Metairie Work Injury Lawyer
Getting the medical care your doctor orders and a paycheck that keeps coming while you recover is what most injured workers in Jefferson Parish are really after, and an insurance adjuster often stands between you and both. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles workers’ compensation and related injury claims for people hurt on the job, and if you are looking for a Metairie work injury lawyer, our team represents workers from Metairie and the rest of Jefferson Parish, across greater New Orleans, and throughout South Louisiana and Mississippi.
Metairie’s economy produces a particular mix of injuries. Hospital and clinic staff along the medical corridors, warehouse and delivery workers moving freight through the parish, office and retail employees, and tradespeople on commercial construction all end up in the same system when something goes wrong. Louisiana requires nearly every employer to carry compensation coverage, even for a single employee, so in most cases a benefits claim exists whether or not anyone was careless. What matters is how the claim gets reported, documented, and defended once the insurer starts asking questions.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Metairie Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm serving injured workers in Metairie, throughout Jefferson Parish, across New Orleans and South Louisiana, and across Mississippi. Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off early, and the firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call.
Rob Lunsford, our 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 together they handle claims before workers’ compensation judges and on appeal.
The results reflect the kinds of injuries Metairie workers actually suffer. We recovered $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, and $385,000 for a project manager injured when his work vehicle was struck. We also secured $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients tell us what they value most is being listened to and having an attorney who stands up to the insurance company at every step.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Metairie Workers
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most frequent claims we handle, especially for nurses lifting patients, warehouse workers moving freight, and tradespeople. Insurers often blame degenerative disc disease, so the case turns on medical evidence connecting the work to the injury or its worsening.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common after repetitive overhead work, falls, and awkward lifts. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, and we answer with treatment records and work history.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones from falls, struck-by accidents, and vehicle collisions can require specialists and complex surgical repair, along with long stretches away from work.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial settings and plants in the greater New Orleans region produce burn and crush injuries that call for lifelong care planning, not just a quick settlement.
- Driving and Delivery Accidents: Workers hit while making deliveries, running errands, or driving a company truck often have two claims, comp benefits and a separate injury claim against the at-fault driver.
- Firefighter and First Responder Conditions: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job can all support a claim.
- Pre-Existing Condition Disputes: A prior injury does not end a claim when work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, and insurers raise this argument constantly.
- Wrongful Death: When a workplace accident takes a life, surviving family members may have rights to death benefits and, in some cases, a separate claim against a third party.
What to Do After Getting Hurt at Work in Jefferson Parish
Start with the clock. Louisiana requires you to give your employer notice of the injury within 30 days, and a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident. If benefits have already been paid, that deadline can stretch to three years from the last payment, but do not count on an exception. Tell your supervisor right away, put it in writing if you can, and keep a copy. Verbal reports get “forgotten” more often than anyone would like.
Get medical attention and be straight with the doctor about how the injury happened and where it hurts. Records made close to the event carry real weight later, especially when an insurer claims the problem predates the job. Write down the date, time, place, who saw it, and what you were doing. If a coworker witnessed it, get a name. Take photos of the equipment, floor, or scene if you can do so safely. Keep every pay stub, work schedule, and medical bill.
Be careful with the adjuster. Recorded statements are used to find inconsistencies, and an offhand comment about an old back problem can become the whole defense. You are free to speak with an attorney before giving one. The same caution applies to going back to work. Do not accept duties your doctor has not cleared, and do not sign anything you have not had reviewed.
Disputes in Louisiana go to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, where a workers’ compensation judge decides the case. You choose where it is heard: the parish where the injury happened, the parish where you lived when hurt, or the parish where the employer has its principal place of business. Louisiana has district workers’ compensation courts in New Orleans, Harahan, Covington, Baton Rouge, Houma, and other cities, which is why a Jefferson Parish worker’s claim can often be heard close to home.
How Denied Treatment and Cut-Off Benefits Get Challenged
Many Louisiana claims stall over medical treatment, not the injury itself. When the insurer refuses a surgery, an injection, or a referral your doctor recommends, there is a short window to fight back. The disputing party has 15 calendar days from written notice of the denial to file Form 1009 with the OWC, and the agency’s medical director then has 30 calendar days to issue a decision. Miss that 15-day window and you can lose leverage you cannot easily get back. If you disagree with the medical director’s decision, you have 45 days from the date it was issued to file Form 1008, and that clock runs from issuance, not from the day the letter reached you.
Wage benefits work differently. Temporary total disability pays while you cannot work at all. If you return to work earning less because of the injury, supplemental earnings benefits can make up part of the gap, generally two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury wages and what you earn or are able to earn, when you cannot earn at least 90 percent of what you made before. Those benefits can continue until you are released to full duty, you are earning your old wages again, or you reach the 520-week maximum, and weeks of total disability count toward that limit. Weekly compensation rates are set by the date of your accident and are tied to the statewide average weekly wage, so the rate you are entitled to is locked in by when you were hurt.
If a workers’ compensation judge rules against you, the decision can be appealed to the Louisiana courts of appeal. Jefferson Parish cases go to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal. A suspensive appeal must be filed within 30 days, and an appeal that does not suspend the judgment within 60 days, counted from the day after the judgment was signed or notice was mailed, whichever is later. Applying to the Louisiana Supreme Court for review follows its own 30-day deadline. These are short windows, which is one more reason to involve a lawyer before a denial, not after.
When Someone Other Than Your Employer Caused the Injury
Comp benefits do not pay for pain and suffering, and they are not the only recovery available when an outside party is responsible. A negligent driver who hits your work truck, a contractor whose unsafe site causes a fall, or a property owner with a hazardous premises may be liable in a separate injury case. For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, the deadline for most Louisiana injury suits is two years from the day the injury occurred; earlier injuries remain under the former one-year period.
Fault matters in those cases. For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a Louisiana claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and a lower share of fault reduces the award proportionally. This rule does not apply to your comp claim, where fault is generally not the question. But it makes coordination important: what you say in one case can affect the other, and a comp carrier may have a right to be repaid from a third-party recovery. Our attorneys handle both sides so they work together instead of against each other.
Metairie Work Injury Questions Answered
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim in Metairie?
Not every claim requires 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 change the outcome. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers protecting its interests, and you should have someone protecting yours.
How much does it cost to hire the 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. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a work injury in Louisiana?
Report it to your employer within 30 days of the injury. Louisiana law bars a compensation proceeding if timely notice was not given, so reporting immediately is the safest course.
How long do I have to file the claim itself?
A formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the date of the accident. If compensation payments have already been made, the deadline may extend to three years from the last payment. Because exceptions depend on the facts, talk with an attorney as soon as you can.
Can I be fired for filing a 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?
That argument does not automatically end the claim. If your job caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, benefits may still be owed. Answering it with strong medical evidence is a core part of our work.
Which court hears my case if the insurer denies it?
A workers’ compensation judge at the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration decides disputed claims. You choose the venue from the parish where you were hurt, where you lived at the time, or where the employer is principally based, so a Metairie worker often has options.
What happens if the insurer denies my doctor’s recommended surgery?
You must file Form 1009 with the OWC within 15 calendar days of the written denial, and the medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide. If you disagree with that decision, you have 45 days from its issuance to file Form 1008. Because the window is so short, call right away.
Will I get paid while my claim is pending?
If the claim is accepted, wage benefits and medical care should begin without waiting for a lawsuit. If the insurer is contesting it, payment can be delayed, and part of our work is pushing to get benefits started or restored. Your own health insurance may cover treatment in the meantime, but check with us first, because it can complicate reimbursement.
Can I file a comp claim and an injury lawsuit for the same accident?
Often yes, when someone other than your employer or coworker caused the injury. The comp claim covers medical care and wage benefits, while the third-party case can seek damages comp does not. Fault rules apply to the lawsuit, and the two claims need to be coordinated carefully.
How long does a Louisiana workers’ compensation case take?
It depends on the injury and on how much the insurer fights. A straightforward claim with prompt treatment can resolve relatively quickly, while a disputed surgery, a pre-existing condition defense, or a permanent disability evaluation can take considerably longer. Settlements usually come after your medical condition has stabilized and your doctors can speak to what the injury means long term.
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 Workers From Metairie Across Jefferson Parish and Beyond
We start with Metairie and the communities of Jefferson Parish around it. From the Metairie corridors through neighboring Kenner, Harahan, and River Ridge, and into Elmwood, Old Jefferson, and Bridge City, our team represents workers hurt at hospitals, warehouses, job sites, and offices throughout the parish. We also serve clients on the West Bank in Gretna, Marrero, Harvey, and Westwego, along with Terrytown and Avondale.
Across the parish line, we represent injured workers in New Orleans and neighboring communities, and throughout South Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles. Our reach extends statewide in Louisiana, including Shreveport and north Louisiana, and into Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Delta, and north Mississippi. Wherever the injury happened, workers’ compensation is what we do.
Talk to a Metairie Work Injury Attorney About Your Claim
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to take on the insurance company by yourself. A Metairie work injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which deadlines apply to you, and start working on getting your medical care approved and your wage benefits flowing. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you owe no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call us today to schedule your consultation.
