Louisiana's burn-injury treatment infrastructure centers on the University Medical Center New Orleans Burn Center, the state's primary verified adult burn center, together with Baton Rouge General Medical Center's Regional Burn Center and pediatric burn care at Children's Hospital New Orleans. Survivors typically face multi-stage skin grafting, infection-control admissions, rehabilitation, and long-tail reconstructive care that drives lifetime medical costs into seven figures in severe cases.
Severe burns in Louisiana reflect the state's industrial base: refinery and petrochemical incidents along the Mississippi River chemical corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, offshore and onshore oil-and-gas events in the Gulf and across southern Louisiana, residential fires across the state's metros, motor-vehicle collisions involving fuel ignition along I-10 and I-12, and electrical arc-flash exposures on construction and shipyard sites. Louisiana's civil law, not editorial commentary, governs filing deadlines.
Louisiana's two-year prescription (changed July 1, 2024)
Louisiana extended its prescription period for delictual (tort) actions from one year to two years effective July 1, 2024. The prior one-year rule under former Civil Code article 3492 was repealed by Acts 2024, No. 423.
Louisiana Civil Code Article 3493.11 states: "Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years. This prescription commences to run from the day that injury or damage is sustained. It does not run against minors or interdicts in actions involving permanent disability and brought pursuant to the Louisiana Products Liability Act or state law governing product liability actions in effect at the time of the injury or damage." Source: Louisiana State Legislature, La. C.C. art. 3493.11.
We compile this for reference. The two-year prescription applies to causes of action accruing on or after July 1, 2024; older claims may still be governed by the prior one-year prescription depending on accrual. Special provisions for medical malpractice (La. R.S. 9:5628) and claims against state or local governmental entities apply separately. For advice on your specific case, consult a licensed Louisiana attorney.
Comparative fault in Louisiana
Louisiana follows a pure comparative-fault rule under La. Civ. Code art. 2323, allowing a partially-at-fault claimant to recover damages reduced by that party's percentage of fault, regardless of how high that percentage is. Allocation of fault in any specific matter is a question for the trier of fact. For advice on your specific case, consult a licensed Louisiana attorney.
Where Louisiana burn cases are typically filed
Civil personal-injury actions in Louisiana are generally filed in the District Court of the parish where the injury occurred or where the defendant is domiciled. Louisiana uses parishes rather than counties, and the District Court has general jurisdiction over tort claims. Orleans Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, Jefferson Parish, Caddo Parish (Shreveport), and Lafayette Parish handle the majority of the state's higher-value personal-injury caseload by volume.
This page lists Louisiana attorneys whose website disclosures indicate burn-injury or catastrophic-injury practice. Listings are compiled from publicly available firm information; 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 Louisiana attorney directly.
