Houma Car Accident Lawyer
The goal after a crash is simple to state and hard to reach alone: medical bills paid, lost income covered, and a settlement that reflects what the injury will really cost over time. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a law firm that represents injured people across Mississippi and South Louisiana, and a Houma car accident lawyer from our team can take over the insurance dealings while you focus on treatment. We handle car and truck accident claims, wrongful death cases, and work-related injuries, serving Terrebonne Parish and the communities around it.
Houma crashes have their own character. The parish sits in the middle of bayou country, where traffic mixes commuters, oilfield and marine-industry workers, shrimp and seafood haulers, and heavy equipment moving between yards and job sites. Highways that carry that traffic leave little margin when a pickup meets a tractor-trailer or a work truck pulls out in front of a commuter.
Many of those drivers are on the clock when a wreck happens. That matters more than most people realize, because a crash during a work errand can create two claims at once: workers’ compensation benefits through the employer’s insurer, and a separate injury claim against the at-fault driver. Handling them in the right order is part of what we do.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Houma Car Accident Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers and accident victims throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including Houma, Thibodaux, and the rest of South Louisiana. We have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and you pay no fee unless we recover for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish (hablamos español).
That background shapes how we approach a vehicle crash. Insurers fighting an injury claim use the same playbook they use against injured workers: blame a pre-existing condition, question whether the crash caused the injury, or argue the treatment is excessive. Our results show we know how to answer those arguments, including a $385,000 settlement for a project manager with back injuries after he was struck in his work vehicle and a $190,000 settlement for a truck driver who hurt his lower back in a wreck on the job. Larger back-injury results, such as $685,000 for a surgical tech and $600,000 for a construction worker, reflect the medical-evidence work that serious spine cases demand.
Our team includes Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, who has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers; Partners Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe, both recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and The National Trial Lawyers; and attorneys Andrew Rueff, Keaton Belk, Erin Heimlicher, and Jared Martin. The firm was also ranked by Best Law Firms for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson. Clients consistently tell us the team listened, answered their calls, and stood up to the insurance company for them.
Common Houma Crash Situations We Handle
- Collisions With Commercial Trucks: Tractor-trailers, dump trucks, and tank trucks serving the oilfield and port economy share Terrebonne roads with ordinary traffic. These cases can involve the driver, the trucking company, and a cargo or maintenance contractor, each with its own insurer.
- Work-Vehicle Accidents: A delivery driver, field technician, or supervisor hurt while driving for an employer may qualify for workers’ compensation and also have a claim against the other driver. The two claims must be coordinated so one does not undermine the other.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Rear-end and side-impact crashes frequently cause lumbar and cervical disc herniations. Insurers often point to degenerative disc disease, so the medical records and imaging history become central.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, meniscus tears, and similar injuries from bracing against the steering wheel or dashboard may need surgery and long rehabilitation.
- Fractures and Burns: Broken ankles, feet, and hips, along with fire-related burns after a collision involving fuel or industrial equipment, can require specialists and repeated procedures.
- Wrongful Death: When a crash takes a life, surviving family members may bring a claim for the loss, and the filing deadline is shorter than many families expect.
- Premises and Roadway Hazards: Some injuries trace to an unsafe job site, driveway, or parking area rather than a moving vehicle, which changes who is responsible.
What to Do After a Crash in Terrebonne Parish
Start with medical care, even if you feel functional. Adrenaline hides back, neck, and head injuries, and a gap between the crash and your first visit gives an insurer room to argue that something else caused your symptoms. Tell every provider exactly how the crash happened and where it hurts, and follow the treatment plan you are given.
Report the crash to law enforcement so an official report exists. Depending on where you were, that may be the Houma Police Department, the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, or the state police. Photograph the vehicles, the road, skid marks, signage, and your injuries, and collect names and contact details for witnesses and the other driver’s insurer. Do not guess about fault at the scene, and do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company before you have talked to a lawyer.
Fault rules in Louisiana are tougher than they used to be. For claims arising on or after January 1, 2026, a person found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and a lower share of fault reduces the award proportionally. Claims arising earlier remain under the older pure comparative system. That makes early evidence, such as photos, video, and witness accounts, more valuable than ever, because insurers will try to push your percentage of fault upward.
Deadlines also matter. For Louisiana injuries on or after July 1, 2024, the period to file a delictual action is two years from the day the injury or damage is sustained; earlier injuries fall under the former one-year period. If the crash happened on the job, tell your employer within 30 days, and know that a formal workers’ compensation claim in Louisiana generally must be filed within one year of the injury, with a longer window possible if compensation payments have been made. Do not wait to see how you feel; talk to a lawyer while the evidence is fresh.
When a Houma Crash Is Also a Workers’ Compensation Case
A large share of vehicle crashes in an industrial parish like Terrebonne involve someone who was working. If you were driving to a job site, running a delivery, or traveling between locations for your employer, your medical care and wage replacement may be covered by workers’ compensation regardless of who caused the wreck. Louisiana benefits include reasonable and necessary medical treatment, wage replacement while you cannot work, and supplemental earnings benefits if you return at reduced pay. Supplemental earnings benefits are available when you cannot earn at least 90 percent of your pre-injury wages, and they are capped at 520 weeks, with temporary total disability weeks counting toward that limit.
Workers’ compensation disputes in Louisiana go before a workers’ compensation judge in the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, which has a district court in Houma. If the insurer denies a treatment request, the deadlines are short: a challenge to a utilization review denial must be filed within 15 calendar days of the written notice, and a later appeal of the medical director’s decision has a 45-day window. A final judgment from a workers’ compensation judge can be appealed to the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal, which covers Terrebonne Parish, generally within 30 days when the appeal suspends the judgment.
Pursuing the at-fault driver in addition to workers’ compensation can recover losses that comp does not touch, such as pain and suffering. The employer’s insurer may have a right to be repaid from a third-party recovery, so how the claims are structured and settled affects what you actually keep. This coordination is the kind of detail a firm focused on injured workers handles every day.
Houma Car Accident Questions, Answered
How much does it cost to hire a Houma car accident attorney?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and we are paid only if we recover money for you.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Louisiana?
For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, the filing period is two years from the day the injury or damage is sustained. Injuries before that date remain under the former one-year period. Because dates and exceptions can be tricky, speak with a lawyer as soon as you can.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
For claims arising on or after January 1, 2026, Louisiana bars recovery if you are found 51 percent or more at fault, and a smaller percentage reduces your award in proportion. Earlier claims follow pure comparative fault. Either way, insurers work to assign you as much blame as possible, which is why evidence gathered early matters.
Do I need a lawyer for a minor accident?
Not always, but soft-tissue and spine injuries often look minor in the first days and turn into months of treatment. If you have ongoing pain, missed work, or an insurer disputing your medical care, a lawyer can change the outcome.
The crash happened while I was driving for work. Can I still sue the other driver?
Often yes. Workers’ compensation covers your medical care and wage loss, and you may also have a separate claim against the at-fault driver. The two have to be managed together so the employer’s insurer’s reimbursement rights do not erode your recovery.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?
It can, and many people use it to keep treating without delay. Your health insurer may later seek repayment from a settlement, so we account for those liens when negotiating.
What if the other driver was uninsured or had minimal coverage?
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply, and a work-related crash may add workers’ compensation benefits on top. We review every available source of recovery rather than stopping at the at-fault driver’s policy limits.
What happens if a family member died in the crash?
Louisiana allows wrongful death and survival claims, and the period to file is the longer of one year from the death or two years from the day the injury was sustained. Eligible family members should not wait to learn their options.
Can the insurance company use my pre-existing back problem against me?
They will try, but a pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If the crash caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still recover. Strong medical evidence comparing your condition before and after the crash is the answer to this argument.
How long does a car accident case usually take?
It depends on how long treatment lasts and whether the insurer disputes liability or the extent of injury. We generally want to know the full course of your medical care before settling, because a quick offer rarely accounts for future surgery or lost earning capacity.
Should I talk to the other driver’s insurance adjuster?
Be careful. Adjusters gather statements to limit what the company pays. You can give basic facts, but decline a recorded statement and refer the adjuster to your attorney.
Serving Houma Accident Victims Across Terrebonne Parish and South Louisiana
We represent crash victims from Houma and the surrounding Terrebonne Parish communities, including Gray, Bayou Cane, Schriever, Montegut, Chauvin, Dulac, Bourg, Gibson, and Mandalay. Our reach continues across the bayou country to Thibodaux, Raceland, and the Lafourche Parish communities nearby, and to Morgan City, Franklin, and Berwick in neighboring St. Mary Parish.
We also serve clients throughout South Louisiana, from New Orleans and Baton Rouge to Lafayette and Lake Charles, and statewide as far as Shreveport. Across the state line, our work extends to Jackson, Madison, the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and the Delta. Whether your crash happened on a Terrebonne highway or on the way to a job site hours away, we can help you pursue both the injury claim and any workers’ compensation benefits you are owed.
Talk With a Houma Car Accident Attorney Today
If a crash has left you hurt, behind on bills, or fielding calls from an insurance adjuster, speak with a Houma car accident attorney from Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Call us to talk through what happened and what your claim may be worth.
