Georgia's burn-injury treatment infrastructure centers on the JMS Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta and the Grady Memorial Hospital Burn Center in Atlanta, which together handle the bulk of severe-burn admissions for the Southeast. Survivors typically require multi-stage skin grafting, infection-control admissions, rehabilitation, and reconstructive procedures that extend for years after the initiating event.
Severe burns in Georgia trace to industrial incidents along the I-75 and I-85 manufacturing corridors, residential and apartment fires, motor-vehicle collisions involving fuel ignition on the state's interstates, electrical arc-flash exposures on construction sites, and chemical burns in the state's substantial poultry-processing and pulp-and-paper sectors. Georgia's civil statutes, not editorial commentary, govern how long an injured party has to file and how fault is apportioned.
Georgia's two-year statute of limitations
O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 states: "Except as otherwise provided in this article, actions for injuries to the person shall be brought within two years after the right of action accrues, except for injuries to the reputation, which shall be brought within one year after the right of action accrues, and except for actions for injuries to the person involving loss of consortium, which shall be brought within four years after the right of action accrues." Text (Justia, unofficial): O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33.
We compile this for reference. Accrual rules, the discovery rule, tolling for minors, and special timelines for claims against governmental entities (ante-litem notice provisions) can change the practical deadline. For advice on your specific case, consult a licensed Georgia attorney.
Georgia's 50% bar (modified comparative negligence)
O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33(g) states: "Notwithstanding the provisions of this Code section or any other provisions of law which might be construed to the contrary, the plaintiff shall not be entitled to receive any damages if the plaintiff is 50 percent or more responsible for the injury or damages claimed." Text (Justia, unofficial): O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33.
Under Georgia's modified comparative-fault regime, a claimant who is less than 50% responsible recovers damages reduced by that percentage; at 50% or above, recovery is barred. Apportionment of fault among defendants and nonparties is governed by the rest of § 51-12-33. For advice on your specific case, consult a licensed Georgia attorney.
Where Georgia burn cases are typically filed
Civil personal-injury actions in Georgia are generally filed in the State Court or Superior Court of the county where the defendant resides or where the cause of action arose. Both courts have jurisdiction over tort claims; State Courts exist in many but not all Georgia counties. Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Chatham counties handle the majority of the state's higher-value personal-injury caseload by volume.
This page lists Georgia attorneys whose website disclosures indicate burn-injury or catastrophic-injury practice. Listing facts come from firm websites or from the firms themselves; nothing on this page should be read as legal advice or as an endorsement of any individual attorney. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed Georgia attorney directly.
