Plaquemine Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
The goal in a Louisiana work injury case is simple to state and hard to reach: the right medical treatment approved without a fight, weekly checks that arrive on time, and a resolution that reflects what the injury actually cost you. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that represents injured workers across Louisiana and Mississippi, and we are the team to call if you need a Plaquemine workers’ compensation lawyer to stand between you and an insurance carrier.
Plaquemine sits in Iberville Parish along the Mississippi River, in an economy built around petrochemical plants, river and marine work, pipelines, and heavy industrial contracting. Those jobs produce the kinds of injuries that adjusters like to dispute: crushed or torn shoulders from handling pipe and equipment, back injuries from years of lifting and climbing, burns from process equipment, and falls from scaffolding and platforms. When the claim is contested, the paperwork and deadlines that follow matter as much as the injury itself.
Iberville Parish claims move through the Louisiana Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, and appeals from the district level in this part of the state go to the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal. Knowing which forum applies, and what has to be filed by when, is the difference between a claim that survives a denial and one that dies on a technicality.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Plaquemine Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Louisiana, including Iberville Parish, Baton Rouge, and the river parishes, as well as across Mississippi. Workers’ compensation is the center of the firm’s practice, not a side matter taken when it happens to walk in the door. Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off, and the firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. The firm was ranked by Best Law Firms in 2026 for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson.
Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe, both Partners, have been recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and The National Trial Lawyers. Andrew Rueff has tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict, which matters when an insurer will not move without a courtroom behind the demand. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out a team that handles claims before workers’ compensation judges and on appeal.
The results reflect the kinds of injuries common among industrial and field workers: $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, $385,000 for a project manager injured when he was struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, communicates, and stays in the fight with the insurance company. You pay nothing up front, consultations are free, we advance the costs of your case, and we are paid only if we recover for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish (hablamos español).
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Plaquemine-Area Workplaces
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most disputed claims. Carriers often point to degenerative disc disease, so the case turns on medical evidence showing that repetitive heavy work or a specific incident caused or aggravated the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common among pipefitters, laborers, and equipment operators. Insurers sometimes call them old sports injuries, and we answer that with treating-physician opinions and work history.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Plant, refinery, and rig work carries risks of thermal and chemical burns, explosions, and crush injuries. These cases involve long treatment, specialist care, and significant questions about permanent disability.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones from falls, dropped loads, and vehicle incidents can require surgery, hardware, and extended time away from work.
- Occupational Illness and Repetitive Trauma: Conditions that develop over time from the work environment, not one dramatic accident, can still be compensable, though they invite sharper challenges about causation.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job are claims we handle for those who serve the community.
- Work Injuries With a Third Party at Fault: A negligent driver who hits your work truck or a contractor with an unsafe site may create a separate personal injury claim alongside your comp benefits, and the two must be coordinated carefully.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Iberville Parish
Start with notice. In Louisiana, you should report your injury to your employer within 30 days, and a compensation proceeding cannot be maintained without that notice. Do it in writing if you can, keep a copy, and be specific about what happened and which body parts hurt. Do not wait to see whether the pain fades. Gaps between the incident and the first report are the first thing an adjuster uses to argue the injury did not happen at work.
Get medical attention and be consistent with providers. Tell every doctor the injury happened at work, describe the mechanism clearly, and follow the treatment plan. Inconsistent histories in medical records cause real damage later. If a treatment request is denied, the clock becomes very short: the dispute must be filed on Form 1009 with the Office of Workers’ Compensation within 15 calendar days of receiving written notice of the denial, and the OWC medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide. If you disagree with that decision, you have 45 days from the date it was issued to file Form 1008. These deadlines run from issuance and receipt, not from when you finally get around to reading the letter.
For the claim itself, a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the date of injury. If compensation payments have been made, that deadline can extend to three years from the last payment, but do not count on an exception when a filing can simply be made on time. Louisiana lets the worker choose where the hearing is held: the parish where the injury occurred, the parish where you lived when you were hurt, or the parish of the employer’s principal place of business. That choice can affect travel and convenience, and it is worth making deliberately with counsel.
If a workers’ compensation judge issues a final judgment you disagree with, you can appeal. An appeal that suspends the judgment must be filed within 30 days, and one that does not suspend it within 60 days, with the delay running from the later of the signing of the judgment or the mailing of notice. Cases from the district that covers this area are appealed to the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal, and a further request for review can be made to the Louisiana Supreme Court by writ application within 30 days of notice of the judgment.
A few mistakes come up repeatedly. Workers give recorded statements to adjusters without preparation. They go back to work before a doctor releases them because a supervisor or adjuster pushed. They sign forms without reading them or accept a lowball settlement while still treating. Talking to an attorney before any of these steps costs nothing and often prevents problems that are hard to repair later.
How Louisiana Benefits Work for an Injured Plaquemine Worker
Louisiana requires nearly every employer to carry workers’ compensation coverage, even with a single employee. Benefits include all reasonable and necessary medical treatment, wage replacement while you are temporarily unable to work, and additional benefits for permanent disability, catastrophic injury, or death. Weekly compensation is set as a percentage of your wages, subject to a maximum that is adjusted annually and fixed by the date of your accident, so the rate that applies to you does not change later.
If you can return to work but at lower pay, supplemental earnings benefits can make up part of the difference. They are generally calculated at two-thirds of the gap between your pre-injury average wages and what you earn or are able to earn, and they apply when you cannot earn 90 percent or more of your pre-injury wages. These benefits can continue until you are released to full duty, are earning your pre-injury wages, or reach the 520-week maximum, and weeks of temporary total disability count toward that limit. Disputes about what you are “able to earn” are common, and vocational evidence often decides them.
Insurers deny and cut off claims through a familiar playbook: the accident did not happen at work, the injury is pre-existing, the employee was released too early, or benefits simply stop without warning. A pre-existing condition does not end your claim if work caused, worsened, or accelerated it. Answering that argument with strong medical evidence is a core part of what we do.
Questions Plaquemine Workers Ask About Comp Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim in Plaquemine?
Not every claim requires one, but if your benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, an attorney can make a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers protecting its interests, and you should have someone protecting yours.
How much does it cost to hire Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of your case, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement for you. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are also limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report my injury?
Report it to your employer right away and no later than 30 days after the injury. Louisiana law bars a compensation proceeding unless notice was given within that window, with limited exceptions, so late reporting can put a valid claim at risk.
How long do I have to file a formal claim?
Generally one year from the date of the accident. If the insurer has paid compensation, the deadline may extend to three years from the last payment. Because exceptions depend on the details, it is safer to file well within the one-year period.
What can I do if the insurer denies a medical treatment my doctor recommends?
You must file Form 1009 with the Office of Workers’ Compensation within 15 calendar days of receiving written notice of the denial. The OWC medical director then has 30 calendar days to issue a decision. Missing the 15-day window can cost you the ability to challenge the denial through that process.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Louisiana protects workers from being fired in retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review your options.
What if my injury was caused or worsened by a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end your claim. If your job caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Treating-physician opinions and your work history are usually the heart of the response to this defense.
Can I get workers’ comp and also sue someone else for my injury?
Sometimes. If someone other than your employer caused the injury, such as a negligent driver or an outside contractor, you may have a separate personal injury claim. Louisiana’s delictual claims generally carry a two-year period for injuries on or after July 1, 2024, and a fault rule that bars recovery for a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault applies to causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026. Your comp case and injury case need to be handled together so one does not undercut the other.
Will my health insurance pay while my comp claim is pending?
Work-related treatment is supposed to be paid through workers’ compensation, and health insurers often refuse to cover injuries they view as job-related. If the comp carrier is denying care, that gap is exactly the kind of problem we help resolve, so tell us early about any bills going unpaid.
What happens if I disagree with the workers’ compensation judge’s decision?
You can appeal to the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal for cases from this region. An appeal that suspends the judgment must be filed within 30 days and one that does not within 60 days, measured from the later of the signing of the judgment or the mailing of notice. Missing the window can make an unfair ruling final.
What if my employer says it does not have to cover me because I am a contractor or new on the job?
Louisiana requires nearly every employer to carry coverage, and employee status turns on how the work actually relationship operates, not what a label says. Do not accept a denial based only on that label without having someone review the facts.
Do you represent Spanish-speaking workers?
Yes. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Serving Plaquemine Workers’ Compensation Clients Across Iberville Parish and South Louisiana
Our work starts in Plaquemine and Iberville Parish and extends across the surrounding river communities. We represent injured workers in Plaquemine itself, in neighboring Iberville Parish towns such as White Castle, St. Gabriel, and Rosedale, and in nearby communities along the river corridor in Ascension, West Baton Rouge, and Assumption parishes. Workers who commute into the plants and docks of the corridor often live in one parish and are hurt in another, and Louisiana’s hearing-venue rules let us choose a forum that makes sense for your situation.
From there our reach continues through Baton Rouge and the capital area, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport, and throughout South Louisiana and north Louisiana. We also represent injured workers across Mississippi, from Jackson, Madison, and Hattiesburg to the Gulf Coast, Southaven, the Delta, and north Mississippi. Wherever you were hurt, the same focus applies: medical care approved, wage benefits paid, and a firm that knows how the other side operates.
Speak With a Plaquemine Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to take on the insurance company by yourself. A Plaquemine workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which deadlines are running, and take over the dealings with your employer and its insurer. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call us today and let us start working on your claim.
