Louisiana Boating Accident Lawyer
Getting medical bills paid, replacing lost income, and holding the right party responsible are the three things most people want after a collision on the water. The team at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles injury claims for people hurt in Louisiana and Mississippi, including workers’ compensation and personal injury cases, and works with clients in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and communities across South Louisiana. If you are looking for a Louisiana boating accident lawyer, the first thing to know is that your claim may not be a simple one-track case.
Louisiana has bayous, lakes, marshes, rivers, and Gulf waters that put recreational boaters, anglers, and working crews on the water every day. A collision with another vessel, a fall from a deck, a burn from an engine fire, or a crash into a submerged hazard can leave someone with spinal injuries, fractures, or worse. Who owes you compensation depends on who was operating the boat, who owned it, and why you were aboard.
That last question matters more than most people expect. If you were on the water for your job, a workers’ compensation claim may sit alongside a claim against a negligent third party. Our practice grew from workers’ compensation, so we look at both tracks together instead of treating one as an afterthought.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Boating Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured people throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. 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 with clients from the first call forward.
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 tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and has argued insurance and injury cases before state appellate courts. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
The results reflect the kind of injuries boating accidents produce. We 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 injured when his work vehicle was struck, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients tell us they value being heard and having an attorney who stands up to the insurance company. Our personal injury lawyers handle car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death, so a water-based claim fits within work we already do.
Types of Louisiana Boating Accidents and Injuries We Handle
- Collisions Between Vessels: Crashes on lakes, rivers, and busy channels often come down to speed, lookout, and right-of-way. Both operators may share fault, which affects what you can recover.
- Intoxicated or Reckless Operators: A boat operator who has been drinking, speeds near shore, or ignores navigation rules can be held liable for the injuries to passengers and other boaters.
- Passenger Falls and Ejections: Sudden turns, wakes, and overloaded decks throw people into the water or against hard surfaces, producing fractures, head trauma, and spinal injuries.
- Equipment and Maintenance Failures: Faulty steering, engine fires, fuel leaks, and poorly maintained trailers or docks can point to owners, repair shops, or manufacturers.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Fires and explosions aboard vessels cause severe burns. We have represented clients with serious burn injuries from oil rigs and industrial sites, and we know how to document long-term damage.
- Work-Related Boat Injuries: Crews who travel by boat to job sites, including oilfield and marine work, may have workers’ compensation benefits plus a claim against a negligent third party. Maritime rules can apply to some vessel workers, so sorting out the right framework early matters.
- Drowning and Wrongful Death: When a boating accident kills someone, surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim for funeral costs, lost support, and the loss of the relationship.
- Swimmer and Water Sport Injuries: Skiers, tubers, and swimmers struck by boats or injured by tow equipment may have claims against the operator or owner.
What to Do After a Boating Accident in Louisiana
Get medical care first, even if you feel fine. Water accidents can cause delayed symptoms, including spinal injuries, concussions, and secondary drowning. A medical record created right away ties your injuries to the accident and gives the insurer less room to argue otherwise.
Report the accident to law enforcement. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents typically investigate serious boating incidents, and the Coast Guard may be involved on federal waters. Ask how to get a copy of the report. Then document everything you can: photos of the boat, the damage, the weather, and your injuries; names and contact information for passengers and witnesses; and the registration numbers of every vessel involved. Keep the boat’s insurance information if you can get it.
Do not give a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster before you have spoken with a lawyer, and do not sign a release or accept a quick payment. Adjusters often use early statements to shift blame to you.
Deadlines matter. For most injuries on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana gives two years from the day the injury occurred to file a lawsuit. Injuries before that date fall under the older one-year period. In a wrongful death case, the family generally has the longer of one year from the death or two years from the day of the injury. If you were hurt while working, you should report the injury to your employer within 30 days, and a workers’ compensation claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident. Claims involving federal maritime law or government-owned vessels may have different rules, which is another reason to call early.
Fault also shapes your recovery. For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, Louisiana bars recovery if you are found 51 percent or more at fault, and a lower share reduces your award proportionally. Insurers know this, which is why they work to assign blame to the injured person. Strong evidence gathered early is the best answer. Lawsuits in Louisiana are filed in the state district courts or, where federal jurisdiction applies, in the Eastern, Middle, or Western District depending on where the accident happened.
How Boating Claims Differ From Other Injury Cases
Boating cases carry complications that a car crash does not. Evidence floats away or sinks, there are rarely traffic cameras, and witnesses may be scattered across the water. Prompt investigation matters, and the boat itself, its maintenance records, and its fuel and engine logs can become key proof.
Liability can also spread across several parties: the operator, the vessel owner, a rental company, a marina, a repair shop, or an equipment maker. Insurance may be thin. Many recreational boat policies carry low limits, and some boaters carry none, so identifying every available source of recovery is part of building the case.
Maritime law can change the rules. Depending on where the accident occurred and whether you were a worker aboard a vessel, federal maritime rules rather than ordinary Louisiana tort law may apply, including different standards for fault and different remedies. We evaluate that threshold question at the start.
If you were working at the time, your employer’s workers’ compensation carrier may owe medical care and wage benefits regardless of fault, while a third party may owe additional damages. We make sure the two claims work together instead of undermining each other. Our workers’ compensation team handles these claims before the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration and takes appeals to the Louisiana courts of appeal when a ruling needs to be challenged.
Louisiana Boating Accident Questions Answered
How much does a boating accident lawyer cost?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and we are paid only if we recover compensation for you.
How long do I have to sue after a boating accident in Louisiana?
For most injuries on or after July 1, 2024, you have two years from the day you were hurt. Earlier injuries fall under the former one-year period. Different rules can apply to maritime claims or claims against government entities, so confirm your deadline quickly.
What if I was partly at fault?
For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, you cannot recover if you are found 51 percent or more at fault. Below that, your award is reduced by your share of the blame. Earlier accidents remain under pure comparative fault.
Who can be held responsible for my injuries?
Possible defendants include the boat operator, the owner, a rental or charter company, a marina, a mechanic, or a manufacturer of defective equipment. The facts of the accident determine who is responsible.
I was hurt on a boat while working. Do I have a workers’ compensation claim?
Possibly. Many Louisiana employees are covered by workers’ compensation, which pays medical care and wage benefits. Some vessel workers are covered by federal maritime law instead. We review your job duties and the circumstances to determine which system applies.
Can I bring a claim for a family member who died in a boating accident?
Yes. Surviving family members can bring a wrongful death claim. The deadline is the longer of one year from the death or two years from the day the injury occurred.
Does it matter if the boat operator had been drinking?
It can matter a great deal. Intoxication is strong evidence of negligence and may support a stronger claim against the operator and anyone who let an impaired person run the boat.
What if the boat owner had no insurance?
You may still have options, including your own insurance coverage, other responsible parties, or claims against the operator personally. We look at every possible source of recovery.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while the claim is pending?
Often yes, though your insurer may seek repayment from any settlement. We help you track bills and negotiate those reimbursement claims so more of the recovery stays with you.
Should I talk to the other boater’s insurance company?
Be cautious. Adjusters may ask for a recorded statement and use your words to argue you were at fault. Speak with a lawyer first, and let us handle the communication.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller boating injury?
If the other side disputes fault, disputes your injuries, or offers a quick low payment, a lawyer can change the outcome. A free consultation will tell you whether your claim justifies representation.
Do you handle claims outside New Orleans?
Yes. We represent injured people across Louisiana and Mississippi, including the Gulf Coast communities where boating is part of daily life.
Serving Boating Accident Clients Across Louisiana and Mississippi
Our work for boating accident victims reaches throughout South Louisiana and beyond. From New Orleans and the communities around Lake Pontchartrain, we serve clients across the greater metro area and into Baton Rouge and its neighboring parishes. We also represent people hurt on the waters around Lafayette, Lake Charles, and the Acadiana region, as well as north Louisiana, including Shreveport and the lakes and rivers of that part of the state.
Across the state line, we help clients from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Madison, Southaven, north Mississippi, and the Delta. Whether the accident happened on a bayou, a reservoir, a river, or open Gulf water, our attorneys can review what happened and explain what options exist.
Talk With a Louisiana Boating Accident Attorney Today
A boating accident can leave you with injuries, bills, and questions about who is responsible. Speaking with a Louisiana boating accident attorney early helps preserve evidence and protect your deadlines. Call Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC any hour, schedule a free consultation, and let us review your case. You pay no fee unless we recover for you.
