About Attorney Robert J. Hartigan

Robert J. Hartigan is the founding attorney of Lionhart Injury Law and represents people facing permanent scarring, disfigurement, disability, and other consequences of severe accidents throughout Massachusetts and Georgia. Robert’s experience includes a $6,000,000 recovery arising from a commercial trucking accident and a $1,100,000 premises liability recovery, two types of cases in which serious injuries can require extensive medical treatment and long-term rehabilitation. Licensed in Massachusetts, Georgia, and New Hampshire, Robert has recovered more than $15 million for injured clients during his career. He has been selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star for Massachusetts (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024) and for Georgia (2026), was named a Boston Magazine Top Lawyer in 2021, and holds an Avvo Rating of 10.0 (Superb). From Lionhart Injury Law’s offices in Boston, Atlanta, and Decatur, Robert represents clients in serious burn injury and other catastrophic injury claims.

A severe burn can leave two injuries at once: the physical damage caused at the moment of the accident and the lasting consequences that remain after the wounds have closed. For some survivors, recovery involves hospitalization, repeated wound care, skin grafting, rehabilitation, and additional procedures to address scarring or loss of function. For others, the most difficult consequences emerge later, when permanent scars, restricted movement, chronic pain, or psychological trauma become part of everyday life.

Those consequences need to be understood when evaluating a burn injury claim.

At Lionhart Injury Law, we represent people seriously burned in vehicle fires, explosions, electrical accidents, dangerous property conditions, defective product incidents, and other preventable accidents throughout Massachusetts and Georgia.

If another person or company may be responsible for your burn injuries, call 1-855-343-0997 for a free consultation with an experienced burn injury attorney.

What Are the Different Degrees of Burn Injuries?

Burn injuries are commonly classified according to how deeply the damage extends into the skin and underlying tissue. The depth of the burn can affect treatment, healing, scarring, and long-term function.

What Is a First-Degree Burn?

A first-degree, or superficial, burn affects the outer layer of the skin. These burns typically cause redness, tenderness, and pain without destroying deeper tissue.

Many superficial burns heal without permanent scarring. Standing alone, they are less likely to produce the extensive damages associated with a severe burn injury lawsuit, although the location and extent of the burn and other accompanying injuries still matter.

What Is a Second-Degree Burn?

Second-degree burns, also called partial-thickness burns, extend beyond the outer layer of skin into the dermis.

They may cause significant pain, blistering, swelling, and exposed or damaged tissue. The depth of a partial-thickness burn can vary considerably. Deeper burns may take longer to heal and can result in permanent scarring, changes in pigmentation, sensory problems, or the need for surgical treatment.

What Is a Third-Degree Burn?

Third-degree, or full-thickness, burns destroy the full thickness of the skin.

These injuries can damage nerve endings and other structures within the skin, which means the deepest portion of the burn may have reduced sensation even though surrounding areas remain extremely painful.

Full-thickness burns generally require significant medical treatment and may require excision and skin grafting. Permanent scarring and functional limitations can result.

What Is a Fourth-Degree Burn?

Fourth-degree burns extend beyond the skin and subcutaneous tissue into deeper structures such as muscle, tendons, or bone.

These are exceptionally severe injuries. Treatment can involve extensive surgical intervention and, in some cases, amputation. Survivors may face permanent disability and substantial long-term medical and rehabilitation needs.

What Types of Burns Can Lead to an Injury Claim?

Burn depth tells us how much tissue was damaged. The mechanism of the burn tells us how the injury occurred and can help identify who may be legally responsible.

What Are Thermal Burns?

Thermal burns are caused by exposure to heat, including flames, hot surfaces, steam, and heated liquids. Vehicle fires, residential and commercial building fires, explosions, industrial accidents, and scalding incidents can all cause serious thermal injuries.

Why Can Electrical Burns Be More Serious Than They Look?

Electrical injuries can cause damage beneath the skin that is not necessarily reflected by the size of the visible burn. Electrical current can travel through the body and injure muscle, nerves, blood vessels, and other tissue. Serious electrical accidents can also produce cardiac and neurological complications.

These injuries can occur in construction and industrial settings or involve defective electrical products, equipment, wiring, or property conditions.

What Causes Chemical Burns?

Chemical burns result from exposure to substances capable of damaging tissue. Industrial chemicals, acids, alkalis, cleaning agents, and other corrosive substances can cause serious injuries. The extent of the damage can depend on the chemical involved, its concentration, duration of exposure, affected body area, and treatment received.

Workplace chemical exposures may also raise questions about whether a third party, defective product, contractor, property owner, or another entity contributed to the accident.

Can Radiation Exposure Cause Burn Injuries?

Yes. Radiation can damage skin and underlying tissue, although the circumstances and medical characteristics differ from ordinary thermal burns.

When a radiation injury results from negligent exposure, defective equipment, or another legally actionable cause, the circumstances should be investigated to determine whether a personal injury claim exists.

What Types of Accidents Cause Serious Burn Injuries?

Identifying how a burn occurred is one of the first steps in determining who may be responsible.

Who Can Be Responsible for a Vehicle Fire?

A vehicle fire following a collision may involve more than the driver who caused the initial crash.

Depending on the evidence, an investigation may examine:

• The drivers involved in the collision;
• Fuel-system components;
• Batteries and electrical systems;
• Vehicle design or manufacturing issues;
• Maintenance or repair work; and
• Other components that may have caused or contributed to the fire.

A product defect claim can become particularly important when an otherwise survivable collision results in a fire that causes additional catastrophic injuries.

Who Can Be Liable After an Explosion?

Gas explosions, industrial explosions, pressure-related incidents, and other blast events can involve multiple potential causes and responsible parties.

Depending on what happened, responsibility may involve a property owner, contractor, utility, equipment manufacturer, maintenance provider, employer, or another party.

Explosion cases can also involve injuries beyond burns, including blast trauma, hearing damage, fractures, brain injuries, and injuries caused by debris.

Can I File a Personal Injury Claim After a Workplace Burn?

Potentially. A workplace injury may be covered by workers’ compensation, but that does not necessarily eliminate claims against negligent third parties.

For example, a separate personal injury claim may potentially arise when a burn is caused by defective equipment, the negligence of an outside contractor, or another party who is legally responsible and is not protected by the applicable workers’ compensation exclusivity rules. Lionhart Injury Law handles personal injury claims against responsible third parties rather than workers’ compensation claims themselves.

Can a Defective Product Cause a Burn Injury Lawsuit?

Yes. Product liability claims can arise when a defective product causes a fire, explosion, electrical injury, chemical exposure, or other burn.

Potentially dangerous products can include:

• Lithium-ion batteries;
• Consumer electronics;
• Appliances;
• Heaters;
• Industrial machinery;
• Electrical equipment;
• Vehicle components;
• Fuel systems; and
• Other products capable of generating heat, fire, or hazardous exposure.

These cases may require engineers or other experts to determine how the product failed and whether a defect existed when it left the responsible party’s control. As a burn injury attorney with nearly a decade of legal practice, I regularly engage experts in complex burn injury cases, seeking to ensure my clients receive the maximum compensation to which they are rightfully entitled.

Can a Property Owner Be Liable for Burn Injuries From a Fire?

Potentially. A premises liability claim can arise when a dangerous property condition or legally actionable failure contributes to a fire or prevents occupants from safely escaping.

Depending on the facts, an investigation may examine issues involving electrical systems, fire protection equipment, exits, maintenance, prior complaints, inspections, and applicable safety requirements.

I have recovered $1,100,000 in a premises liability case. When a serious injury occurs on someone else’s property, I investigate who controlled the property, what condition caused or contributed to the injury, and what the responsible parties knew or should have known.

What Medical Treatment Can a Severe Burn Require?

Serious burn treatment can continue long after the initial emergency has ended. The treatment plan depends on burn depth, total body surface area affected, location of the injuries, associated trauma, infection risk, and the patient’s overall condition.

Why Is Debridement Used to Treat Serious Burns?

Debridement involves removing dead or damaged tissue from a wound.

For burn patients, removing nonviable tissue can be an important part of wound management and preparation for healing or surgical treatment. Depending on the severity of the injury, a patient may undergo repeated wound-care procedures. These treatments themselves can be painful and may continue throughout hospitalization and recovery.

Why Are Skin Grafts Necessary After Some Burns?

Deep burns may destroy tissue that cannot heal adequately on its own.

Skin grafting generally involves placing skin over the injured area to provide coverage and promote healing. When the patient’s own skin is used, the donor site creates an additional wound that must also heal. Patients with extensive burns may require multiple procedures, and additional reconstructive or scar-related treatment may be necessary later.

What Is an Escharotomy?

A severe circumferential burn can create rigid burned tissue that restricts circulation or interferes with breathing.

An escharotomy is a procedure in which incisions are made through the constricting burned tissue to relieve pressure. The need for this type of intervention illustrates how a severe burn can create acute medical complications beyond damage to the skin itself.

What Are Burn Contractures?

As serious burns heal, scar tissue can tighten and restrict movement. This is known as a contracture.

Contractures can be particularly disabling when burns cross joints or affect the hands, arms, legs, neck, or other areas where mobility is essential. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, splinting, pressure garments, and surgical procedures may be used to preserve or restore function.

Can Burn Scars Require Treatment Years Later?

Yes. Severe burns can produce hypertrophic scars, changes in pigmentation, tightness, sensitivity, itching, pain, and other lasting problems. Some survivors undergo scar revision, laser treatment, reconstructive surgery, or other procedures after the original wounds have healed.

That is one reason future treatment needs should be considered before a serious burn injury claim is resolved.

Can a Burn Injury Cause Permanent Scarring and Disfigurement?

Yes, and this is one of the most significant consequences of many severe burns.

Permanent scarring can affect the face, hands, arms, legs, neck, torso, or other visible areas of the body. Scarring can also create physical problems, including restricted movement, abnormal sensation, sensitivity, and discomfort.

Disfigurement has a separate personal dimension. A visible scar can change how someone feels about their appearance and how comfortable they are in social, professional, and intimate settings. A survivor may alter clothing choices, avoid photographs, withdraw from activities, or become uncomfortable with attention directed toward the injured area.

A burn injury claim should account for the individual consequences of permanent scarring rather than treating a scar as merely a cosmetic issue.

Can I Recover for PTSD or Psychological Trauma After a Burn Injury?

Potentially, when psychological injuries are legally attributable to the accident and supported by the evidence.

Severe burns can be traumatic at several stages: the accident itself, emergency treatment, painful wound care, repeated surgeries, prolonged hospitalization, and adjusting to permanent changes in appearance or function.

A survivor may experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, social withdrawal, or other psychological consequences. When those effects are part of a claim, mental-health records and appropriate professional testimony can help document how the accident continues to affect the survivor’s life.

What Compensation Can I Recover in a Burn Injury Lawsuit?

The compensation available depends on the circumstances of the accident, applicable law, and the losses caused by the injury.

A serious burn injury claim may include compensation for:

• Emergency medical treatment and hospitalization;
• Burn care and wound treatment;
• Debridement and surgical procedures;
• Skin grafting;
• Plastic or reconstructive surgery;
• Scar revision;
• Physical and occupational therapy;
• Psychological treatment;
• Prescription medications;
• Future medical care;
• Past lost wages;
• Reduced future earning capacity;
• Pain and suffering;
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement;
• Physical impairment;
• Psychological and emotional harm; and
• Other legally recoverable damages.

When the injury creates substantial future medical or support needs, a life care planner or other qualified expert may be used to help establish the anticipated costs.

How Much Is a Burn Injury Case Worth?

There is no standard settlement amount for a severe burn injury.

The value of a claim can depend on factors such as:

• The degree and depth of the burns;
• The percentage and areas of the body affected;
• Whether the face, hands, joints, or other functionally or visibly significant areas were injured;
• Length of hospitalization;
• Number and type of surgeries;
• Need for skin grafting;
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement;
• Loss of mobility or function;
• Future reconstructive procedures;
• Psychological consequences;
• Past and future income losses;
• The age and occupation of the injured person;
• Liability and comparative negligence;
• Available insurance coverage; and
• The strength of the evidence against the responsible parties.

A burn case should therefore be evaluated based on what the particular survivor experienced and will continue to experience, not simply whether the medical records label the injury second-degree or third-degree.

How Long Do I Have to File a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Georgia?

Georgia generally provides two years to bring an action for injuries to the person under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. That is a general limitations period. Different causes of action, defendants, tolling provisions, or other circumstances can affect the applicable deadline.

For that reason, I determine the filing requirements based on how the burn occurred and the parties potentially responsible rather than assuming every Georgia burn injury claim has an identical deadline.

How Long Do I Have to File a Burn Injury Lawsuit in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts generally provides three years for tort actions involving personal injuries under M.G.L. c. 260, § 2A.

As in Georgia, the applicable deadline can depend on the type of claim, defendant, and circumstances. A product liability case, premises liability claim, vehicle accident, or other burn injury case should be evaluated individually to identify the applicable filing requirements. As an experienced burn injury lawyer, I can listen to the facts of a case, explain the legal options available, and monitor critical deadlines to ensure that injury victims do not lose their opportunity to pursue justice and compensation.

How Does Comparative Negligence Affect a Burn Injury Claim?

The rules differ between Georgia and Massachusetts. Under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence statute, O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, a claimant who is less than 50% responsible may recover damages reduced according to their percentage of fault. A claimant who is 50% or more responsible is typically barred from recovery.

Massachusetts follows a different formulation under M.G.L. c. 231, § 85. A claimant may recover when their negligence is not greater than the total negligence of the person or persons against whom recovery is sought, with damages reduced according to the claimant’s percentage of negligence.

Comparative negligence can become important in fire, explosion, product, premises, and other burn cases when a defendant argues that the injured person contributed to the accident or failed to avoid the danger.

What Laws Apply to Defective Product Burn Claims in Massachusetts and Georgia?

Georgia recognizes product liability claims under statutory and common-law theories depending on the nature of the alleged defect and claim. O.C.G.A. § 51-1-11 provides an important statutory basis for strict liability claims against manufacturers in qualifying circumstances.

Massachusetts does not generally recognize a separate tort cause of action for strict products liability in the same manner as Georgia. Product defect claims are commonly pursued through negligence and breach-of-warranty theories, including Massachusetts’ implied warranty of merchantability under M.G.L. c. 106, § 2-314.

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93A may also become relevant in appropriate circumstances involving unfair or deceptive acts or practices, but it should not be described as Massachusetts’ “strict liability” product liability statute.

For a burn caused by a battery, appliance, vehicle component, industrial machine, or another allegedly defective product, I investigate the specific defect theory and the law governing the product and accident.

Frequently Asked Questions About Burn Injury Claims

Do I Need a Burn Injury Lawyer If the Insurance Company Has Already Offered a Settlement?

You are not required to hire an experienced burn injury attorney simply because an insurer has made an offer.

The more important question is whether the offer accounts for the full consequences of the injury. Serious burns may involve future reconstructive procedures, scar treatment, therapy, psychological care, reduced earning capacity, and other losses that are not fully known early in recovery. Before resolving a significant burn injury claim, those potential future consequences should be considered.

Can I Recover Compensation for Permanent Burn Scars?

Potentially, yes. Permanent scarring and disfigurement can be significant components of damages in a personal injury claim.

The location, visibility, size, texture, coloration, physical effects, treatment options, and personal consequences of the scars may all be relevant to evaluating the harm.

What If My Burn Was Caused by a Defective Battery or Appliance?

A product liability claim may be possible when a defect in a battery, appliance, electronic device, vehicle component, or other product caused or contributed to a fire or burn.

These claims can require preservation and examination of the product. When possible, the product involved in the incident should not be discarded, repaired, altered, or destroyed before the circumstances can be investigated.

What If I Was Burned in an Apartment or Building Fire?

Depending on the cause of the fire and the circumstances, potential responsibility may involve a property owner, landlord, property manager, contractor, product manufacturer, maintenance provider, or another party.

The investigation may involve fire-origin-and-cause evidence, inspection records, maintenance history, electrical systems, fire-protection equipment, and other information relevant to determining how the fire started or spread.

Can I File a Lawsuit If I Was Burned at Work?

Potentially, if someone other than your employer or another party protected by workers’ compensation exclusivity was legally responsible for causing the injury.

Third-party claims can be particularly important after catastrophic workplace injuries because the damages available in a personal injury action differ from workers’ compensation benefits.

Can Children Recover Compensation for Permanent Burn Scarring?

A child who suffers a burn because of another party’s legally actionable conduct may have a claim for the injuries and resulting damages.

A child’s future can make burn-scarring cases particularly complex. The appearance of scars can change as the child grows, and future reconstructive treatment may need to be considered. Permanent visible scarring can also have psychological and social consequences that develop over time.

How Long Does a Serious Burn Injury Case Take?

There is no reliable 12-to-36-month rule that applies to every burn case.

The timeline depends on factors such as the length of medical treatment, whether future surgeries are anticipated, the complexity of the liability investigation, the number of defendants, whether experts are required, settlement negotiations, and whether litigation or trial becomes necessary.

A serious claim should not be rushed simply to meet an arbitrary timeline, as this can lead to missing out on much needed compensation for future care.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Burn Injury Lawyer?

Lionhart Injury Law handles burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You do not pay an upfront attorney’s fee. The attorney’s fee is an agreed-upon percentage of the recovery if compensation is obtained.

I offer free consultations and explain the fee agreement and responsibility for case expenses before you decide whether to hire the firm.

Why Choose Lionhart Injury Law for a Serious Burn Injury Claim?

Severe burn cases can involve several areas of law at the same time. A vehicle fire may involve both an automobile negligence claim and a defective product investigation. A workplace explosion may involve workers’ compensation benefits and a separate third-party claim. A building fire may require investigation of property maintenance, electrical systems, contractors, fire protection, or defective equipment.

I approach these cases by identifying every potential source of responsibility rather than assuming the most obvious defendant is the only one. This provides my clients with the best chances of securing full and fair compensation for their injuries.

Attorney Robert Hartigan has recovered more than $15 million for injured clients, including:

• $6,000,000 arising from a commercial trucking accident; and
• $1,100,000 in a premises liability case.

Past results do not guarantee a particular outcome. They demonstrate experience handling serious personal injury cases in which substantial damages and complicated liability issues must be developed carefully.

How Can I Speak With a Burn Injury Lawyer About My Case?

If you suffered severe burns in a fire, explosion, electrical accident, chemical exposure, vehicle crash, defective product incident, or dangerous property condition, determining how the injury occurred is only the beginning.

A serious burn injury claim also needs to account for what comes afterward: surgeries, skin grafting, rehabilitation, permanent scarring, loss of function, psychological trauma, and future medical needs.

At Lionhart Injury Law, we represent burn injury victims throughout Massachusetts and Georgia.

Call Lionhart Injury Law at 1-855-343-0997 for a free consultation. You pay no attorney’s fee unless I recover compensation for you.