Crowley Personal Injury Lawyer
A personal injury claim in Louisiana has a clock that runs differently depending on when you were hurt, and a fault rule that can now wipe out a claim entirely if a jury puts too much blame on the injured person. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles injury claims and workers’ compensation cases for people hurt in Louisiana and Mississippi, and the firm takes on Crowley personal injury lawyer matters for residents of Acadia Parish and the communities around it.
Crowley sits in rice and crawfish country, where a lot of the working week happens on farm roads, highways, and in agricultural and industrial settings. Collisions with trucks hauling grain or equipment, falls on commercial property, and injuries that happen on the job while a third party is at fault all show up in this part of south Louisiana. Each one raises its own questions about who pays, how much time you have, and how your fault, if any, affects the outcome.
Some of the people who call us were hurt at work and do not realize they may have two claims: workers’ compensation against the employer’s insurer, and a separate injury claim against whoever else caused the harm. Handling those together, instead of letting one undercut the other, is a large part of what we do.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Crowley Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured people across Acadia Parish, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and the rest of South Louisiana, as well as throughout Mississippi. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language.
The results show what that focus looks like in serious injury cases: a $685,000 settlement 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 being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Those cases involve the same issues Crowley clients face: insurers blaming pre-existing conditions, disputing how the injury happened, or pushing people back to work too soon.
Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe, 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 successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and has argued personal injury and insurance cases before state appellate courts. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team. Client reviews consistently describe attorneys who listen, stay professional, and stand up to the insurance company.
Injury Claims We Handle for Crowley and Acadia Parish Clients
- Car and Truck Accidents: Highway and rural-road collisions, including crashes involving commercial trucks, farm equipment, and delivery vehicles. When the injured person was driving for work, a comp claim and an injury claim against the at-fault driver can run side by side.
- Workplace Injuries With a Third Party at Fault: A contractor’s unsafe site, a defective machine, or a negligent outside driver can create a claim beyond workers’ compensation against your employer.
- Premises Liability: Falls and injuries on commercial property, in stores, and at businesses where hazards were ignored or poorly marked.
- Wrongful Death: Claims brought by surviving family members after a fatal crash or workplace incident, with deadlines that differ from ordinary injury claims.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Herniated discs and similar injuries that often lead to long treatment and surgery, and that insurers frequently try to blame on degenerative conditions.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL and meniscus tears, including cases where the insurer claims an old sports injury.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones that may need specialists and complex surgical repair.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Serious injuries from industrial sites, plants, and oil field work that can change a person’s ability to earn a living.
What to Do After an Injury Near Crowley
Start with medical care, and make sure the provider documents how the injury happened. Gaps in treatment and vague descriptions are what insurers use later to argue the injury was minor or came from somewhere else. Keep the paperwork, take photographs of the scene and your injuries, and get names and contact information for anyone who saw what happened.
If the injury happened at work, tell your employer right away. Louisiana requires notice to the employer within 30 days of the injury, and a formal workers’ compensation claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, though that can extend to three years from the last payment if benefits were paid. Workers’ compensation disputes in Louisiana are heard by workers’ compensation judges in the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration. Because the worker chooses among certain venues, including the parish where the injury occurred or where you lived at the time, the right district court depends on the facts of your case. Lafayette and Lake Charles both have district offices, and Acadia Parish matters appeal to the Third Circuit Court of Appeal.
If someone other than your employer caused the injury, a separate civil claim is governed by a different deadline. For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana gives two years from the day the injury was sustained. Injuries before that date remain under the older one-year period. Wrongful death claims follow their own rule: one year from the death or two years from the day the injury was sustained, whichever is longer, with a wrongful death claim based on medical malpractice limited to one year from the date of death.
Be careful with the insurance adjuster. Recorded statements, early settlement offers, and medical releases that open your entire history can all damage a claim. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer, and a quick offer made before you know the full extent of your injuries is rarely a fair one. If a comp insurer denies a treatment request, there are short deadlines to challenge it: 15 calendar days to file a dispute form after written notice of the denial, and 45 days from the medical director’s decision to take the next step. Missing those windows can end your options, which is why calling an attorney early matters.
How Fault Can Change the Value of a Louisiana Injury Claim
Louisiana changed its fault rules in a way that matters to anyone hurt recently. For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and juries must be told so. Below that threshold, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. Earlier claims remain under pure comparative fault, where your award shrinks but is not barred.
That makes the early evidence matter more than it used to. Insurers now have a strong reason to push blame onto the injured person, whether by pointing to speed, lighting, distraction, or a failure to follow a posted warning. Photographs, witness statements, vehicle data, and medical records collected quickly are what answer those arguments.
Comparative fault does not apply to workers’ compensation benefits, which are paid regardless of who caused the accident. That distinction is one reason the two claims need to be coordinated by someone who understands both systems. Wage benefits in Louisiana include temporary total disability, supplemental earnings benefits when you return at reduced pay, and additional benefits for permanent disability, subject to weekly maximums set each year and fixed by the date of the accident.
Common Questions About Crowley Injury Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a car accident claim in Crowley?
Not every minor fender bender requires one. But if you were hurt, if fault is disputed, if a commercial truck was involved, or if the insurer is slow-walking your claim, an attorney can change the result. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers working to limit what it pays.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement for you.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Louisiana?
For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, two years from the day the injury was sustained. Older injuries fall under the former one-year period. Exceptions exist, so confirm your deadline early.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
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. For earlier claims, your recovery is reduced but not barred.
I was hurt at work. Can I have both a comp claim and an injury claim?
Often yes, if someone other than your employer contributed to the injury, such as a negligent driver or an outside contractor. You generally cannot sue your own employer in a standard injury case, but the third-party claim can add compensation that workers’ compensation does not cover.
What does a wrongful death claim cover and who can file it?
It allows certain surviving family members to seek compensation after a death caused by someone else’s fault. The deadline is one year from the death or two years from the day the injury was sustained, whichever is longer, with a shorter limit when the claim rests on medical malpractice.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?
Often it can, and getting treatment should not wait for a settlement. Health insurers may seek reimbursement from a recovery, so keep records of what was paid. In a workers’ compensation case, the insurer is responsible for reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the injury.
What if the insurance company says my condition was pre-existing?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If the accident caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still recover. Answering that argument with strong medical evidence is a regular part of our work.
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.
How long does an injury case take?
It depends on how long treatment lasts and whether fault is contested. A claim usually should not be settled until your doctors know how far you are likely to recover, because a settlement closes the door on future costs. Cases that go to trial or appeal take longer.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Serving Injured People Across Crowley and Acadia Parish
We represent clients in Crowley and throughout Acadia Parish, including Rayne, Church Point, Iota, Estherwood, Mermentau, Morse, and Egan. Neighboring communities such as Jennings, Eunice, Opelousas, and Abbeville are also within reach, along with the larger Lafayette area and the Lake Charles region to the west. Across South Louisiana we handle cases from Baton Rouge and New Orleans to Lafayette and Lake Charles, and our work extends to Shreveport and north Louisiana as well.
The firm also represents injured workers and accident victims throughout Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, the Delta, and north Mississippi. Whether the injury happened on a rural highway, at a plant, or on a job site, we handle both the injury claim and any related workers’ compensation case.
Talk With a Crowley Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt in or around Crowley, a Crowley personal injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which deadlines apply to you, and tell you whether you have a workers’ compensation claim, a third-party injury claim, or both. Consultations are free, our phones are answered around the clock, and you owe no fee unless we recover for you. Call us to talk through your situation.
