Destrehan Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Getting the medical care your doctor orders and a paycheck that keeps coming while you recover is the whole point of a Louisiana comp claim, and in Destrehan that goal can stall fast when an insurer starts questioning how you were hurt. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles workers’ compensation for injured workers across St. Charles Parish and South Louisiana, and if you need a Destrehan workers’ compensation lawyer, our team takes on the employer and the insurance company so you can focus on getting well.
Destrehan sits in the middle of the River Parishes industrial corridor, where refineries, chemical plants, shipyards, and river terminals employ thousands of people in physically punishing jobs. Contract crews rotate through turnarounds, truck drivers move product along the river roads, and warehouse and dock workers handle heavy loads all day. Those jobs produce the injuries that fuel disputed claims: crushed hands, herniated discs, torn shoulders, burns, and falls from height. They also produce the arguments carriers love, such as “you were a contractor,” “that was already wrong with your back,” or “you should be back at work.”
Louisiana comp is a no-fault system, which means you do not have to prove your employer did anything wrong. You have to show the injury arose out of and happened in the course of your work. That sounds simple until an adjuster gets involved, which is why many Destrehan workers call us after a first denial, after a surgery recommendation is refused, or after checks simply stop arriving.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Destrehan Comp Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm representing injured workers throughout Louisiana and Mississippi, including Destrehan, the rest of St. Charles Parish, and communities across South Louisiana. Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience, and we have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. We do not charge up front, consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and we are paid only if we recover for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish (hablamos español) from the first call through the end of the case.
The people doing the work matter. Rob Lunsford, 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 successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict, Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team, and all of them work alongside the partners on injured-worker cases.
Results matter for claims like the ones Destrehan workers bring. 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 to the lower extremities. Clients tell us they felt heard, that the process was easy to follow, and that their attorney stood up to the insurance company at every step.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Destrehan’s Industrial Workforce
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lifting, pulling, and awkward positions in plants, warehouses, and on docks cause lumbar and cervical disc herniations. When the carrier points to degenerative disc disease, the fight is over whether the job caused or worsened the condition, and strong medical evidence answers that.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common among pipefitters, riggers, mechanics, and drivers. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, so the timeline of symptoms and treatment becomes critical.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Refinery and chemical plant incidents, flash fires, steam releases, and equipment failures can leave workers with severe burns or life-altering trauma that require long-term care and, in some cases, permanent disability benefits.
- Fractures and Crush Injuries: Falls from scaffolding, struck-by incidents on job sites, and machinery accidents break feet, ankles, hips, and hands. These often need specialists and surgical repair, and recovery time drives the wage benefits you are owed.
- Truck and Vehicle Accidents on the Job: Drivers and field employees working the River Road, Airline Highway, and I-310 and I-10 corridors can be hurt in wrecks while working. These claims can carry both comp benefits and a separate claim against the at-risk driver.
- Occupational Illness and Repetitive Trauma: Exposure to chemicals, noise, and years of repetitive strain can cause conditions that develop gradually rather than in a single moment, and these claims need careful documentation of the work history.
- Denied or Cut-Off Benefits: Claims fail when carriers question whether an accident happened at work, blame a prior condition, send a worker back before the doctor clears them, or stop payment without warning.
What to Do After a Work Injury in St. Charles Parish
Get medical attention first, and tell the provider the injury happened at work so it is recorded that way from the start. Then report the injury to your employer right away. Louisiana requires notice to the employer within 30 days of the injury, and waiting invites the insurer to argue the accident never happened. Put the report in writing if you can, and keep a copy of anything you sign or send.
Write down what happened while it is fresh: the date, the location in the plant or yard, what task you were doing, who saw it, and who you told. Save photos, text messages, and the names of coworkers. Keep every medical record, work restriction note, and pay stub. Be careful with recorded statements to the insurance adjuster; they are gathered to find inconsistencies, and speaking with an attorney first is wise.
A formal claim in Louisiana generally has to be filed within one year of the accident. If the carrier has paid compensation, that deadline can stretch to three years from the last payment, but do not count on an exception to save a late claim. Disputes are heard by workers’ compensation judges at the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration. The worker chooses the venue from the parish where the injury happened, the parish where the worker lived when hurt, or the parish of the employer’s principal place of business, and that choice can matter strategically.
If treatment your doctor recommended is denied, a short fuse applies. A utilization review dispute must be filed on the state’s Form 1009 within 15 calendar days of receiving written notice of the denial, and the 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. Those deadlines run quickly and are easy to miss when you are in pain and off work, which is one of the best reasons to call early.
If a workers’ compensation judge issues a judgment against you, it can be appealed. Appeals that suspend the judgment must be filed within thirty days, and appeals that do not suspend it within sixty. For St. Charles Parish, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal is the appellate court that covers the parish.
Wage Benefits, Medical Care, and Returning to Work
Louisiana comp pays for reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the injury, including doctor visits, surgery, therapy, and prescriptions. It also pays weekly wage benefits when you cannot work. Temporary total disability covers the period when you are completely unable to work. If you can work again but earn less than 90 percent of what you made before, supplemental earnings benefits pay two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury wages and what you earn or are able to earn. Those benefits can continue until you are released to full duty, you are earning your pre-injury wages, or you reach the 520-week maximum, and weeks of temporary total disability count toward that 520. Weekly rates are capped, and the cap is set by the date of your accident and does not change afterward.
Return-to-work pressure is where many claims go sideways. An employer may offer a light-duty job outside your restrictions, or an insurer may use a surveillance clip or a doctor’s cursory note to cut off checks. Do not go back to tasks your physician has prohibited, and do not skip appointments. If your restrictions limit what you can do, your paycheck and your comp benefits should be coordinated, not guessed at.
Some Destrehan injuries involve someone other than your employer, such as a negligent driver, a subcontractor, or an equipment maker. Comp does not pay for pain and suffering, but a separate claim against a third party can. Louisiana’s rules on fault and filing time for those claims are different from comp rules, so we look at both together so one claim does not undercut the other.
Questions Destrehan Workers Ask About Comp Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim in Destrehan?
Not every claim needs one, but if 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. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers protecting its interests, and you should have someone protecting yours.
How much does it cost to hire Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe?
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?
Louisiana law bars a comp proceeding unless the employer receives notice within 30 days of the injury. Report it immediately and in writing when possible.
How long do I have to file a claim?
A formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident. If comp payments have been made, the period may extend to three years from the last payment. Because exceptions are narrow, speak with an attorney as soon as you can.
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.
What if the insurer says my injury is from a pre-existing condition?
A prior condition does not automatically end your claim. If your job caused, worsened, or sped up the problem, you may still be entitled to benefits. Insurers raise this argument often, and answering it with medical evidence is a core part of what we do.
What if I am a contract worker at a plant and not a direct employee?
Many Destrehan-area workers are hired through staffing firms or contractors working inside a larger facility. Who counts as your employer, and which insurer is responsible, can be disputed. We look at who paid you, who directed your work, and which policies apply, and we can pursue a third-party claim against others on the site where appropriate.
Will my own health insurance cover treatment while my comp claim is pending?
Sometimes a worker uses health insurance to avoid a gap in care when the comp carrier is refusing treatment. That can create reimbursement issues later, so tell your providers it is a work injury and talk with us before relying on other coverage.
What happens if the insurance company denies the surgery my doctor recommends?
You can dispute a medical treatment denial through the state’s utilization review process. The first step is filing Form 1009 within 15 calendar days of receiving written notice of the denial. Missing that window can limit your options, so call us right away.
Can I still get benefits if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Louisiana comp is a no-fault system, so your own mistake generally does not defeat a claim. There are narrow exceptions, such as certain intoxication and willful misconduct defenses, which insurers sometimes try to stretch. We evaluate any such argument against the facts.
Can I settle my claim, and should I?
Many claims resolve by settlement, but timing matters. Settling before you know the full extent of your treatment can leave future surgeries and care uncovered. We help you weigh a settlement offer against the medical care and wage benefits still owed.
Serving Destrehan and St. Charles Parish Injured Workers
We represent injured workers in Destrehan and throughout St. Charles Parish, including Luling, Norco, St. Rose, Hahnville, Boutte, Des Allemands, Paradis, and the river communities along the Mississippi. Our reach continues into neighboring Jefferson Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, and St. James Parish, covering workers who commute into the industrial corridor from places like Kenner, Harahan, LaPlace, Reserve, and Edgard.
Beyond the River Parishes, we handle comp claims across South Louisiana and the rest of the state, from Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles to Shreveport and north Louisiana. We also represent injured workers throughout Mississippi, including Jackson, Madison, the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Delta, and north Mississippi. Wherever the injury happened, we take the case to the workers’ compensation judge, and to the appellate courts when an unfair ruling needs to be challenged.
Talk With a Destrehan Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job and the insurance company is questioning your claim, delaying your care, or cutting off your checks, speak with a Destrehan workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC before the deadlines close in. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, the consultation is free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call us or send your case details, and we will tell you where your claim stands and what comes next.
