitely recommend!
Jaime CarterRuston Office · Sep. 2, 2026

Reviews reflect individual client experiences. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Talk to a Covington Burn Injury Lawyer

Find out more about your rights and legal options by contacting a Covington burn injury lawyer at Trey Morris Injury Lawyers. With decades of experience, we can provide representation when it is time to seek financial recovery and justice. No matter how complex your case may be, contact us to discuss your options.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the deadline to file a burn injury lawsuit in St. Tammany Parish?: Two years from the date of injury under La. C.C. Art. 3493.1, effective July 1, 2024; injuries before that date fall under the prior one-year period. A St. Tammany suit is filed in the 22nd Judicial District Court in Covington. If the burn came from a government-owned facility, vehicle, or road condition, a separate notice-of-claim step may apply, so the safe course is to call well inside the first year.
Can I sue for a burn injury I received at work on the Northshore?: Yes, when someone other than your employer caused it. Workers' compensation covers most employer-caused workplace burns but pays no damages for pain, disfigurement, or lost earning capacity. If a contractor, an equipment manufacturer, a chemical supplier, or a property owner other than your employer bears responsibility, you can bring a tort claim against that party in the 22nd JDC alongside the comp claim. The two claims are not mutually exclusive.
Where are serious burns from Covington treated, and does that affect the case?: Serious burns are usually stabilized at St. Tammany Parish Hospital or Lakeview Hospital and then transferred to a regional burn center. The transfer matters to the case because the burn center's records, including total body surface area and grafting notes, are what a damages expert uses to project lifetime care. We collect those records from both the receiving hospital and the burn center so nothing is valued from a summary.
How is the TBSA percentage used in valuing a burn injury claim?: Total body surface area is the clinical measure of how much of the body was burned. Higher percentages mean more grafting, longer hospital stays, more infection risk, and more reconstruction. A burn physician who can explain what a given TBSA figure means for the next twenty years of treatment is the most valuable expert in a severe burn case, and insurers use the same number to anchor their own, lower, projections.
Does Louisiana law allow compensation for psychological trauma from a burn?: Yes. PTSD, anxiety, and depression after a burn are compensable non-economic damages under Louisiana law. Recovering them at full value requires a treating or retained psychiatrist or psychologist who connects the condition to the burn event and states its severity and likely duration. Without that testimony the defense treats the psychological injury as an afterthought.
How does the 2026 medical expense rule affect a burn injury recovery?: A 2026 amendment under La. R.S. 9:2800.27 limits recoverable medical expenses to the amounts actually paid by health insurers, Medicare, or Medicaid rather than the amounts billed. In a burn case the gap between billed and paid is large, so the damages model has to be built on paid amounts and on future care from the start. Deductibles, co-pays, and other out-of-pocket costs remain recoverable.
How long does a burn injury case take on the Northshore?: A case that settles without suit typically resolves 12 to 24 months after the burn has reached maximum medical improvement. A case with a product-liability defendant, an employer defendant, or disputed fault that goes to trial in the 22nd JDC commonly runs three to five years from the incident. Settling before the injury stabilizes almost always undervalues it because future care cannot yet be projected.