Abbeville Personal Injury Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured people in Abbeville and across Vermilion Parish, along with the neighboring Acadiana communities of Lafayette, Iberia, and Acadia parishes and the rest of South Louisiana. Most of our work grows out of one theme: someone got hurt, and an insurance company is now deciding how much the injury is worth. A hurt worker, a driver hit on Louisiana Highway 14, or a family that lost someone can all find themselves answering questions from an adjuster before they have even finished treatment.
If you are searching for an Abbeville personal injury lawyer, the first thing to know is that Louisiana changed its rules recently, and the changes work against injured people who wait. The deadline to sue for most injuries that happen on or after July 1, 2024 is two years. Fault rules also tightened for claims arising on or after January 1, 2026: a person found 51 percent or more at fault now recovers nothing, where earlier claims allowed a reduced recovery at any level of fault. Vermilion Parish is farm country, shrimp and crawfish country, and a place where people drive long rural roads to work, and those facts shape how injury claims here actually get fought.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for an Abbeville Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a firm built around injured people in Mississippi and Louisiana. That matters for personal injury work because so many Acadiana injuries happen at work or on the way to it: a driver struck in a work truck, a hand hurt on a rig, a fall at a job site caused by someone other than the employer. Those cases involve a comp claim and an injury claim at once, and the two have to be handled so they do not undercut each other.
The results reflect that focus. We have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients, including $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 with back injuries after he was struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. 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, Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the team, and clients consistently describe a firm that listens, communicates, and fights the insurer on their behalf.
Consultations are free, we advance the costs of your case, and you pay no fee unless we recover for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish.
Injury Claims We See From Vermilion Parish
- Car and Truck Accidents: Rural two-lane highways, farm equipment crossing roads, and heavy truck traffic hauling agricultural and oilfield loads make for serious collisions. Liability can reach the other driver, a trucking company, or a business that owned the vehicle.
- Work Vehicle Crashes: A worker hit while driving for an employer often has both a workers’ compensation claim and a claim against the at-fault driver. The two recoveries interact, and handling them in the wrong order can cost money.
- Oilfield and Industrial Injuries: Burns, crush injuries, and falls on rigs and plants frequently involve contractors, equipment makers, or property owners beyond the direct employer, which opens the door to additional claims.
- Premises Liability: Falls in stores, restaurants, and parking lots, or on poorly kept rental property, can support a claim when the owner knew or should have known about the hazard.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Disc herniations are common after crashes and falls, and insurers often blame degenerative changes. Medical evidence tying the injury to the event is what answers that argument.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, and meniscus tears often need surgery and long recovery, and insurers sometimes call them old injuries.
- Wrongful Death: When a family loses someone because of another party’s negligence, Louisiana law lets certain relatives bring a claim for the death and for the suffering that came before it.
What to Do After an Injury Near Abbeville
Get medical care first and tell the provider exactly how you were hurt, because those early records become the backbone of your claim. If the injury happened in a crash, call the police so a report is made; depending on where you were, that may be the Abbeville Police Department, the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, or Louisiana State Police. Photograph the scene, the vehicles, your injuries, and any hazard that caused a fall, and write down the names of witnesses while memories are fresh. Keep every bill, pay stub, and piece of correspondence in one place.
Be careful with the other side’s insurance company. An adjuster may call within days, sound friendly, and ask for a recorded statement. You are not required to give one, and offhand remarks about feeling fine or about how the accident happened are routinely used later to shrink a claim. Do not accept a quick settlement before you know the full extent of your treatment, because a release usually ends the claim permanently.
Deadlines drive everything. For most injuries on or after July 1, 2024, a Louisiana lawsuit must be filed within two years of the day the injury occurred; older injuries remain under the former one-year period. A wrongful death claim runs one year from the death or two years from the injury, whichever is longer, except that a death claim built on medical malpractice stays at one year from the death. If your injury happened at work, tell your employer right away and in any event within 30 days, because no compensation proceeding goes forward without that notice, and a formal workers’ compensation claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident. Workers’ compensation disputes in this part of Louisiana are heard by a workers’ compensation judge in the Lafayette district office, with appeals going to the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal, which covers Vermilion Parish. Injury lawsuits themselves are filed in the district court for the parish.
Fault is the issue that now decides many cases. Because a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault takes nothing on claims arising on or after January 1, 2026, insurers have more reason than ever to push blame onto the injured person. Gathering evidence early, before it disappears, is the best answer.
Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation Working Together
Many of the people who call us from Abbeville were hurt on the job, and the question is which claim to pursue. Workers’ compensation pays reasonable and necessary medical treatment and wage benefits without proving anyone was careless. A personal injury claim against a third party, such as a negligent driver or a contractor who ran an unsafe site, can recover damages that comp does not, including pain and suffering. A good Abbeville injury attorney looks at both from the start so that settling one does not damage the other, and so the comp insurer’s right to be reimbursed is handled correctly.
Workers’ compensation benefits in Louisiana include medical care, wage replacement while you cannot work, and supplemental earnings benefits if you return at reduced pay. Supplemental benefits are available when you cannot earn at least 90 percent of your pre-injury wages, and they run until you return to full duty, regain your earnings, or reach the 520-week maximum. If the insurer denies treatment, the dispute process has short windows, including 15 days to file a utilization review request after written notice of a denial, so waiting to see what happens is costly.
Abbeville Injury Questions, Answered
How much does it cost to hire an injury lawyer in Abbeville?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of your case, and we are paid only if we recover for you. Fees in workers’ compensation cases are also limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Louisiana?
For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, most negligence claims must be filed within two years of the day the injury was sustained. Injuries before that date stay under the former one-year period. Different rules apply to wrongful death, workers’ compensation, and claims against government bodies, so confirm your deadline early.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
For claims arising on or after January 1, 2026, a person found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and anyone below that threshold has the award reduced by their share of fault. Earlier claims remain under pure comparative fault. This is why disputes over who caused a crash are fought so hard.
Can I bring both a workers’ compensation claim and an injury lawsuit?
Yes, when someone other than your employer contributed to the injury, such as a negligent driver or an outside contractor. The two claims run on different tracks and should be coordinated.
Do I have to give the insurance company a recorded statement?
You are not required to give the other side’s insurer a recorded statement, and doing so before you understand your injuries often hurts the claim. Speak with a lawyer first.
How long does an injury case take to resolve?
It depends largely on how long treatment lasts. A claim generally should not settle until you know the full extent of your injury and future care, so serious cases that involve surgery often take longer than minor ones.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?
Often yes, and many people use health coverage to avoid gaps in care. Be aware that a health insurer or other payer may claim reimbursement from a settlement, which is one more reason to review the numbers before accepting an offer.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller injury claim?
Sometimes it is not, and we will tell you so. But injuries that seem minor can turn into long-term back, neck, or shoulder problems, and a signed release cannot be reopened later. A free consultation lets you weigh that before you sign anything.
What if my employer says my injury was a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your job or the accident caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits, and strong medical evidence is what answers the argument.
Can my family bring a claim if a loved one died in an accident?
Louisiana allows wrongful death and survival actions, and recent changes make both follow a one-year-from-death or two-years-from-injury rule, whichever is longer. A death claim based on medical malpractice remains limited to one year.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call through the end of the case.
Serving Injured People Across Abbeville and Vermilion Parish
We represent injury clients in Abbeville and throughout Vermilion Parish, including Kaplan, Erath, Delcambre, Gueydan, Maurice, and Henry, and the rural farming and fishing communities around them. We also serve neighboring Lafayette, Iberia, and Acadia parishes and the wider South Louisiana region, from Lafayette and Lake Charles to Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and clients in Shreveport and across north Louisiana. Our reach extends across the state line to Mississippi, including Jackson, Madison, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, the Delta, and north Mississippi. Whether the injury happened on a farm road, an oilfield, or a job site, we can help.
Talk With an Abbeville Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt in a crash, a fall, or on the job, an Abbeville personal injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which claims you may have, and tell you what deadlines apply to you. Call us any hour of the day. Consultations are free, and you owe no fee unless we recover for you.
