Lafourche Parish Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
The goal in a work injury claim is simple to state and hard to reach: get the medical care your doctor orders, keep a paycheck coming while you heal, and close the case on terms that reflect what the injury actually cost you. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that represents injured workers across Louisiana and Mississippi, and a Lafourche Parish workers’ compensation lawyer from our team can take on the employer and its insurer while you concentrate on recovery.
Lafourche Parish is a place where hard physical work is the local economy. Offshore support, marine fabrication, shipyards, oilfield service yards, sugarcane, seafood, and the long hauls of port and pipeline work all feed families from Thibodaux down through Raceland, Golden Meadow, and Galliano to Grand Isle. Those jobs carry real risk, and when someone is hurt, the claim that follows is often contested in ways the worker did not see coming.
Louisiana requires nearly every employer to carry compensation coverage, even if the business has a single employee. That coverage is supposed to pay for reasonable and necessary medical treatment and replace part of your wages. In practice, adjusters question whether the accident happened at work, point to an old injury, or push a return to duty before your doctor agrees. Our attorneys have seen each of those moves many times, and we build claims around the medical records and work history that answer them.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Lafourche Parish Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm serving injured workers in Lafourche Parish and the rest of South Louisiana, as well as communities across Mississippi. Most lawyers who accept comp cases are personal injury attorneys who take one when it happens to walk in. We have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, you owe no fee unless we recover for you, and our phones are answered around the clock. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with us in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. 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 in 2026 for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson. Andrew Rueff has successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict, which matters when an insurer will not negotiate fairly. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
The results reflect the kinds of injuries Lafourche workers suffer. We secured $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, answers questions, and stands up to the insurance company on their behalf. Every case is different and past results do not guarantee an outcome, but they show what focused comp work can accomplish.
Common Work Injuries We Handle for Lafourche Parish Workers
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most common claims from lifting, pipe handling, and repetitive labor. Insurers frequently blame degenerative disc disease, so we document how the work caused or worsened the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears arise from pulling heavy lines, climbing vessels, and working on uneven decks. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, and medical evidence is how that argument gets answered.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Plants, rigs, fabrication yards, and industrial sites produce severe burns and crush injuries. These claims can involve long treatment, permanent limitations, and benefits well beyond temporary wage replacement.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones from falls off equipment, ladders, and vessels often require specialists and complex surgical repair, followed by months away from work.
- Truck and Vehicle Crashes on the Job: Drivers, delivery workers, and field supervisors hurt in a wreck while working may have both a comp claim and a separate claim against the at-fault driver.
- Occupational Illness and Repetitive Trauma: Conditions that develop over time from the work environment can qualify for benefits even without a single dramatic accident.
- Wrongful Death: When a worker dies from a job-related injury, the family may be entitled to death benefits and, in some cases, a separate claim against a negligent third party.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Lafourche Parish
Start with medical care and with notice. Get treated, tell the provider the injury happened at work, and report it to your supervisor or employer right away. Louisiana law requires notice to the employer within 30 days of the injury, and a compensation proceeding generally cannot go forward without it. Put the report in writing if you can, keep a copy, and write down who you told and when. Verbal reports that nobody remembers later are a common reason claims get questioned.
The formal claim has its own clock. A claim generally must be filed within one year of the date of the accident, though the period can extend to three years from the last compensation payment if benefits were paid. Do not assume that because the insurer is paying, the deadline has stopped mattering. Payments stop without warning, and a worker who waited can find the window nearly closed. Gather your pay stubs, any incident report, photographs of the scene or equipment, the names of coworkers who saw what happened, and every medical record and work-status note you receive.
If the insurer denies treatment your doctor recommends, a separate and much shorter process applies. A disputed medical treatment decision is challenged by filing a form with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration within 15 calendar days of 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 its issuance to file the next form. Missing these dates can cost you treatment that your claim might otherwise have secured, so call us the day a denial letter arrives.
Claims that cannot be resolved go before a workers’ compensation judge. Louisiana runs ten district workers’ compensation courts, and the one in Houma is the closest to Lafourche Parish. The law lets the worker choose where to file: the parish where the injury happened, the parish where you lived when you were hurt, or the parish where the employer has its principal place of business. That choice can affect convenience and strategy, and we weigh it with you. Lafourche Parish sits within the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal, which reviews workers’ compensation judgments.
A few mistakes come up repeatedly. Workers give recorded statements to an adjuster without preparation. They go back to full duty before a doctor clears them, then reinjure themselves and are accused of causing it. They post about activities on social media that an insurer twists into evidence. They settle early for a number that ignores future surgery. Talking with a lawyer before you do any of these things costs nothing and can change the direction of the entire claim.
How a Louisiana Comp Claim Moves From Injury to Resolution
Most claims begin with the employer reporting the injury to its insurer, which then investigates. During that period the adjuster decides whether to accept the claim, pay indemnity and medical benefits, or deny it. Accepted claims usually bring weekly checks while you are temporarily unable to work, plus approved treatment. The weekly rate is a percentage of your average wage, subject to a maximum that is set annually and fixed by the date of your accident, so it does not rise later even if the maximum for new accidents does.
If you can work again but earn less because of your injury, supplemental earnings benefits may apply. When you cannot earn 90 percent or more of your pre-injury wages, these benefits are two-thirds of the difference between what you earned before and what you earn or are able to earn now. They continue until you are released to full duty, return to your pre-injury earnings, or reach the 520-week maximum, and weeks of temporary total disability count toward that total. Disputes over what you are “able to earn” are common, and vocational evidence often decides them.
When an insurer will not do the right thing, the case is litigated before the workers’ compensation judge, who hears testimony and reviews medical evidence. A judgment can be appealed to the First Circuit, generally within 30 days if the appeal suspends the judgment and within 60 days if it does not, measured from the later of the signing or the mailing of notice. From there, a party can seek review in the Louisiana Supreme Court by applying for a writ within 30 days of notice of the judgment. Many cases settle well before that point, but a firm willing to try a case and appeal it negotiates from a stronger position.
When someone other than your employer contributed to the injury, such as a negligent driver or a contractor with an unsafe site, a separate personal injury claim may exist. For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana’s delictual prescription period is two years, and a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault is barred from recovery for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026. Coordinating that claim with your comp benefits protects both.
Lafourche Parish Workers’ Compensation Questions Answered
Do I need a workers’ compensation attorney in Lafourche Parish?
Not every claim needs one, but if your benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, a Lafourche Parish workers’ compensation attorney can make a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers working for it, and you should have someone working for you.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement. Attorney fees in Louisiana comp cases are 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 without that notice, so do not wait to see whether the pain improves.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Generally one year from the date of the accident. If the insurer has paid compensation, the period may extend to three years from the last payment. Because exceptions are narrow and easy to misjudge, speak with a lawyer as soon as you can.
What happens if my doctor’s recommended treatment is denied?
You must file a dispute with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration within 15 calendar days of the written denial. The medical director then has 30 calendar days to rule. Keep the denial letter and call us immediately, because this deadline is short.
Can my employer fire me for filing a claim?
Louisiana protects workers from retaliation for filing a compensation claim. If you were let go, demoted, or disciplined after reporting an injury, tell us so we can review what happened.
What if the insurer says my injury is from an old condition?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, benefits may still be owed. Strong medical opinions comparing your condition before and after the work event are usually what resolve this.
What are supplemental earnings benefits and how long do they last?
They are paid when you return to work but earn less than 90 percent of your old wages because of the injury. They run until you reach full duty, regain your pre-injury earnings, or hit 520 weeks, with temporary total disability weeks counting toward that limit.
If I was hurt offshore or on a vessel, is it still a Louisiana comp claim?
Not always. Some maritime and offshore workers fall under federal law rather than state comp, and the rules depend on your job duties and where you were working. Tell us exactly what you do and where, and we will sort out which system applies before any deadline is lost.
Can I still get benefits if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system, so carelessness on your part does not usually defeat the claim. Fault matters more in a separate third-party injury claim, where Louisiana’s 51 percent bar can apply to causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026.
Will I see my case handled by a lawyer or a paralegal?
You will work with a team of attorneys and staff who handle workers’ compensation every day. Ask us during your consultation how your case will be staffed and who your main contact will be.
Serving Injured Workers Across Lafourche Parish and South Louisiana
Our work for Lafourche Parish clients starts with Thibodaux, the parish seat, and extends through Raceland, Lockport, Mathews, Gheens, and Chackbay. Further down the bayou we represent workers in Cut Off, Galliano, Golden Meadow, Larose, and Port Fourchon, along with the Grand Isle community at the Gulf end of the parish. Many of these workers commute to jobs in shipyards, supply boat operations, and oilfield service companies, and an injury on any of them can raise questions about which compensation system applies.
We also serve workers in neighboring Terrebonne Parish, including Houma, Gray, and Bayou Cane, and in Assumption, St. Charles, and Jefferson Parishes, as well as New Orleans and the surrounding region. Across South Louisiana our reach includes Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles, with statewide representation up to Shreveport and north Louisiana. We also represent injured workers throughout Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, and the Delta, so a worker whose job crosses the state line can have one firm handle both sides of the claim.
Speak With a Lafourche Parish Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to take on the insurance company by yourself. A Lafourche Parish workers’ compensation attorney from Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your situation, explain the deadlines that apply to you, and start working on the medical care and wage benefits the law provides. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover for you. Call us or send your case details, and let us handle the insurer while you focus on getting better.
