Livingston Parish Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
The goal in a work injury claim is simple to state and hard to reach: get the right doctor, get treatment approved, and keep a check coming while you recover. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles workers’ compensation claims for injured workers across Louisiana and Mississippi, and a Livingston Parish workers’ compensation lawyer from our team can take over the insurer, the paperwork, and the hearing process so you can focus on getting well.
Livingston Parish sits in the First Circuit appellate region and is within the Middle District of Louisiana for federal matters, which tells you something about how disputes from this parish travel. Workers hurt in Denham Springs, Walker, or Livingston itself file with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, and the first fights are usually over medical treatment approvals and whether the insurer will keep paying wage benefits. Those early disputes tend to set the direction of the entire claim.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Livingston Parish Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that represents injured workers in Livingston Parish and the surrounding communities, along with clients across south Louisiana, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and throughout Mississippi. We have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients, work on a no recovery, no fee basis, advance the costs of the case, offer free consultations, answer our phones 24 hours a day, and speak Spanish with clients who prefer it.
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, alongside attorneys Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher.
The results reflect the kinds of injuries Livingston Parish workers actually suffer: $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. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, communicates, and stands up to the insurance company.
Injuries and Claim Types We Handle for Livingston Parish Workers
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most common claims, and insurers often blame degenerative disc disease. Warehouse, construction, and delivery work around the parish wears on the spine, and medical evidence connecting the job to the injury decides these cases.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears frequently draw the “old sports injury” argument from employers. Surgery recommendations are often where treatment denials begin.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, and hips from falls on job sites or struck-by accidents can require specialists and complex repair, and long recoveries that raise questions about wage benefits.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial plants and oil field sites in south Louisiana produce serious burn and crush injuries that carry long-term medical and disability consequences.
- Truck and Vehicle Accidents on the Job: Delivery drivers and work-truck operators on parish roads and interstates may have both a comp claim and a separate injury claim against the at-fault driver.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job are claims we handle for responders.
- Denied Claims and Appeals: When an insurer disputes that the accident happened at work, cuts off benefits, or refuses a doctor’s recommendation, we take the case through the hearing and appeal process.
- Wrongful Death: Families who lose a worker deserve benefits and, where a third party is responsible, a separate claim handled with care.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Livingston Parish
Report the injury to your employer right away, in writing if you can. Louisiana law requires notice within 30 days of the accident, and a late report gives the insurer an easy reason to fight the claim. Get medical attention immediately and tell the provider the injury happened at work, since the first records become the foundation of your case. Describe every body part that hurts, because injuries left out of early notes are harder to add later.
The formal claim deadline is a separate clock. A claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, though that can stretch to three years from the last compensation payment if benefits were paid. Your claim goes to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration. Under Louisiana law, you choose where the hearing is held: the parish where you were hurt, the parish where you lived when injured, or the parish of the employer’s principal place of business. For a Livingston Parish worker, the Baton Rouge district office is the natural fit, and cases decided there are appealed to the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal.
Treatment denials have their own short fuse. If the insurer denies a recommended treatment, you have 15 calendar days from written notice to file LWC Form 1009 with the OWC, 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. These deadlines run from issuance, not from when you got around to reading the letter, so they are easy to miss without help.
Keep copies of everything: incident reports, texts with supervisors, pay stubs, medical bills, and a log of missed work. Do not give a recorded statement to the adjuster before speaking with a lawyer, do not return to work against your doctor’s restrictions, and do not sign anything you do not fully understand. If you are fired after reporting an injury, tell us, because Louisiana protects workers from retaliation for filing a claim.
How Louisiana Wage and Disability Benefits Work
Workers’ compensation pays for reasonable and necessary medical treatment and replaces part of your wages while you cannot work. Temporary total disability benefits apply while you are completely unable to work, and permanent disability benefits apply when the injury leaves lasting limits. The weekly amounts are capped by a maximum that is set each year and fixed by the date of your accident.
If you return to work but earn less because of the injury, you may qualify for supplemental earnings benefits. These apply when you cannot earn at least 90 percent of your pre-injury wages, and they equal two-thirds of the difference between what you earned before and what you earn or are able to earn now. They continue until you return to full duty, earn your old wages, or reach the 520-week maximum, with temporary total disability weeks counting toward that total. Insurers often hire vocational consultants to claim you can earn more than you actually can, so these benefits are frequently contested.
If a workers’ compensation judge rules against you, the decision becomes final unless appealed. An appeal that suspends the judgment must be filed within 30 days, and one that does not suspend it within 60 days, counted from the day after the judgment was signed or notice was mailed, whichever is later. The appeal goes to the First Circuit, and a further writ application to the Louisiana Supreme Court must be filed within 30 days of notice of the First Circuit’s judgment.
Livingston Parish Workers’ Compensation Questions Answered
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim requires one, but if benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, a lawyer makes a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys protecting its interests.
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. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report my injury?
Report it to your employer within 30 days of the accident at the latest, and do it as soon as you can. Louisiana law bars a compensation proceeding if notice was not given within that window.
How long do I have to file a formal claim?
Generally one year from the date of the accident. If compensation payments have been made, the deadline may extend to three years from the last payment. Because exceptions are narrow, speak with a lawyer early.
Can I choose my own doctor?
Treatment choice is one of the most contested issues in a comp claim, and the rules about choosing and changing physicians have specific requirements. Talk to us before you switch doctors or accept an employer-directed provider, so you do not damage your claim.
What if the insurer says my injury is a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end your claim. If your work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. We answer this argument with strong medical evidence.
What if my treatment was denied?
You have 15 calendar days from written notice to file Form 1009 with the OWC, and the medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide. A further challenge to that decision must be filed within 45 days of its issuance. Missing these windows can cost you the treatment, so call us as soon as the denial arrives.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
Louisiana protects workers from being fired in retaliation for filing a compensation claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my comp claim is pending?
Sometimes, but the workers’ compensation insurer is supposed to pay for work-related treatment, and using health insurance can create reimbursement problems later. Ask us before you decide how to handle bills during a dispute.
Can I also sue someone other than my employer?
Yes, when a third party such as a negligent driver or a contractor with an unsafe site caused your injury. Louisiana’s two-year period for most injury claims applies to injuries on or after July 1, 2024, and a fault rule bars recovery for claimants found 51 percent or more at fault for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026. We coordinate the comp claim and the injury claim so they work together.
What if my family member died from a work injury?
Dependents may be entitled to death benefits, and there may also be a wrongful death claim against a third party. Louisiana allows the longer of one year from the death or two years from the injury for these claims, so contact us promptly.
Serving Workers’ Compensation Clients Throughout Livingston Parish and Beyond
Our team represents injured workers across Livingston Parish, including Denham Springs, Walker, Livingston, Albany, Springfield, French Settlement, Killian, Holden, Maurepas, Port Vincent, Watson, and Gonzales-area commuters who work in the parish. We also serve neighboring Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Tangipahoa, St. Helena, and Livingston-adjacent communities including Prairieville, Baton Rouge, Hammond, and Amite.
Beyond the Florida Parishes, we represent workers in New Orleans, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and throughout south and north Louisiana. We also handle Mississippi claims from Jackson and Madison to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Delta, and north Mississippi.
Talk With a Livingston Parish Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job, the insurer already has people working for it, and you should have someone working for you. A Livingston Parish workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your situation, explain the deadlines that apply to you, and take on the insurance company directly. Consultations are free, you pay no fee unless we recover benefits, and our phones are answered around the clock. Call us today to talk through your claim.
