Port of South Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers who earn their living along the Mississippi River corridor of South Louisiana, from dockworkers and crane operators to plant technicians, tug and barge crews, and truck drivers moving cargo through the region. If you were hurt at a terminal, a grain elevator, a refinery, or a shipyard tied to the Port of South Louisiana workers’ compensation lawyer search you just made, our firm handles those claims for clients across South Louisiana and throughout Mississippi.
The Port of South Louisiana stretches along the river through the parishes of St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James, and it is one of the busiest bulk cargo ports in the country. That activity means heavy machinery, conveyor systems, rail spurs, chemical handling, and long shifts in all weather. It also means injuries that do not fit neatly into one box. A worker on a dock may be covered by the state compensation system, while a worker on a vessel or a longshore job may fall under a federal program or maritime law instead. Sorting out which system applies is one of the first things that matters, because the wrong filing at the wrong forum can cost months.
Insurers on industrial claims tend to rely on the same arguments: the injury was not work-related, the worker already had a bad back, or the treating doctor’s recommendation is not “reasonable and necessary.” Our attorneys have seen each of those arguments before and know how to answer them with medical records, witness statements, and job history.
Which Compensation System Covers Your Port Injury
Not every injury at a riverfront facility is a state workers’ compensation claim. Louisiana’s system generally covers employees hurt in the course of their work, including many who work in port-area plants, warehouses, trucking operations, and terminals. Workers whose jobs involve loading, unloading, or repairing vessels, or who work on the water itself, may instead be covered by federal longshore law or maritime remedies. The location of the accident, the nature of the job, and who actually employs you all feed into that answer.
This is not a question to guess at. Filing the right paperwork with the wrong agency can run down the clock on a deadline you did not know you were facing. Our attorneys look at your job duties, the place and manner of the accident, and your employer’s coverage before deciding where and how to proceed. Where the facts support a state comp claim, we take it before the workers’ compensation judges at the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration. Where another party caused the accident, such as a contractor, equipment manufacturer, or negligent driver, we also look at whether a separate injury claim exists alongside your benefits.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Port Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that represents injured workers in South Louisiana and across Mississippi. We have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients, and we work on a no recovery, no fee basis. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and our phones are answered 24 hours a day. Hablamos español.
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, which matters when an insurer will not move without a hearing. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
The results reflect the kinds of injuries industrial workers suffer. We secured $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury and $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury. For a project manager struck in his work vehicle, the result was $385,000, and for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns to the lower extremities, $221,000. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, stays responsive, and fights the insurance company at every step.
Injuries That Come Out of Port and River Industry Work
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lifting, climbing, and operating heavy equipment wear on the lumbar and cervical spine. Insurers often point to degenerative disc disease; we show how repetitive physical work or a single incident caused or aggravated the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Pulling lines, handling pipe, and working on uneven steel and concrete surfaces produce rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, and medical evidence is how that gets answered.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Plants, refineries, and industrial sites along the river carry fire, chemical, and steam hazards. These cases often involve long recoveries, specialist care, and permanent limitations.
- Fractures: Falls from equipment, ladders, and platforms, or crush injuries from moving machinery, can break feet, ankles, hips, and other bones and require complex surgical repair.
- Truck Driver and Delivery Injuries: Drivers hauling cargo to and from port facilities face on-the-job wrecks and loading injuries. A negligent third-party driver can create a separate injury claim in addition to comp benefits.
- Occupational Illness: Hearing loss, respiratory conditions, and illnesses tied to long exposure in industrial settings can qualify for benefits when the job caused or worsened them.
- Wrongful Death: When a workplace accident takes a life, surviving family members may be entitled to death benefits and, in some cases, a separate claim against a negligent third party.
What to Do After You Are Hurt on the Job in South Louisiana
Get medical care first, and tell the provider that the injury happened at work so it is recorded that way from the start. Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as you can. Louisiana law requires notice within 30 days of the accident, and a compensation proceeding generally cannot be maintained without it. Keep a copy of whatever you submit, and write down the date, the location on the site, what you were doing, and who saw it happen.
The deadline to file a formal claim is separate from the notice deadline. In Louisiana, a claim generally must be filed within one year of the date of injury, though that period can extend to three years from the last compensation payment when benefits have been paid. Do not assume that a few checks from the carrier protect you indefinitely. Your claim is filed with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, and you choose where the hearing is held: the parish where you were hurt, the parish where you lived when injured, or the parish of your employer’s principal place of business.
If the insurer denies a treatment your doctor recommends, the clock gets short. A utilization review dispute must be filed on Form 1009 within 15 calendar days of receiving written notice of the denial, and the OWC medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide. If you disagree with that decision, you have 45 days from the date it was issued to file Form 1008. These deadlines run from the date of the notice, not from when you finally read it, so bring every letter to an attorney quickly.
Avoid the mistakes insurers count on. Do not give a recorded statement before you understand your rights, do not return to work earlier than your doctor allows, and do not sign anything that releases the carrier without legal review. Do not skip appointments, because gaps in treatment get used against you.
Wage Benefits and What an Appeal Looks Like
Louisiana workers’ compensation pays reasonable and necessary medical care and replaces part of your lost wages. Weekly compensation is set by statute, capped at a maximum that is adjusted each year and fixed by the date of your accident. If you can return to work but at reduced earnings, supplemental earnings benefits may apply. They are generally 66 2/3 percent of the difference between your pre-injury wages and what you earn or are able to earn, when you cannot earn 90 percent or more of your pre-injury wages. These benefits can continue until you are released to full duty, return to pre-injury earnings, or reach the 520-week maximum, with temporary total disability weeks counting toward that limit.
When a workers’ compensation judge rules against you, the judgment is final unless appealed. An appeal that suspends the judgment must be filed within 30 days, and one that does not suspend it within 60 days, counted from the day after the judgment was signed or the day after the district office mailed notice, whichever is later. Port-area parishes fall within different appellate circuits: St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist are in the Fifth Circuit, while Orleans is in the Fourth Circuit and Terrebonne and Lafourche are in the First Circuit. A party can then apply to the Louisiana Supreme Court for a writ within 30 days of notice of the judgment. Our attorneys handle claims before the workers’ compensation judges and take appeals to the courts of appeal when a ruling needs to be challenged.
Port of South Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Questions
Do I need a lawyer for a port-related workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim requires one, but if your benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, an attorney can make a major difference. Industrial claims also raise questions about which system applies, and a mistake there can be costly.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of your case, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement for you. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report my injury in Louisiana?
You should report it right away and no later than 30 days after the accident. Waiting can give the insurer an easy reason to deny the claim.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Generally one year from the date of the accident in Louisiana. If compensation has already been paid, the deadline may extend to three years from the last payment. Because exceptions are narrow, speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Louisiana and Mississippi both protect workers from retaliation for filing a claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review your options.
What if the insurer says my injury is just a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end your claim. If your job caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Answering that argument with strong medical evidence is a core part of what we do.
What if I work on a vessel or do longshore-type work rather than a plant or warehouse job?
Workers on the water or doing certain loading and repair work on vessels may fall under federal longshore law or maritime remedies instead of the state system. The facts of your job decide which applies, so describe your duties in detail during your consultation.
Can I also sue someone other than my employer?
Often yes. If a negligent driver, a contractor on a shared site, or an equipment maker contributed to your injury, you may have a separate injury claim alongside comp benefits. For accidents arising on or after January 1, 2026, Louisiana bars recovery in a fault-based claim if you are found 51 percent or more at fault, so how fault is documented early matters. Comp benefits themselves are not reduced by your own fault.
How long do I have to bring a separate injury lawsuit?
For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana’s general period for injury lawsuits is two years from the day the injury was sustained. Earlier injuries remain under the former one-year period. A wrongful death claim is generally one year from the death or two years from the injury, whichever is longer.
Will my medical treatment be paid while the claim is pending?
If the claim is accepted, reasonable and necessary medical treatment is covered. If the carrier denies a specific treatment, the utilization review process described above is the route to challenge it, and the 15-day filing window is short.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call through the end of the case.
Serving Workers Along the River and Across South Louisiana
Our work for Port of South Louisiana clients starts in St. John the Baptist Parish, with communities such as LaPlace, Reserve, and Garyville, and extends upriver into St. James Parish, including Vacherie and Lutcher, and downriver into St. Charles Parish, including Destrehan, Norco, Luling, and Hahnville. We also represent workers from neighboring Jefferson Parish, including Kenner and Metairie, and from Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard parishes.
Beyond the river parishes, the firm serves injured workers throughout South Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Houma, and Shreveport in the north, as well as communities across the state. In Mississippi, we represent clients in Jackson, Madison, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, and the Delta, covering construction workers, truck drivers, ironworkers, oil field workers, nurses, and general laborers.
Talk to a Port of South Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Attorney
If you were hurt working in or around the port, you do not have to take on the insurance company by yourself. A Port of South Louisiana workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review how your injury happened, which system covers it, and what deadlines are already running. Call us any time, day or night. Consultations are free, and you owe no fee unless we recover benefits for you.
