Acadiana Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
A torn shoulder on a rig out of Lafayette, a crushed foot at a sugar mill in St. Martin Parish, a back injury hauling freight through Crowley: Acadiana’s economy runs on physical work, and the injuries that come with it tend to be serious ones. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm representing injured workers across Mississippi and South Louisiana, and our team handles claims for workers hurt on the job throughout the Acadiana region.
If you need an Acadiana workers’ compensation lawyer, the first thing to know is that your claim will not be decided by a jury. It goes before a workers’ compensation judge in a specialized administrative system, and the Lafayette district office of the Office of Workers’ Compensation handles claims from this part of the state. The deadlines in that system are short, and an adjuster who tells you “we’re still reviewing” can run out your clock without ever formally denying anything.
The insurers who handle Acadiana claims know the local industries well: oilfield service, offshore support, agriculture, healthcare, construction, and trucking. They also know which arguments tend to slow a claim down. Pre-existing degeneration, a late report, a disputed account of the accident, a treating doctor they would rather you not see. Each of these has an answer, but only if the file is built correctly from the start.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for an Acadiana Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm. Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off early, and we have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for injured workers across Louisiana and Mississippi. We serve injured workers in Lafayette, Acadia, St. Martin, Iberia, Vermilion, and St. Landry parishes and the communities around them, and we answer our phones 24 hours a day. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and you pay no fee unless we recover for you. Hablamos español.
Rob Lunsford, our 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, 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, and Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
The results matter most where they match the kind of work Acadiana people do. We recovered $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns to the lower extremities, and $195,000 for a derrickhand with complex left shoulder injuries from pulling large pipes. Other outcomes include $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, and $385,000 for a project manager injured after being struck in his work vehicle. Clients regularly describe a team that listens, communicates, and fights the insurance company at every step.
Common Acadiana Work Injuries and Claim Types
- Oilfield and Offshore-Support Injuries: Rig floors, yards, and service-company jobs produce crush injuries, burns, and shoulder and back damage from heavy pipe. Employers often argue a worker was not on duty or contributed to the incident, and we build the record on what the job actually required.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most common claims we handle. Insurers frequently blame degenerative disc disease, so we show how years of physical work or a single incident caused or worsened the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Tears: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are routinely labeled “old sports injuries” by employers. The medical timeline and the mechanics of the work are what answer that.
- Fractures and Surgical Repairs: Broken feet, ankles, and hips from falls, equipment, or vehicle impacts can require specialists and multiple surgeries, which raises questions about authorized treatment and long-term wage loss.
- Trucking and Delivery Injuries: Drivers hauling along I-10, I-49, and the parish highways that connect Acadiana face wrecks that can trigger both a comp claim and a claim against the at-fault driver.
- Agricultural and Processing Injuries: Farm, mill, and processing work carries risks from machinery and repetitive strain, and workers often have questions about whether their employer carries coverage at all.
- Healthcare and Hospital Worker Injuries: Nurses and aides hurt lifting patients develop back and shoulder problems that insurers sometimes dismiss as wear and tear.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Plant and industrial-site accidents can leave permanent disability, which changes the benefits available and the long-term planning a settlement requires.
What to Do After You Are Hurt on the Job in Acadiana
Report the injury to your employer right away, and in writing if you can. The law gives you 30 days to notify the employer, and a missed notice window can hand the insurer an easy argument. Get medical care promptly and tell every provider the injury happened at work, because the first medical records become the foundation of the claim. Keep copies of everything: incident reports, texts with supervisors, pay stubs, work restrictions, and the names of coworkers who saw what happened.
Louisiana generally requires a formal claim to be filed within one year of the accident. If the insurer has paid compensation benefits, that deadline can extend to three years from the last payment, but do not count on it. The worker generally chooses where the case is heard from among the parish where the injury happened, the parish where the worker lived at the time, or the parish of the employer’s principal place of business.
If the insurer denies a recommended treatment, a separate and very short clock starts. A dispute over medical treatment goes to the medical director through a form that must be filed within 15 calendar days of the written denial, and the medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide. After that decision, a party has 45 days from the date it was issued to take the next step. These deadlines run from the date of the notice, not from the day you finally read it, so a denial letter should go to a lawyer the day it arrives.
Avoid the mistakes we see most. Do not give a recorded statement to the adjuster without understanding what it will be used for. Do not return to full duty before your doctor clears you. Do not skip appointments, since missed treatment is quoted back at workers later. And do not sign settlement paperwork until someone has evaluated your future medical needs and wage loss.
How Louisiana Wage Benefits and Appeals Work
Louisiana workers’ compensation pays medical treatment that is reasonable and necessary, along with weekly wage benefits while you cannot work. Temporary total disability benefits replace a portion of your wages while you are fully off work. If you return at lower pay, supplemental earnings benefits can make up part of the difference. Those benefits are generally two-thirds of the gap between your pre-injury wages and what you earn or are able to earn, and they are available when you cannot earn at least 90 percent of what you made before. They can continue until you are released to full duty, return to pre-injury earnings, or reach the 520-week maximum, with temporary total benefits counting toward that total. Weekly rates are capped, and the cap is tied to the date of the accident and adjusted periodically.
Claims are tried before a workers’ compensation judge, and the judge’s decision is final unless appealed. For Acadiana, appeals go to the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal, which covers Lafayette, Acadia, St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia, Vermilion, and a number of neighboring parishes. An appeal that suspends the judgment must be filed within 30 days, and one that does not suspend it within 60, with the clock running from the day after the judgment was signed or notice was mailed, whichever is later. A party can then ask the Louisiana Supreme Court to review through a writ application, also within 30 days of notice of the judgment.
When a negligent third party contributed to your injury, such as a driver who hit your work truck or a contractor with an unsafe site, you may have a separate injury claim alongside your comp benefits. For accidents on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana’s general deadline for injury lawsuits is two years from the day the injury was sustained, and for accidents on or after January 1, 2026, a person found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing. Coordinating the two claims matters because a settlement in one can affect the other.
Acadiana Workers’ Compensation Questions We Hear Often
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim in Acadiana?
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 your firm?
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 limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report my injury and file a claim?
Report to your employer within 30 days. A formal Louisiana claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, though payments already made can extend that to three years from the last payment. Because exceptions are narrow, it is best to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Louisiana protects workers from 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 the insurer says my injury is just a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your job caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Answering this argument with strong medical evidence is a core part of our work.
Can I choose my own doctor?
Louisiana gives injured workers a right to select a treating physician in many situations, though the rules have conditions and exceptions, and changing doctors later can require approval. Ask us before switching providers so you do not jeopardize payment for your care.
What happens if the insurer denies the surgery my doctor recommended?
The denial can be challenged, but fast. A request to the medical director must be filed within 15 calendar days of the written denial, and the medical director then has 30 calendar days to issue a decision. Missing that first window can cost you the easiest route to getting the surgery approved.
Will my health insurance pay for treatment while my comp claim is pending?
Sometimes, but health insurers generally expect workers’ compensation to cover work injuries and may seek reimbursement later. Tell your providers it is a work injury, and let us help sort out who pays for what so you are not stuck with unexpected bills.
Can I receive comp benefits and also sue someone else for my injury?
If someone other than your employer helped cause the injury, you may have both. A comp claim covers your medical care and wage loss regardless of fault, while an injury claim against the outside party can address damages comp does not. Louisiana’s injury deadline is two years for accidents on or after July 1, 2024, so the two claims need to be tracked together.
What if my employer says it does not carry workers’ compensation coverage?
Louisiana requires nearly every employer to carry coverage, even with a single employee. An employer who skipped coverage can face serious consequences, and you may have additional options. Contact us before you assume you are out of luck.
I only worked a few days before I was hurt. Am I still covered?
Coverage does not depend on a probationary period, so a new hire hurt in the first week is generally in the same position as a longtime employee. The practical issue is usually proof, so document the accident and tell the employer immediately.
Do you work with Spanish-speaking clients?
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 Injured Workers Across Acadiana and South Louisiana
Our Acadiana work starts in Lafayette Parish, including Lafayette, Scott, Youngsville, Broussard, Carencro, and Duson, and extends west and north through Acadia Parish into Crowley, Rayne, and Church Point. We represent workers in St. Landry Parish communities such as Opelousas, Eunice, and Sunset, and in St. Martin Parish towns including Breaux Bridge, St. Martinville, and Henderson. Down the Teche, we serve Iberia Parish workers in New Iberia, Jeanerette, and Delcambre, and in Vermilion Parish we help clients in Abbeville, Kaplan, Erath, and Gueydan.
Beyond Acadiana, we serve injured workers across South Louisiana and the rest of the state, from Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans to Shreveport and north Louisiana. We also represent workers across Mississippi, including Jackson, Madison, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, and the Delta. Wherever you were hurt, the same priorities apply: get the treatment approved, keep the wage checks coming, and push back when the insurer tries to shrink the claim.
Talk to an Acadiana Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
The insurance company already has people working on your claim. A call to an Acadiana workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC puts someone on your side who handles nothing but this kind of case. 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 tell us what happened.
