Kenner Personal Injury Lawyer
Kenner sits in Jefferson Parish, which means a serious crash on Williams Boulevard or Interstate 10 near the airport gets handled in the Jefferson Parish court system and, if it goes up on appeal, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal, which covers only four parishes. That local footing shapes how a claim is valued, how long it takes, and which deadlines apply. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured people across Louisiana and Mississippi, including Kenner and the rest of Jefferson Parish, in workers’ compensation, car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death cases.
Looking for a Kenner personal injury lawyer usually means one of two things. Either someone else caused your injury and you need to know what that claim is worth, or you were hurt while working and are trying to figure out whether you have a comp claim, an injury claim, or both. Kenner’s economy makes the second situation common: airport operations, freight and trucking along the I-10 and Airline Drive corridors, warehouses, hospitals, and river and industrial work all put people in vehicles and on job sites every day.
Two recent changes in Louisiana law matter right away. Injury claims for accidents on or after July 1, 2024 have a two-year filing period instead of one. And for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a person found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, while a lower share of fault simply reduces the award. Fault arguments now carry far more weight than they used to.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Kenner Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a focused injury and workers’ compensation firm serving Kenner, the rest of Jefferson Parish, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and communities across South and north Louisiana, as well as Mississippi from Jackson and Madison to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and the Delta. The attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience, the firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements, and clients pay nothing unless the firm recovers for them. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language.
The firm is led by Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, who 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 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.
That workers’ compensation foundation matters for injury claims that overlap with a job. Results include a $385,000 settlement for a project manager who suffered back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle, a $685,000 settlement for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, a $600,000 settlement for a construction worker with a complex back injury, and a $221,000 settlement for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients describe a team that listens, communicates, and fights the insurance company at every step. When a crash happens in a work truck, the comp claim and the liability claim have to be coordinated, and the firm handles both.
Injury Situations We See Around Kenner
- Car and Truck Crashes: Heavy traffic funnels through Williams Boulevard, Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Airline Drive, and the I-10 interchanges near the airport. Commercial trucks, rideshare vehicles, and delivery fleets add multiple possible defendants and multiple insurance policies.
- Work Vehicle Collisions: A driver hurt on the job by a negligent third party can usually collect comp benefits and also pursue the at-fault driver. The two claims have to be handled so one does not undercut the other.
- Premises Liability: Falls in retail centers, apartment complexes, parking structures, and hotels serving airport traffic. These claims turn on what the property owner knew about the hazard and how long it existed.
- Contractor and Third-Party Site Injuries: Construction, warehouse, and industrial sites often involve several companies, and a worker hurt by a contractor other than their own employer may have a claim beyond workers’ compensation.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Disc herniations are common after rear-end impacts and lifting accidents. Insurers often point to degenerative changes, so medical evidence tying the injury to the event is critical.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial, plant, and rig-related incidents can leave lasting disability and require long-term care planning.
- Wrongful Death: When a fatal crash or workplace incident takes a family member, survivors face strict deadlines and have to establish both fault and the full extent of the loss.
What to Do After an Injury in Jefferson Parish
Get medical care first, and tell every provider exactly how you were hurt. Gaps between the injury and the first treatment note are one of the main things insurers use to argue the injury was not serious or did not happen the way you say. Follow your doctor’s instructions and keep every appointment record.
Report the crash to the Kenner Police Department or the responding agency so there is an official report, and photograph the vehicles, the road, the signage, and any visible injuries. Get names and contact information for witnesses. If a commercial vehicle was involved, note the company name and plate or DOT information. Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer before you have talked to a lawyer, and do not post about the incident on social media.
If you were hurt at work, the 30-day clock for reporting the injury to your employer applies in Louisiana, and a workers’ compensation claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, with a longer window possible when compensation payments have already been made. Louisiana workers’ comp disputes go to the Office of Workers’ Compensation, with Harahan and New Orleans among the district offices where hearings are held, and the worker elects the venue from the parish where the injury occurred, the parish of residence, or the employer’s parish of principal business. A judgment can be appealed within 30 days if it suspends the judgment, or 60 days if it does not.
For a non-work injury claim, the two-year period for accidents on or after July 1, 2024 is the controlling deadline, but evidence disappears much faster than that. Surveillance footage gets overwritten, vehicles get repaired, and witnesses move away. Calling a lawyer early lets us send preservation letters and start building the file while it is fresh.
How Fault Is Decided and Why It Changed the Value of Claims
Louisiana now bars recovery for anyone found 51 percent or more at fault in claims arising on or after January 1, 2026. Below that line, your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. Juries are told about the bar, so insurers have every reason to push blame onto the injured person: speeding, distraction, a lane change, a failure to wear a seatbelt. Early evidence about how the crash actually happened, including vehicle damage, scene photos, and independent witnesses, is what answers those arguments.
Mississippi works differently. It uses pure comparative negligence, so your recovery is reduced by your share of fault but never eliminated. That matters for Kenner-area residents who work or travel across the state line, because where a crash or injury occurs determines which rules apply.
Injury Claims That Overlap With Workers’ Compensation
Many of our Kenner-area clients are hurt while driving for work, making deliveries, or working on a site run by someone other than their employer. Workers’ compensation pays medical care and wage benefits regardless of fault, but it does not pay for pain and suffering. If a negligent third party contributed, a separate injury claim may be available. Louisiana’s workers’ comp system also pays supplemental earnings benefits when an injured worker returns at reduced pay, and those can last up to 520 weeks, with temporary total disability weeks counting toward that limit. Settling one claim carelessly can affect the other, including the employer’s or insurer’s right to be repaid from the third-party recovery, so the claims should be planned together.
Common Questions About Kenner Personal Injury Claims
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Louisiana?
For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana gives you two years from the day the injury or damage is sustained. Injuries before that date remain under the older one-year period. Waiting leaves little room for error, so it is best to act well before the deadline.
Do I need a lawyer for a car accident in Kenner?
Not every minor fender bender requires one, but if you have injuries, ongoing treatment, missed work, or the insurer is disputing fault, a lawyer can change the outcome. With the 51 percent bar now in place, how fault is characterized early on can decide whether you recover anything.
How much does it cost to hire Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the case costs, and we are paid only if we recover for you.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
In Louisiana, for claims arising on or after January 1, 2026, being 51 percent or more at fault bars recovery, while a smaller share reduces your award proportionally. In Mississippi, your recovery is reduced by your share of fault but not barred. Either way, it is worth having a lawyer challenge the other side’s fault allocation.
Can I bring an injury claim if I was hurt while working?
Yes, in many cases. Workers’ compensation covers your medical care and wage loss, and if someone other than your employer, such as a negligent driver or a contractor, caused the injury, you may also have a separate claim against them.
What is the deadline for a wrongful death claim in Louisiana?
Wrongful death and survival actions follow the longer of one year from the date of death or two years from the day the injury or damage was sustained. A wrongful death claim based on medical malpractice is still limited to one year from death.
What if the at-fault driver has little or no insurance?
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply, and a work-related crash may also trigger workers’ compensation. Reviewing every available policy is part of how we evaluate a Kenner case.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while the claim is pending?
Often yes, and many clients use health coverage so treatment is not delayed. The insurer may later have a right to be repaid from a settlement, which we account for when negotiating.
How long does a personal injury case in Jefferson Parish take?
It depends on the severity of the injury and whether the insurer will negotiate fairly. Cases settle once treatment stabilizes and the full extent of the injury is known; contested liability or serious injuries extend the timeline.
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 so we can review your options.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos español, 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 From Kenner Across Jefferson Parish and Beyond
We represent injured clients throughout Kenner and Jefferson Parish, including Harahan, Metairie, Westwego, Marrero, Gretna, Harvey, Terrytown, River Ridge, Elmwood, Avondale, and Jefferson. We also serve neighboring St. Charles Parish communities such as Destrehan and Norco, and the greater New Orleans area, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport. Our reach extends across South Louisiana and north Louisiana, as well as Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and the Delta. Whether you were hurt in a crash on I-10, in a work vehicle, or on a job site, we handle injury and workers’ compensation claims together when the facts call for it.
Talk to a Kenner Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt because of someone else’s negligence, or hurt on the job and unsure which claim applies, a Kenner personal injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened and explain your options at no cost. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover for you. Call us to schedule a consultation.
