Lafayette Personal Injury Lawyer
A personal injury claim in Lafayette Parish is usually decided long before anyone sets foot in a courtroom. It turns on how quickly the evidence is secured, how the insurer assigns fault, and whether the injured person understands that Louisiana’s rules on blame and filing deadlines have recently changed. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a Louisiana and Mississippi injury firm, and it handles Lafayette personal injury lawyer matters for people hurt in car and truck accidents, premises liability incidents, and wrongful death cases across Lafayette and the surrounding Acadiana communities.
Lafayette sits at a busy crossing of Interstate 10 and Interstate 49, and heavy commercial traffic, oilfield service vehicles, and local commuters all share the same corridors. When a collision happens there, the question is rarely just who got hurt. It is who was driving for work, which insurance policies apply, and how much fault an adjuster can pin on the person who was injured. Since fault now matters more than it did in prior years, the way a claim is documented in the first weeks can decide whether it is worth pursuing at all.
Many Lafayette injuries also happen on the job, and that adds a second layer. A driver struck while making a delivery or a worker hurt by a contractor’s unsafe site may have both a workers’ compensation claim and a separate injury claim against the person who caused the harm. Getting those two tracks to work together, rather than against each other, is where careful planning pays off.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Lafayette Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured people throughout Lafayette Parish and across Louisiana and Mississippi, from Lafayette and Baton Rouge to Lake Charles, Shreveport, and the Gulf Coast. Together they have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. The firm also handles car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death cases, so an injury that spans several types of claims can stay with one team.
The people behind that work matter. 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 and has argued personal injury and insurance cases before state appellate courts.
The results reflect serious injuries and hard-fought claims. The firm has secured 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 with back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Those outcomes are not promises about any other case, but they show the kind of medical evidence and persistence the firm brings. Clients describe a team that listened, communicated clearly, and stood up to the insurance company. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and there is no fee unless it recovers for you. Phones are answered around the clock, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language through the whole case.
Injury Claims Common in Lafayette Parish
- Car Accidents: Collisions along the I-10 and I-49 corridors and on busy city arteries often involve rear-end impacts, lane-change crashes, and intersection wrecks where each driver blames the other. Because Louisiana now bars recovery for a person found 51 percent or more at fault, early evidence about how the crash happened carries real weight.
- Truck Accidents: Lafayette is an oilfield and freight hub, so tractor-trailers and service trucks are constant presences on the interstates. These cases can involve the driver, the trucking company, and a cargo or maintenance contractor, each with its own insurer.
- Work Vehicle Crashes: A person hit while driving for an employer may recover workers’ compensation benefits and also pursue the negligent driver. The firm has handled this exact situation, including a project manager struck in his work vehicle.
- Premises Liability: Falls from poor lighting, wet floors, broken stairs, or unsafe construction sites can make a property owner or contractor responsible. These cases depend on proving the owner knew, or should have known, about the hazard.
- Oilfield and Industrial Injuries: Burns, crush injuries, and pipe-handling injuries on rigs and plant sites may involve both comp benefits and claims against third parties whose equipment or conduct contributed.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Disc herniations and cervical injuries are among the most common serious outcomes, and insurers often point to degenerative conditions to minimize them. Medical evidence connecting the injury to the incident is essential.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears frequently require surgery and extended recovery, which drives the value of the claim.
- Wrongful Death: When a fatal accident leaves a family without a loved one, survivors may bring a claim against those responsible, subject to strict filing deadlines.
What to Do After an Injury in Lafayette and How the Clock Runs
Start with medical care, even if you feel able to walk away. Adrenaline hides injuries, and a gap between the incident and your first treatment gives an insurer room to argue that something else caused your pain. Tell every provider exactly how you were hurt, follow their instructions, and keep your records. If you can, photograph the scene, your injuries, vehicle damage, and any hazard that caused a fall, and gather names and contact details for witnesses. Report the crash to law enforcement so an official report exists, and avoid giving a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer before you understand what you are agreeing to.
Deadlines in Louisiana are tighter than many people expect. For most injuries that happen on or after July 1, 2024, the time to file a negligence claim is two years from the day the injury occurred. Injuries from before that date remain under the older one-year period. Wrongful death claims follow a one-year-from-death or two-years-from-injury rule, whichever is longer, with a stricter one-year limit when the death is tied to medical malpractice. These periods are fixed by the dates involved, so waiting to see how you feel can quietly cost you the claim.
The fault rule deserves its own attention. For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and a smaller share of fault reduces the award proportionally. Earlier incidents remain under pure comparative fault. That means anything you say at the scene, in a text, or in a statement to an adjuster can be used to push your share of blame upward. Let a lawyer review the situation before you make those statements.
If you were hurt while working, report the injury to your employer within 30 days, and know that a workers’ compensation claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident. Disputes over denied medical treatment have their own short windows, including 15 calendar days to file the form challenging a treatment denial. Lafayette has its own district office of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, and claims that cannot be resolved are heard by a workers’ compensation judge, with appeals going to the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal, which covers Lafayette Parish. Federal injury cases arising in Lafayette fall within the Western District of Louisiana, where court is held in Lafayette. The most common mistake we see is a worker or accident victim waiting, signing something early, or assuming the insurer will be fair.
When a Work Injury Also Becomes a Personal Injury Claim
Workers’ compensation is designed to be a no-fault system, which means you generally cannot sue your employer for an on-the-job injury. But comp does not erase claims against everyone else. A negligent driver who hits your work truck, a subcontractor whose crew leaves a hazard, or a manufacturer of defective equipment can be held responsible in a separate injury action. That claim can reach damages comp does not cover, such as pain and suffering.
The two claims interact, and handling them separately can create problems. The comp insurer may have a right to be reimbursed from a third-party recovery, and what you say in one proceeding can surface in the other. Medical evidence developed for your comp claim often supports the injury case, and the reverse is also true. Coordinating both under one legal team lets the strategy, the timing, and the settlement decisions line up instead of colliding.
Questions Lafayette Injury Victims Ask
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Louisiana?
For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, a negligence claim generally must be filed within two years of the day the injury happened. Injuries before that date remain under the older one-year period. Because the right deadline depends on the date and the type of claim, check it early.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Under the current rule, a person found 51 percent or more at fault cannot recover, while a lower percentage reduces the award by that share. This applies to causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026; earlier ones remain under pure comparative fault. Jurors in a trial are told about the 51 percent bar.
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 a fee only if it recovers for you.
Do I need a lawyer if the insurance company already made an offer?
An early offer is often made before the full extent of your injuries is known. Once you accept, the claim is usually over. A lawyer can compare the offer against your medical needs and lost income before you decide.
Can I bring both a workers’ compensation claim and an injury claim?
Yes, when someone other than your employer contributed to the harm. You may collect comp benefits and also pursue the third party, though the comp insurer may have reimbursement rights that must be handled correctly.
What happens if a family member died in an accident?
Survivors may bring a wrongful death claim. The filing period is one year from the death or two years from the injury, whichever is longer, except that a death tied to medical malpractice is limited to one year from the date of death.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?
Often yes, and many people use health coverage so they do not delay care. Be aware that a health insurer may later seek reimbursement from a settlement, which is another reason to keep careful records of what was paid.
How long does an injury case take in Lafayette?
It depends on how serious the injuries are, whether liability is disputed, and whether treatment has finished. Claims with surgery or long recoveries take longer because the value cannot be measured until your condition settles. Rushing that stage tends to favor the insurer.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller injury?
Even a modest-looking injury can turn into months of treatment, and a fault dispute can erase a claim under the 51 percent rule. A free consultation lets you learn whether the case justifies representation without any cost.
What if the injury happened while I was driving for work?
You may have a comp claim for medical care and wage benefits and a separate claim against the at-fault driver. Report the injury to your employer within 30 days, and keep the crash evidence, since it matters to both.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Representing Injured People Across Lafayette Parish and Acadiana
Our work starts in Lafayette and extends through the parish into Scott, Carencro, Youngsville, Broussard, and Duson, and across the city’s neighborhoods and commercial corridors. We also serve clients in nearby communities including Breaux Bridge, New Iberia, Abbeville, Opelousas, Crowley, and St. Martinville, as well as the broader Acadiana region. Beyond Lafayette, the firm represents injured people throughout South Louisiana, in Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and New Orleans, and in north Louisiana through Shreveport.
The firm’s reach also includes Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, and the Delta. Whether the injury came from a highway wreck, an unsafe property, or a workplace incident, the same team can evaluate the full picture, including any workers’ compensation claim running alongside it.
Talk With a Lafayette Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt in Lafayette Parish or anywhere in the region, speak with a Lafayette personal injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe before you give a statement or accept an offer. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover for you. Call us today to talk through what happened and what your claim may be worth.
