Gretna Personal Injury Lawyer
Gretna is the parish seat of Jefferson Parish, which means a crash on the West Bank, a fall at a warehouse near the river, or a collision involving a work truck on the Westbank Expressway is handled by courts and insurers that operate on their own local rhythm. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles personal injury, car and truck accident, premises liability, and wrongful death claims for people hurt in Gretna and across Jefferson Parish, alongside the workers’ compensation practice that has been the center of the firm’s work.
If you are searching for a Gretna personal injury lawyer, the first decision is usually not whether to sue. It is how to avoid damaging a claim before it is even built: what to tell an adjuster, whether to sign a medical release, how to handle a recorded statement, and whether the injury happened on the job, which opens a second set of benefits entirely. Louisiana also changed two rules in recent years that affect nearly every injury claim, the filing deadline and the way shared fault is counted, and both are covered below.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Gretna Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured people in Louisiana and Mississippi, including Gretna, Harvey, Marrero, Westwego, and the rest of Jefferson Parish. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. That background matters in injury cases because so many serious accidents have a work connection: a delivery driver struck on a route, a project manager hit in a company vehicle, a worker injured on a contractor’s unsafe site. The firm handles both the comp claim and the third-party claim so the two work together instead of against each other.
Results include $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 with back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Partners Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe have been recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and The National Trial Lawyers, and the firm was ranked by Best Law Firms for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson. Andrew Rueff has tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict, which gives the firm real leverage when an insurer refuses to be reasonable. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
Clients consistently describe a team that listens, communicates, and fights the insurance company on their behalf. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, you pay no fee unless there is a recovery, phones are answered around the clock, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language.
Injury Claims That Come Out of Gretna and the West Bank
- Car and Truck Collisions: Commuter traffic funnels through the Westbank Expressway, Lapalco Boulevard, and the approaches to the Crescent City Connection, and heavy trucks serving the river, the shipyards, and the industrial corridor share those same roads. Truck cases often involve a driver, a carrier, and sometimes a broker, each with separate insurance.
- Work Vehicle Crashes: When an employee is hurt by a negligent driver while on the clock, the worker may receive comp benefits and also pursue the at-fault driver. The two recoveries interact, which is why they should be planned together.
- Premises Liability: Falls in stores, apartment complexes, parking lots, and older commercial buildings turn on whether the owner knew or should have known about the hazard, such as a broken stair, poor lighting, or a wet floor with no warning.
- Industrial and Dockside Injuries: Burns, crush injuries, and falls on plant and industrial sites can involve contractors and equipment owners other than the employer, opening a claim beyond comp. Some maritime workers fall under federal rules, so the right framework has to be identified early.
- Wrongful Death: Families who lose someone in a crash or workplace incident can pursue a claim under Louisiana’s wrongful death article, which carries its own timing rule discussed below.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Disc herniations are common after rear-end collisions and heavy lifting. Insurers frequently point to degenerative disc disease, so medical records that tie the injury to the event carry real weight.
- Shoulder, Knee, and Fracture Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, meniscus tears, and broken ankles or hips often require specialists and surgery, which drives the value of the claim and the length of the recovery.
What to Do After an Injury in Gretna
Get medical care first and be specific with the provider about every symptom, because early records become the backbone of the claim. If you were hurt in a crash, call the police so an official report exists. In Gretna that typically means the Gretna Police Department for crashes inside the city, or the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office for incidents in unincorporated areas of the parish. Photograph the scene, the vehicles, and your injuries, collect names and insurance information, and write down what you remember while it is fresh. Avoid posting about the accident online, and do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer before you understand what you are signing.
If the injury happened at work, report it to your employer promptly. Under Louisiana’s workers’ compensation law, notice to the employer is generally required within 30 days, and a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the injury, with a longer window possible when comp payments have been made. If a third party also caused the injury, that separate claim runs on its own clock. Louisiana’s delictual actions are now subject to a two-year prescriptive period for injuries on or after July 1, 2024, while earlier injuries remain under the former one-year period. Wrongful death claims follow a different rule: the longer of one year from the death or two years from the day the injury was sustained, except that a death based on medical malpractice stays at one year from the date of death.
Cases arising in Jefferson Parish are filed in the parish’s state district court, and appeals from state courts here go to the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal, which covers Jefferson, St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist parishes. Federal cases are heard in the Eastern District of Louisiana, which sits in New Orleans. The most common mistake is waiting. Evidence disappears, witnesses move, and insurers use delay to argue the injury was minor. A second mistake is accepting an early settlement offer before the full extent of treatment is known, because once a release is signed the claim is over, no matter what the medical bills turn out to be.
How Shared Fault Now Works in Louisiana
Louisiana moved away from pure comparative fault for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026. Under the amended rule, a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and a claimant below that threshold has the award reduced by their percentage of fault. Juries must be told about this bar. Earlier causes of action remain under the older pure comparative approach. In practical terms, insurers now have a stronger incentive to inflate the injured person’s share of blame, whether by claiming you were speeding, distracted, or not watching a hazard. Building the liability case with photographs, witness accounts, and objective evidence is no longer just about proving the other side was negligent; it is about keeping your own fault percentage well under the line.
When the person hurt was also a worker, a separate point applies. Workers’ compensation benefits are not reduced by the worker’s own negligence in the same way, which is one reason the comp claim and the injury claim must be evaluated side by side rather than treated as one lawsuit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gretna Injury Cases
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Louisiana?
For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, the general period for a delictual action is two years from the day the injury or damage was sustained. Injuries before that date remain under the former one-year period. Because the rule depends on the date, confirm your deadline early rather than assuming.
Do I need a lawyer for a car accident in Gretna?
Not every minor fender bender requires one, but if you are injured, if fault is disputed, or if the insurer is delaying or lowballing, representation changes the dynamic. Adjusters work for the insurance company, and a lawyer makes sure your side is documented and valued properly.
What does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances case costs, and you owe a fee only if there is a recovery.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and below that your award is reduced by your share. Earlier claims remain under pure comparative fault. Either way, how fault is allocated can decide the value of the case.
Can I bring an injury claim and a workers’ compensation claim for the same accident?
Often yes, when someone other than your employer caused the injury, such as a negligent driver or a contractor with an unsafe site. You can receive comp benefits and pursue the third party, and the two need to be coordinated.
What if the insurance company says my injury was pre-existing?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically defeat a claim. If the accident caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still recover. Strong medical evidence comparing your condition before and after the event is how that argument is answered.
Will my health insurance pay for treatment while my claim is pending?
Many people use health insurance to keep treatment going, and the bills can later be addressed as part of the claim. If the injury is work-related, the comp insurer is generally responsible for reasonable and necessary medical care, so do not let a provider route it incorrectly.
How long will my case take?
It depends on the severity of the injury, how long treatment lasts, and whether the insurer negotiates fairly. Cases usually are not valued until you reach maximum medical improvement or the extent of your treatment is clear, which is why settling too early can cost you.
My family member died in a crash. What is the deadline to act?
Louisiana’s wrongful death article allows the longer of one year from the death or two years from the day the injury was sustained. A death claim based on medical malpractice remains limited to one year from the date of death. Because the rules differ by cause, speak with a lawyer quickly.
What if a government vehicle or agency was involved?
Claims against public bodies carry special notice and timing requirements that differ from ordinary claims, so these cases should be reviewed promptly rather than handled like a standard car accident.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Serving Injured People Across Gretna and Jefferson Parish
The firm represents injured clients in Gretna and throughout Jefferson Parish, including Harvey, Marrero, Westwego, Terrytown, Algiers-adjacent West Bank communities, Metairie, Kenner, Harahan, and River Ridge. Beyond the parish, the team works with clients in neighboring Orleans, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines parishes, across the greater New Orleans area, and throughout South Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles, as well as Shreveport and north Louisiana. The firm also serves injured people across Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, the Delta, and north Mississippi. Whether the injury came from a crash on a West Bank thoroughfare, a fall on commercial property, or an industrial accident at a job site, the firm handles the claim from the first call through resolution.
Talk With a Gretna Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt in Gretna or anywhere in Jefferson Parish, a Gretna personal injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, tell you whether a work connection opens additional benefits, and explain the deadlines that apply to your situation. Call us any hour, because phones are answered 24 hours a day. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs, and you pay no fee unless we recover for you.
