Lafayette Head & Brain Injury Lawyer
If you or someone in your household suffered a blow to the head at work in Lafayette, the decisions you make in the first few weeks can shape the claim for years. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers and accident victims across Lafayette, Lafayette Parish, and communities throughout Louisiana and Mississippi, and a Lafayette head and brain injury lawyer from our team can step in before the insurance company defines what happened.
Head and brain injuries are different from a sprained ankle or a torn meniscus because they often do not look serious at first. A worker who struck his head on a pipe rack or fell from a trailer may walk away, finish the shift, and wake up the next day with headaches, light sensitivity, memory gaps, or a short temper that his family notices before he does. Insurers tend to treat that delay as a reason to doubt the claim. A good claim answers that doubt with early medical records, accurate reporting to the employer, and the right specialists documenting what changed.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Brain Injury Claim Out of Lafayette
Workers’ compensation is the center of this firm’s practice. Most attorneys who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury only when one happens to walk in; this firm was built the other way around, and its attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off before they should have been. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for injured clients, and it serves workers in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Shreveport, New Orleans, and across South and north Louisiana.
Rob Lunsford, 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 has argued personal injury and insurance cases before state appellate courts, which matters when a head injury also involves a negligent third party. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
The results reflect the kind of serious injury cases this firm takes on: a $685,000 settlement 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 after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients describe a team that listens, answers questions, and fights with the insurance company at every step. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, you pay nothing unless benefits or a settlement are recovered, and phones are answered 24 hours a day. Hablamos espanol.
Where Head and Brain Injuries Come From on the Job
- Traumatic Brain Injury From Falls: Falls from scaffolds, ladders, rooftops, and loading docks are a leading source of concussions and more serious brain trauma, and Lafayette’s construction, commercial building, and industrial maintenance work all involve elevated surfaces.
- Struck-By and Falling Object Injuries: Tools, pipe, equipment, and materials dropped from above can cause skull fractures and contusions, a constant risk on oilfield service sites, fabrication yards, and plants across Acadiana.
- Vehicle and Truck Collisions: Delivery drivers, truckers, and employees running errands in work vehicles can suffer head injuries in crashes on I-10, I-49, and Johnston Street. When another driver is at fault, a personal injury claim may exist alongside the comp claim.
- Concussions and Post-Concussive Syndrome: Even a mild concussion can leave a worker with dizziness, headaches, sleep disruption, and trouble concentrating that outlast the initial diagnosis and can keep someone from returning to a safety-sensitive job.
- Skull Fractures and Penetrating Injuries: Industrial accidents, explosions, and machinery incidents can cause fractures and bleeding that require neurosurgical care and long recovery periods.
- Cognitive and Emotional Changes: Memory loss, slowed thinking, irritability, depression, and anxiety are common after brain trauma and are compensable consequences when tied to the work accident.
- Burns and Blast Injuries: Industrial fires and explosions can combine burns with head trauma, producing catastrophic injuries that call for full-spectrum medical and wage benefits.
- Wrongful Death: When a head injury at work or in a collision proves fatal, family members may be entitled to death benefits and, in some cases, a wrongful death claim against a negligent outside party.
What to Do After a Head Injury at Work in Lafayette
Get medical care immediately, even if you feel mostly fine. Tell the provider you hit your head and describe every symptom, including ones that seem minor, such as ringing in the ears, nausea, or trouble finding words. Those first records become the foundation of the claim, and a gap between the accident and the first medical visit is the first thing an adjuster will point to. If you lost consciousness, even briefly, say so. Follow up with a neurologist or other specialist if symptoms persist, because primary care notes alone rarely capture the full picture of a brain injury.
Report the accident to your employer in writing as soon as possible. Louisiana law requires notice within 30 days of the injury, and a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, with that deadline potentially extending to three years from the last payment if compensation benefits have been paid. Do not assume a verbal mention to a supervisor is enough, and do not let a family member or coworker’s account be the only record. Because head injury symptoms can surface slowly, many workers do not realize how seriously they were hurt until weeks later; reporting early protects you either way.
Pay attention to what the insurer asks of you. Adjusters may request recorded statements, push you toward a company-selected doctor, or suggest you return to work before your physician clears you. Brain injury patients are especially vulnerable here, because memory problems can make a recorded statement unreliable and a premature return to work can worsen symptoms. Keep a simple journal of headaches, dizziness, missed tasks, and mood changes, and ask a spouse or coworker to note what they observe. Save every medical bill, work restriction note, and piece of correspondence.
If the insurer refuses a treatment your doctor recommends, there is a short window to challenge it. In a utilization review dispute, the aggrieved party has 15 calendar days from receiving the written denial to file LWC Form 1009 with the Office of Workers’ Compensation, and the OWC medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide. Disputed claims for Lafayette-area workers are handled through the OWC district court serving Lafayette, and a worker generally may choose to proceed in the parish where the injury occurred, where he lived at the time, or where the employer’s principal business is located. A final judgment from a workers’ compensation judge can be appealed, and Lafayette Parish falls within the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal. An appeal that suspends the judgment must be filed within 30 days, and one that does not suspend it within 60 days, so deadlines move quickly once a ruling issues.
Benefits at Stake in a Louisiana Brain Injury Claim
A comp claim covers all reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the injury, which for a brain injury can include emergency care, imaging, neurology, neuropsychological testing, therapy, medication, and rehabilitation. Wage benefits begin with temporary total disability while you cannot work, paid at two-thirds of your average weekly wage up to a statutory maximum that is set by the date of your accident and adjusted annually. If you recover enough to return but cannot earn at least 90 percent of what you made before, supplemental earnings benefits may replace two-thirds of the difference between your old wages and what you earn or are able to earn, with a 520-week ceiling that counts earlier total disability weeks.
Permanent consequences are where brain injury claims become most contested. Insurers often argue that cognitive complaints are subjective, that an earlier concussion or a degenerative condition is to blame, or that you can perform lighter work. The answer is objective medical evidence, consistent treatment, credible testimony from the people who see you daily, and, where appropriate, vocational evidence showing what jobs you can realistically hold. Permanent partial and permanent total disability benefits, and in the most severe cases catastrophic injury benefits, depend on building that record carefully.
When a Third Party Is Also Responsible
Workers’ compensation is generally the exclusive remedy against your employer, but it does not shield everyone else. If a negligent driver struck your work vehicle, a contractor left an unsafe site, or a defective product caused the fall, you may have a separate personal injury claim. Louisiana’s tort deadline for injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2024 is two years from the day the injury is sustained; earlier injuries remain under the former one-year period. For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and lesser fault reduces the award proportionally. Because the comp carrier may claim reimbursement from a third-party recovery, coordinating the two claims is essential, and our attorneys handle both so they work together rather than against each other.
Questions About Head and Brain Injury Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a head injury workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim requires one, but brain injuries are among the most disputed. If benefits have been denied, delayed, or cut off, or if your symptoms are keeping you out of work, an attorney can make a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers protecting its interests.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and you pay a fee only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a head injury in Louisiana?
Report it to your employer within 30 days of the accident. A formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, though that period can reach three years from the last compensation payment if benefits have been paid.
What if my symptoms did not appear until days or weeks later?
Delayed symptoms are common with concussions and other brain injuries. Report the accident in writing right away anyway, seek medical care as soon as symptoms appear, and tell the provider about the earlier blow to the head so the records connect the two.
Can the insurer blame a pre-existing condition?
Insurers raise this argument often, but a pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If the work accident caused, worsened, or accelerated your condition, you may still be entitled to benefits, and strong medical evidence is how that connection is proven.
Will the insurance company make me see its own doctor?
Insurers commonly request independent medical examinations, and their doctors often reach conclusions favorable to the carrier. Do not attend one without understanding your rights, and talk to an attorney first so your treating physicians’ opinions are given proper weight.
What if the insurer denies the neurologist or therapy my doctor recommends?
You have 15 calendar days from receiving the written denial to file LWC Form 1009 with the OWC. The medical director then has 30 calendar days to issue a decision, and further appeal steps follow, so act promptly.
Can I be fired for filing a claim after a head injury?
Louisiana protects workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting your injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review your options.
If a coworker or another driver caused my injury, can I sue them too?
Often, yes. A claim against a negligent third party can proceed alongside your comp claim, and in Louisiana it must be filed within two years of the injury if it occurred on or after July 1, 2024. Because the comp carrier may seek reimbursement, the two claims need to be handled together.
How long does a brain injury claim take?
It depends on how quickly you reach maximum medical improvement. Brain injury recovery is often slow, and settling too early can leave future treatment and lost earning capacity unaccounted for. Your attorney should wait until the medical picture is clear enough to value the claim fairly.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Workers’ compensation does not turn on fault, so your own mistake generally does not defeat a comp claim. In a separate third-party injury claim, Louisiana’s fault rules do matter, and the 51 percent bar applies to causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Serving Head and Brain Injury Clients Across Lafayette and Acadiana
Our work begins in Lafayette and Lafayette Parish, from downtown and the university area through Youngsville, Broussard, Scott, Carencro, and Duson. We also serve injured workers in neighboring parishes and communities, including Breaux Bridge, St. Martinville, New Iberia, Abbeville, Crowley, Opelousas, Eunice, and Morgan City. Across South Louisiana, the firm represents clients in Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Houma, and New Orleans, and in north Louisiana from Alexandria to Shreveport and Monroe. The firm also handles claims across Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and the Delta. Wherever the injury happened, we help workers pursue the medical care and wage benefits the law entitles them to, along with personal injury claims where someone other than the employer is responsible.
Talk With a Lafayette Brain Injury Attorney Today
A head injury can change how you work, think, and live, and the claim that follows deserves the same attention you give your recovery. If you are looking for a Lafayette brain injury attorney who handles workers’ compensation as the center of his practice, call Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC. Consultations are free, our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call today and let our team deal with the insurance company while you focus on getting well.
