Broussard Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Getting your medical care approved, your weekly checks started, and your claim protected from an insurer looking for a reason to say no is the whole point of hiring a Broussard workers’ compensation lawyer. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers in Louisiana and Mississippi, and it helps people in Broussard and the surrounding Lafayette Parish and Acadiana communities pursue the benefits Louisiana law provides.
Broussard sits in the middle of a working economy. Oilfield service companies, fabrication and machine shops, pipe yards, trucking and delivery operations, and construction crews all employ people who live here or drive out from Youngsville, Carencro, Scott, and Lafayette every morning. Those are the kinds of jobs where a lifted pipe, a slip on a wet deck, a collision in a work truck, or years of repetitive heavy labor can leave someone with a back, shoulder, or knee injury that keeps them from earning a paycheck. Louisiana expects nearly every employer to carry compensation coverage, and when an injury is real but the carrier pushes back, the claim often turns on paperwork, medical records, and deadlines rather than on whether you were actually hurt.
Where a Louisiana Comp Claim From Broussard Gets Decided
A Louisiana workers’ compensation dispute does not go to an ordinary civil courtroom. It goes to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, where a workers’ compensation judge hears the evidence and issues a ruling. The state runs ten district workers’ compensation courts, and the one serving Lafayette is District 4, located in the city of Lafayette. A worker generally gets to choose the venue from three options: the parish where the injury happened, the parish where the worker lived when hurt, or the parish where the employer has its principal place of business. For someone hurt on a job site in another parish but living in Broussard, that choice can matter for travel and for how the case is managed.
If a judge’s ruling is wrong, it is not the end. Appeals from the Lafayette district go to the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal, which covers Lafayette Parish along with Acadia, Iberia, St. Martin, Vermilion, Calcasieu, and many other parishes. Louisiana requires all workers’ compensation appellate decisions to be published opinions, which means the reasoning is on the record. Our attorneys handle claims before workers’ compensation judges and take appeals to the Louisiana courts of appeal when an unfair ruling needs to be challenged.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Broussard Comp Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Louisiana and Mississippi, including Lafayette Parish, Broussard, and the rest of South Louisiana. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and there is no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language through the whole case, because hablamos español.
The people doing the 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 Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
The results reflect the kinds of injuries Broussard workers suffer. The firm 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 he was struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, communicates, and stays with them against the insurance company, with Brad Baskin named repeatedly in their reviews.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Acadiana Workplaces
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most common claims from lifting, pulling, and vehicle work. When the carrier blames degenerative disc disease, we use medical evidence and work history to show how the job caused or aggravated the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears often follow heavy pipe handling, falls, or climbing. Employers sometimes try to label these as old sports injuries, and that argument has to be answered with medical proof.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones can require specialists and complex surgical repair, along with long stretches off work.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Oil rigs, plants, and industrial job sites produce severe burns and life-changing injuries that call for extended treatment and benefits for permanent disability.
- Truck and Delivery Driver Injuries: Drivers hurt in wrecks on the job may have both a comp claim and a separate claim against the at-fault driver, and the two have to be coordinated.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job are claims the firm handles for those who serve.
- Denied or Cut-Off Benefits: Carriers stop paying, refuse treatment, or push workers back before a doctor clears them, and each of those situations has its own route for challenge.
What to Do After a Work Injury Near Broussard
Report the injury to your employer right away, and in writing if you can. Louisiana requires notice within 30 days of the injury, and a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the date of injury. If the carrier has already paid compensation, that deadline can extend to three years from the last payment, but do not count on an exception without talking to a lawyer. Waiting is how otherwise strong claims get weakened, because memories fade, witnesses move on, and the insurer gains room to argue the injury was not work related.
Get medical attention and tell every provider that the injury happened at work, describing exactly how. Gaps and vague histories in medical records are what carriers use against you later. Keep copies of everything: incident reports, work restrictions, pay stubs, and every letter or denial you receive. Do not give a recorded statement to the adjuster before you understand what you are being asked, and do not accept a return to work that exceeds your doctor’s restrictions.
The deadlines inside a denied-treatment dispute are short. When the carrier denies a medical treatment request through utilization review, the aggrieved party has 15 calendar days from written notice to file LWC Form 1009 with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, and the OWC medical director then has 30 calendar days to issue a decision. If you disagree with that decision, you have 45 days from the date it was issued to file Form 1008, and that clock runs from issuance, not from when you open the envelope. Once a workers’ compensation judge rules, an appeal that suspends the judgment must be filed within 30 days, and an appeal that does not suspend it within 60 days, counted from the day after the judgment was signed or the day after notice of judgment was mailed, whichever is later. Missing any of these can end a claim that was otherwise winnable, which is why a call to our team early is worth making.
How Louisiana Wage Benefits and Disability Ratings Work
Louisiana workers’ compensation pays for all reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the injury, plus wage replacement while you cannot work. Temporary total disability benefits are paid when you cannot work at all during recovery, and weekly rates are tied to your average weekly wage up to a statutory maximum that is set each year and fixed by the date of your accident, so it is not adjusted later. Permanent partial and permanent total disability benefits address injuries that leave lasting limits, and additional benefits exist for catastrophic injury and death.
Supplemental earnings benefits are the piece workers most often misunderstand. If you return to work but cannot earn at least 90 percent of your pre-injury wages because of the injury, you may qualify for supplemental earnings benefits equal to two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury average wages and what you earn or are able to earn. These benefits can continue until you are released to full duty, are earning your old wages again, or reach the 520-week maximum, and weeks of temporary total disability count toward that 520. Carriers often argue you can earn more than you actually do, so the vocational and medical evidence behind your restrictions deserves close attention. We also address the common denial tactics of disputing that the accident happened at work, blaming a pre-existing condition, and terminating benefits without warning.
Questions Broussard Workers Ask About Comp Claims
How long do I have to report a work injury in Louisiana?
You should tell your employer right away, and Louisiana law requires notice within 30 days of the injury. A late report gives the insurer an argument that the injury is not job related, so do not wait to see whether the pain improves.
How long do I have to file a workers’ compensation claim?
A formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the date of injury. If the carrier has paid benefits, the deadline may extend to three years from the last payment. Because exceptions depend on the facts, it is best to speak with an attorney early.
What if my claim was denied?
A denial is not final. You can dispute it before a workers’ compensation judge at the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, and denied medical treatment follows a separate and much shorter review path through utilization review. Our attorneys build the medical evidence, witness accounts, and work history needed to answer the carrier’s reasons.
Will I be paid while I am out of work?
If you cannot work because of a covered injury, wage replacement is generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum set by the date of your accident. If you can work with restrictions but earn less, supplemental earnings benefits may fill part of the gap.
Can I choose my own doctor?
Louisiana gives injured workers a right to choose a treating physician in a given specialty, with some limits and a process for changing doctors. How you handle this can affect your claim, so talk to us before switching providers or agreeing to see a doctor the insurer picks.
What if the insurer says my injury was caused by a pre-existing condition?
That does not automatically end a 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 our work, especially in back, neck, shoulder, and knee cases.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Louisiana protects workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review your options.
Can I also sue someone other than my employer?
Sometimes. If a negligent driver hit your work truck or an unrelated contractor created an unsafe site, you may have a personal injury claim alongside your comp benefits. For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana’s period for most injury lawsuits is two years from the day the injury is sustained, and a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault takes nothing for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026. Our team coordinates the comp claim and the injury claim so one does not undercut the other.
Do I have to settle my claim, and how is a settlement reached?
No one has to settle, and a settlement should reflect your future medical needs and wage loss, not just what the carrier offers first. Louisiana settlements generally require approval, and attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
Will my own health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?
Some workers use health insurance when the carrier delays or denies treatment, but doing so can create reimbursement problems later. Talk to us before relying on it so your care continues without damaging the claim.
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.
Serving Broussard and the Acadiana Region
Our work begins in Broussard and Lafayette Parish, reaching Lafayette itself, Youngsville, Scott, Carencro, and Duson, along with the neighboring communities of Milton, Maurice, and Abbeville. Across the wider Acadiana area, we serve workers in New Iberia, St. Martinville, Breaux Bridge, Opelousas, and Crowley, and we handle claims from the oilfield and industrial corridors that feed those towns. Beyond Acadiana, the firm represents injured workers throughout South Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lake Charles, and in north Louisiana in places such as Shreveport.
The firm’s reach also extends across the state line into Mississippi, where we represent workers in Jackson, Madison, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, the Delta, and north Mississippi. Whether your job sends you to a Broussard shop, an offshore support yard, or a site several parishes away, we can take the claim from the first report through a hearing, an appeal, or a settlement.
Talk With a Broussard Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to take on the insurance company alone. A Broussard workers’ compensation attorney from our team can review what happened, explain the deadlines that apply to you, and start working on the medical care and wage benefits Louisiana law provides. Call us any time, day or night, and you will reach someone who can help; consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you.
