Greater New Orleans Work Injury Lawyer
A fall from a scaffold on a river-front job, a burn on an industrial site in St. Charles Parish, a back injury from years of loading freight near the port: when the injury happens at work in the New Orleans area, the first questions are about the next paycheck and who will pay for the surgery. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers throughout Louisiana and Mississippi, and our work in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, St. Charles, and neighboring parishes is built around a Greater New Orleans work injury lawyer approach: compensation cases are the center of what we do, not a side practice.
The Greater New Orleans region produces a particular mix of work injuries. Shipyards, docks, refineries, petrochemical plants, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, warehouses, and construction sites all sit within a short drive of each other, and the claims that come out of them tend to involve back and spine damage, shoulder and knee tears, fractures, and burns. Insurers know these patterns too, and they have a standard set of responses: the accident was not work-related, the condition was already there, or the worker is ready to return before the doctor says so.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Work Injury Claim Near New Orleans
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers across Mississippi and South Louisiana, including Orleans Parish and the surrounding communities. We have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for our clients. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and you owe no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish: hablamos español.
The people handling your case matter. Rob Lunsford, our founding partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe are partners who 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, Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team, and all of them work on behalf of workers rather than insurers.
Results show what that focus can do. 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 tell us what they value most: attorneys who listen, who take the time to understand their situation, and who stay in the fight with the insurance company at every step.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Greater New Orleans Workplaces
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most common claims from warehouse, dock, hospital, and construction work. When the carrier blames degenerative disc disease, the answer is medical evidence showing that repetitive physical work or a specific incident caused or aggravated the problem.
- Shoulder and Knee Tears: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears often follow heavy lifting, pulling pipe, or climbing. Employers sometimes call them old sports injuries, and we meet that argument with treating-physician records and work history.
- Fractures: Feet, ankles, hips, and other bones broken in falls or struck-by accidents can require specialists and complex surgical repair, which is exactly when treatment approvals get contested.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Plants, refineries, and oil field sites around the region generate severe burn and crush injuries that call for long-term care and, often, permanent disability benefits.
- Vehicle Accidents on the Job: Delivery drivers, truck drivers, and employees running work errands are hurt on I-10, I-610, the Westbank Expressway, and the Causeway approaches. These cases can support both a comp claim and a claim against the at-fault driver.
- Occupational Illness and Repetitive Trauma: Conditions that develop over time from the work environment can qualify for benefits just as a single accident can.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job are claims the firm handles for those who serve the public.
What to Do After a Work Injury in the New Orleans Area
Get medical care first, and tell the provider the injury happened at work so the records say so from the start. Then report the injury to your employer, in writing if you can. Louisiana law bars a compensation proceeding unless the employer receives notice within thirty days of the injury, and Mississippi has the same thirty-day notice rule. Do not treat that as a comfortable cushion; adjusters look for gaps between the accident and the first report.
The filing deadline is separate. In Louisiana, a formal claim generally has to be filed within one year of the date of injury, though if the insurer has paid compensation the period can extend to three years from the last payment. Because exceptions depend on the facts, the safe course is to talk with an attorney well before the one-year mark approaches.
Disputes over medical treatment move on short clocks. If the insurer denies a treatment request through utilization review, the aggrieved party has 15 calendar days from written notice to file Form 1009 with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, and the OWC medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide. After that decision, the law gives 45 days from the date it was issued to file Form 1008. Missing these windows can cost you the surgery your surgeon recommended.
Cases are heard by a workers’ compensation judge in the district court system run by the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration. The New Orleans district handles many Greater New Orleans claims, and under Louisiana law you choose among the parish where you were hurt, the parish where you lived when injured, or the parish of the employer’s principal place of business. That choice can affect convenience and strategy, so make it with counsel.
Keep copies of everything: incident reports, text messages with supervisors, medical records, pay stubs, and a log of missed work. Avoid giving a recorded statement to the adjuster before you understand what the questions are aiming at, and do not return to work against your doctor’s restrictions because someone on the phone suggested you could.
How Louisiana Wage Benefits Work, and Where They Get Cut Off
Wage replacement is calculated from your average weekly wage, up to a statewide maximum tied to the date of the accident. That maximum is set each year under state law and fixed by your accident date, so it does not change later. Temporary total disability pays while you cannot work at all. If you come back at reduced pay, supplemental earnings benefits can make up part of the difference: they equal two-thirds of the gap between your pre-injury wages and what you earn or are able to earn, when you cannot earn at least 90 percent of what you made before. Those benefits can run until you are released to full duty, you return to pre-injury wages, or you reach the 520-week limit, and weeks of temporary total disability count toward that limit.
Many cutoffs happen at exactly this point. An insurer decides you could earn more than you do, sends a job list, or claims a labor market survey shows work you can perform. Whether those jobs fit your restrictions and your actual abilities is often the entire fight.
When a Judge Rules Against You: Appeals From the New Orleans Area
A final judgment from a workers’ compensation judge is not the end. It can be appealed to the appropriate circuit court of appeal. For parishes like Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard, that is the Fourth Circuit; for Jefferson, St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist, it is the Fifth Circuit. An appeal that suspends the judgment must be filed within thirty days, and one that does not suspend it within sixty. The delay runs from the day after the judgment was signed or the day after notice was mailed, whichever is later. From there, a party can seek review from the Louisiana Supreme Court. Our attorneys take appeals when an unfair ruling needs to be challenged.
Common Questions From Injured Workers in Greater New Orleans
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim requires one. If benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, a lawyer can change the outcome. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys looking after its interests.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance case costs, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement. Attorney fees in comp cases are also limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report my injury?
Tell your employer right away, and within thirty days at the latest. Louisiana law prohibits a compensation proceeding if notice was not given within that window.
How long do I have to file a claim in Louisiana?
Generally one year from the date of the accident. If the insurer has made compensation payments, that period may extend to three years from the last payment, but do not count on an exception without checking your facts.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
Louisiana and Mississippi both protect workers from retaliation for filing a compensation claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us so we can review your options.
What if I had a pre-existing condition?
A prior condition does not automatically end your claim. If your work caused, worsened, or accelerated it, you may still be entitled to benefits. Answering this defense with strong medical evidence is central to how we build cases.
My insurer denied my surgery. What happens now?
You have 15 calendar days from written notice of the denial to file a dispute with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration on Form 1009. The medical director then has 30 days to issue a decision. If that decision goes against you, a further 45-day window opens to challenge it.
What happens to my benefits if I go back to work at lower pay?
You may qualify for supplemental earnings benefits, which cover two-thirds of the difference between your old wages and what you earn or could earn. They are available when you cannot earn 90 percent or more of your pre-injury pay, up to the 520-week limit.
I was hurt by a driver while making a delivery. Can I get comp and sue the driver?
Often yes. Comp covers you regardless of fault, and a negligent third party may be separately liable. Louisiana’s delictual claims now carry a two-year filing period for injuries on or after July 1, 2024, and a person found 51 percent or more at fault can be barred from recovery for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026. We coordinate the two claims so one does not undercut the other.
I live in New Orleans but was hurt on a job in Mississippi. Which rules apply?
That depends on where the employment is based and where the injury occurred, and it can matter a great deal. Mississippi requires report within thirty days and a filing within two years, with claims heard by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Because our firm handles both states, we can sort out which system fits your case.
Can my employer make me return before my doctor clears me?
Your employer can offer light duty, but if the work exceeds your doctor’s restrictions you should not accept it without talking to us. Pressure to come back early is a recurring tactic, and refusing or accepting the wrong offer can affect your benefits.
My wife died after a workplace accident. Are there deadlines for her family?
Yes. Louisiana’s wrongful death action runs one year from the death or two years from the injury, whichever is longer, and death benefits under the comp system have their own requirements. Contact us quickly so nothing is lost.
Serving Injured Workers From New Orleans Through South Louisiana
Our work in the Greater New Orleans region starts in Orleans Parish, from the Central Business District, the French Quarter, and the port and riverfront areas through Mid-City, Gentilly, New Orleans East, Algiers, Uptown, and the Lower Ninth Ward. We also represent workers across Jefferson Parish, including Metairie, Kenner, Harahan, Gretna, Marrero, Harvey, and Westwego; across St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Parish; and in St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist parishes along the river corridor, where plant and industrial work is concentrated.
Beyond the metro area, the firm serves injured workers throughout South Louisiana and the rest of the state, including Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport, as well as across Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and the Delta. If you were hurt on the job anywhere in this region, we can help you pursue the medical care and wage benefits the law provides.
Talk With a Greater New Orleans Work Injury Attorney
You do not have to sort out an insurance company’s responses by yourself. A Greater New Orleans work injury attorney from Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your situation, explain the deadlines that apply, and take over the fight with your employer and its insurer. Consultations are free, our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call us today to talk through your case.
