Acadiana Personal Injury Lawyer
Acadiana is the one corner of Louisiana where an injured person’s case can turn on a deadline that changed only recently, and a fault rule that now works very differently depending on the date of the accident. The firm handling that case matters. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that also represents injured people in car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death claims across Mississippi and South Louisiana, including Lafayette, Lake Charles, and the communities of Acadiana. If you are searching for an Acadiana personal injury lawyer, the details below will help you understand what your claim involves.
Acadiana’s economy produces a particular kind of injury case. Oilfield service trucks, crawfish and sugarcane haulers, and refinery contractors share Interstate 10, Interstate 49, and the two-lane highways between small towns with commuters and tourists. Many of the people hurt in those wrecks were also working at the moment of impact, which means two separate legal systems may apply to the same crash. That overlap is where careful handling counts most.
The Two-Year Clock and the 51 Percent Rule in Louisiana Injury Claims
Two recent changes shape nearly every Acadiana injury claim. First, Louisiana now gives injured people two years from the day the injury or damage is sustained to file a tort claim, replacing the old one-year period. That longer window applies only to injuries on or after July 1, 2024. If you were hurt before that date, the former one-year period still governs, and that deadline may already be gone or very close.
Second, Louisiana’s fault rules tightened. For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a person found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and a person found less at fault has the award reduced by their percentage. Earlier claims remain under pure comparative fault, where recovery is reduced but never barred. Juries in these cases must now be told about the bar, so every argument over who braked late, who drifted across a line, or who ignored a hazard carries more weight than it used to.
Insurers know this. Expect an adjuster to look for any statement, photo, or gap in treatment that moves your share of fault toward that 51 percent line. Recorded statements given too early are a common source of damage.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for an Acadiana Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers and accident victims throughout Mississippi and South Louisiana, with clients in Lafayette, Lake Charles, and across Acadiana. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Its attorneys handle injuries that insurers like to minimize: herniated discs, torn rotator cuffs, meniscus and ACL tears, fractures, burns, and catastrophic harm from oil rigs, plants, and industrial sites.
The results reflect that background. The firm 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 with back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns to the lower extremities. The project manager and oil rig cases show why this experience helps in injury claims: serious on-the-job injuries often involve a negligent third party as well as an employer’s comp carrier.
Founding Partner Rob Lunsford 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 and has argued personal injury and insurance cases before state appellate courts. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
Clients describe the same things in reviews: attorneys who listen, who fight with the insurance company at every step, and who stay reachable. The firm’s phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, the firm advances case costs, and you pay no fee unless there is a recovery. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call.
Injury Situations Common Across Acadiana
- Car and Truck Collisions: Interstate 10 through Lafayette, Scott, Crowley, and Lake Charles carries heavy commercial traffic, and I-49 links Lafayette to Opelousas and points north. Crashes with tractor-trailers and company vehicles often involve more than one insurer and a trucking company with its own investigators.
- Work Vehicle Crashes: A driver hit while on the clock may have both a workers’ compensation claim and a claim against the at-fault driver. The two must be coordinated so that one recovery does not damage the other.
- Oilfield and Industrial Site Injuries: Rig, plant, and refinery work in the region produces burns, crush injuries, and falls. When a contractor other than your employer created the hazard, a separate injury claim may exist beyond comp benefits.
- Premises Liability: Falls in stores, restaurants, apartment complexes, and parking lots turn on whether the owner knew or should have known about the hazard. Photos and incident reports disappear quickly.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most disputed injuries because insurers point to degenerative disc disease. Medical evidence tying the injury to the incident is the answer.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears often need surgery, and insurers frequently call them old sports injuries.
- Fractures and Catastrophic Injuries: Broken hips, ankles, and feet can require specialists and complex repair, and catastrophic injuries change a family’s finances for decades.
- Wrongful Death: When a crash or workplace incident kills someone, Louisiana law gives the family the longer of one year from the death or two years from the injury to bring the claim, with the exception that medical malpractice death claims stay at one year from death.
What to Do After an Injury in Acadiana
Get medical care first, and follow through with it. Gaps in treatment are the first thing an insurer uses to argue the injury was minor or came from somewhere else. Tell every provider how the injury happened, because early records become the foundation of the claim.
If you were hurt on the job, tell your employer right away. In Louisiana you should report within 30 days, and a formal workers’ compensation 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. Louisiana workers’ compensation disputes are heard by workers’ compensation judges in the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, which has district courts in Lafayette and Lake Charles, among other cities. You choose the parish for the hearing: where the injury happened, where you lived when hurt, or where the employer’s principal place of business is located. Appeals from Acadiana go to the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal, which covers Lafayette, Acadia, St. Martin, Iberia, Vermilion, St. Landry, Calcasieu, and Jefferson Davis parishes, among others.
A few comp deadlines are short. If your doctor’s recommended treatment is denied, the dispute must be filed within 15 calendar days of receiving written notice of the denial, and the medical director then has 30 days to decide. A challenge to that decision must be filed within 45 days of its issuance. A judgment from a workers’ compensation judge can be appealed within 30 days if the appeal is to suspend the judgment, or within 60 days if not.
For a separate injury claim against a negligent driver or property owner, preserve what you can. Photograph the scene and your injuries, collect witness names, keep damaged property, and save every medical bill. Get a police report for any crash. Do not give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer, and do not post about the incident online. Apply the 51 percent rule to every decision: anything that suggests you were mostly at fault can cost the entire claim.
When a Work Injury Is Also a Personal Injury Case
Workers’ compensation covers medical treatment and wage benefits regardless of fault, but it does not compensate for pain and suffering. When someone other than your employer caused the injury, a third-party claim can. A delivery driver rear-ended on Evangeline Thruway, a contractor’s employee struck on a job site by a subcontractor’s equipment, a worker burned because of a defective product: each may have two recoveries available.
The two claims affect each other. The comp carrier may be entitled to reimbursement from a third-party recovery, and settling one claim carelessly can jeopardize the other. A personal injury lawyer in Acadiana who also handles comp every day can plan both claims together instead of discovering the conflict after a settlement is signed.
Acadiana Personal Injury Questions Answered
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Louisiana?
For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, you have two years from the day the injury or damage was sustained. Earlier injuries remain under the former one-year period. Because the date of injury decides which rule applies, confirm the deadline quickly.
What does the 51 percent fault rule mean for my claim?
For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, if a jury finds you 51 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. If you are found less at fault, your award is reduced by your percentage. Earlier claims remain under pure comparative fault.
Do I need a lawyer for a car accident claim?
Not every minor claim needs one, but if you are hurt, if fault is disputed, or if the insurer is delaying or lowballing, representation matters. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers working for it. You should have someone working for you.
How much does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and you pay only if there is a recovery.
Can I have both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury claim?
Yes, when someone other than your employer helped cause the injury. A negligent driver who hits your work truck is a common example. The claims run on different deadlines and need to be coordinated.
What if the insurance company says my injury was pre-existing?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If the incident caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still recover. Strong medical evidence is the answer to this argument.
Can my family file a wrongful death claim in Louisiana?
Yes. The claim must be brought within the longer of one year from the death or two years from the date the injury or damage was sustained. A wrongful death claim based on medical malpractice stays limited to one year from the date of death.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?
Often, yes, and it is usually wise to use it rather than delay care. Your health insurer may have a right to be repaid from a settlement, so those liens are tracked and negotiated as the case resolves. In a work injury, the comp carrier is responsible for reasonable and necessary treatment.
Which court will hear my case if it goes to a lawsuit in Acadiana?
Louisiana state district courts hear most injury lawsuits, and appeals from Acadiana go to the Third Circuit Court of Appeal. Cases with parties from different states or federal questions can proceed in the Western District of Louisiana, which holds court in Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Opelousas.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Louisiana and Mississippi both protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell the firm at your consultation so the facts can be reviewed.
Does the firm speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language throughout the case.
Serving Injury Clients Throughout Acadiana and South Louisiana
The firm represents injured people across the Acadiana parishes and beyond. From Lafayette and Scott through Broussard, Youngsville, Carencro, and Duson, the team handles claims for clients on both sides of the I-10 and I-49 corridors. We also serve people in Crowley, Rayne, Opelousas, Eunice, Church Point, Abbeville, New Iberia, St. Martinville, Breaux Bridge, Henderson, and Kaplan. Further west, our attorneys represent clients in Lake Charles, Sulphur, Jennings, and the surrounding communities.
The firm also represents clients throughout South Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and the Gulf-facing parishes, as well as north Louisiana and Shreveport, and across Mississippi from Jackson and Madison to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and the Delta. Wherever the injury happened and wherever you live, the same attorneys are available to review what happened and explain your options.
Talk With an Acadiana Personal Injury Attorney Today
Deadlines in Louisiana injury cases now depend on the date of the accident, and the fault rules can bar a claim entirely. Waiting makes both problems worse. If you have been hurt in a crash, on a job site, or on someone else’s property, speak with an Acadiana personal injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you owe no fee unless the firm recovers for you. Call today and tell the team what happened.
