New Iberia Personal Injury Lawyer
Getting from an injury to a fair recovery in Iberia Parish usually means untangling who is actually responsible, getting the medical care approved, and keeping an insurance company from settling the claim for less than it is worth. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a law firm that represents injured people in Louisiana and Mississippi, handling workers’ compensation claims alongside car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death cases for clients in New Iberia and across South Louisiana. As a New Iberia personal injury lawyer team, the firm approaches every claim with the same question: where is the money for this person’s medical care and lost income going to come from?
That question has a particular shape in New Iberia. Iberia Parish sits in the middle of Acadiana’s working economy, with sugarcane fields and processing, salt dome and oilfield operations, shipyards and fabrication shops, and the steady truck traffic that moves product along Highway 90 and Highway 14. A great many injuries here happen to people who were on the clock, which means a single accident can produce two claims at once: a workers’ compensation claim against the employer’s insurer, and a separate injury claim against a negligent third party such as the driver who hit a work truck or the contractor who left a site unsafe. The two claims affect each other, and handling them separately can cost a client real money.
How an Injury Claim Unfolds for Iberia Parish Residents
Most injury claims move through the same general stages, though the timing varies enormously. It begins with treatment. Medical records are the foundation of everything that follows, so the first weeks are about getting a diagnosis, following the treating doctor’s instructions, and keeping every record of visits, prescriptions, and missed work. Our team gathers the accident report, photographs, witness names, and employment records while evidence is still fresh, because skid marks fade, surveillance video gets overwritten, and memories soften.
Next comes the investigation of fault and coverage. In a vehicle collision this means identifying every policy that might apply, including the at-fault driver’s liability coverage, the injured person’s own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, and in some cases an employer’s commercial policy. In a premises case it means working out who actually controlled the property where the fall or injury occurred. Insurers often respond by disputing the cause, pointing to a pre-existing condition, or arguing that the injured person shares the blame.
That last argument matters more in Louisiana than it used to. For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and a lower share of fault reduces the award proportionally. Earlier claims remain under the older pure comparative fault rule. Because the percentage assigned to the injured person can decide the entire case, fault is usually the most contested issue, and a careful liability investigation does a great deal of the work.
Only after the medical picture stabilizes does it make sense to value the claim. Settling while treatment is still ongoing is one of the most common ways people undercut themselves, since a surgery recommended three months later is not covered by a release signed three months earlier. Many claims resolve through negotiation, and those that do not proceed toward suit, where discovery, depositions, and mediation precede any trial date.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for Injury Claims in New Iberia
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured people throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including New Iberia, Iberia Parish, and the Acadiana communities around it. That concentration matters for personal injury because so many of these cases begin at a job site.
The track record is concrete. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients, including $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 after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. 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, and the team also includes Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher.
Clients describe the same things in their reviews: attorneys who listened, who stayed in contact, and who stood up to the insurance company at each step. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and fees are collected only if there is a recovery. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call. Hablamos español.
Injury Types and Accident Categories We Handle
- Car and Truck Collisions: Highway 90, Highway 14, and the parish roads that carry sugar and oilfield traffic produce serious crashes involving commercial trucks, work vehicles, and delivery drivers. These cases often involve several insurance policies and a driver who was also working at the time.
- Workplace Injuries with a Third-Party Claim: When a subcontractor, equipment maker, or negligent driver caused a work injury, the injured employee may pursue workers’ compensation benefits and a separate injury claim at once.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Herniated lumbar and cervical discs are among the most frequent and most disputed injuries, with insurers often blaming degenerative changes rather than the accident.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff and SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common in industrial and physical jobs, and employers sometimes call them old sports injuries.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Oilfield, plant, and fabrication environments produce severe burns and life-altering trauma that require specialists and long-term care planning.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones from falls and crushing incidents can require surgical repair, extended time away from work, and ongoing therapy.
- Premises Liability: Falls in stores, restaurants, and rental properties, and injuries on unsafe construction or industrial sites, turn on who controlled the property and whether they knew of the hazard.
- Wrongful Death: When a fatal accident leaves a family without income, claims can include both a wrongful death action and a survival action on behalf of the person who died.
What to Do After an Injury in Iberia Parish
The first priority is medical care, and it should come before any phone call to an adjuster. See a doctor promptly, describe every symptom even if it seems minor, and follow the treatment plan. Gaps in treatment give insurers an argument that the injury was not serious or came from something else. If you were hurt at work, report the injury to 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, although that period can extend to three years from the last compensation payment when benefits have been paid.
For a claim against a negligent third party, Louisiana now allows two years from the day the injury or damage is sustained to bring a delictual action, for injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2024. Earlier injuries remain under the older one-year period, which is why the date of the accident has to be pinned down early. Wrongful death claims follow their own rule: the longer of one year from the death or two years from the day of the injury, except that a wrongful death claim based on medical malpractice stays at one year from the date of death.
Preserve evidence while it exists. Photograph the scene, your injuries, and any damaged vehicle or equipment, collect names and numbers of witnesses, and ask for the police report and your employer’s incident report. Do not give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer before you have spoken with a lawyer, and do not post about the accident or your activities on social media, since those posts get used against injured people. Be wary of an early settlement offer, particularly one that arrives before you know the full extent of your treatment.
If your workers’ compensation benefits are denied, there are short deadlines inside the process. A dispute over denied medical treatment goes through the utilization review procedure, and the paperwork must be filed within 15 calendar days of receiving written notice of the denial. Workers’ compensation disputes in Louisiana are heard by a workers’ compensation judge through the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, and the worker can choose to have the hearing in the parish where the injury happened, the parish where the worker lived, or the parish of the employer’s principal place of business. A final judgment can be appealed to the circuit court of appeal, which is generally 30 days when the appeal suspends the judgment. Appeals from Iberia Parish go to the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal.
When a Work Injury Becomes Two Claims
The overlap between workers’ compensation and personal injury is where a lot of value is gained or lost. Workers’ compensation pays medical care and a portion of lost wages regardless of fault, but it does not pay for pain and suffering. A third-party injury claim does. When a delivery driver is hit by a distracted motorist, or a worker is hurt by defective equipment or a negligent contractor, the injured person may be able to recover from both systems, and the two have to be coordinated because the comp insurer often has a right to be reimbursed from a third-party recovery.
Handling both under one roof prevents the common problem of a settlement in one claim undermining the other. A comp settlement signed without understanding the third-party case can waive rights, and a third-party settlement reached without accounting for the comp lien can leave the injured person with far less than expected. Because the firm lives in workers’ compensation every day, those interactions get spotted early.
Federal court is occasionally part of the picture as well. Claims arising in Iberia Parish that proceed in federal court are filed in the Western District of Louisiana, which holds court in Lafayette, and appeals from there go to the Fifth Circuit.
Questions About Injury Claims in New Iberia
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Louisiana?
For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, a delictual action must be brought within two years of the day the injury or damage was sustained. Injuries from before that date remain under the older one-year period. Because the dates are strict and the exceptions are narrow, speak with a lawyer as soon as you can.
Do I need a lawyer for a car accident claim?
Not every minor fender bender requires one, but if you were hurt, if fault is disputed, if a commercial vehicle was involved, or if the insurer is pressing you for a statement or a quick release, legal help usually pays for itself. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers working for it, and you should have someone working for you.
How much does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and fees are paid only if there is a recovery.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
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 percentage reduces the award by that share. Earlier claims fall under pure comparative fault, where recovery is reduced but never barred outright. How fault gets divided is often the central fight in the case.
Can I file both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury claim?
Often yes. If someone other than your employer caused the injury, such as a negligent driver or an unsafe contractor, you may receive comp benefits and also pursue a third-party claim for damages comp does not cover.
What happens if the insurance company says my injury was pre-existing?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If the accident or your work caused, aggravated, or accelerated the condition, you may still be entitled to compensation. Answering that argument with strong medical evidence is a core part of what the firm does.
What is the deadline for a wrongful death claim in Louisiana?
A wrongful death action is timely if brought within the longer of one year from the death or two years from the day the injury was sustained. A claim based on medical malpractice is the exception and stays at one year from the date of death.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?
Many people use health insurance to keep treating while the claim is open, and doing so is better than going without care. Be aware that your insurer may later seek reimbursement from a settlement, and an attorney can address those reimbursement claims during negotiation.
How long will my case take?
It depends on how long you need to treat and how seriously fault and damages are disputed. Cases that settle by negotiation can resolve in months, while those that go through suit, discovery, and trial often take considerably longer. Rushing before treatment is complete is the most common way to settle for too little.
I was hurt at work and my benefits were cut off. Where is my case decided?
A Louisiana workers’ compensation dispute is heard by a workers’ compensation judge through the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration rather than a regular civil court. The hearing location can be the parish of the injury, your residence at the time, or the employer’s principal place of business, and a final judgment can be appealed to the circuit court of appeal.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer if my injury seems minor?
Injuries that seem minor early on sometimes turn out to need surgery or long-term treatment. A free consultation costs nothing, and a lawyer can tell you whether the claim is worth pursuing and how to avoid signing something that limits you later.
Serving Injured Clients Across Iberia Parish and Acadiana
Our team represents injured people in New Iberia and throughout Iberia Parish, including Jeanerette, Delcambre, Loreauville, and Avery Island, along with the farming and oilfield communities between them. We also serve clients in neighboring St. Martin Parish, Vermilion Parish, and Lafayette Parish, including Lafayette, Broussard, Youngsville, Carencro, Breaux Bridge, and Abbeville, and in nearby St. Mary Parish communities such as Franklin and Morgan City.
Across South Louisiana, the firm helps injured workers and accident victims in Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and New Orleans, and we represent clients statewide, including Shreveport and north Louisiana. We also serve Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Delta, and north Mississippi. Wherever the injury happened, workers’ compensation and personal injury claims often overlap, and the same team can handle both.
Talk with a New Iberia Personal Injury Attorney Today
If an accident or workplace injury has left you with medical bills and a missing paycheck, speaking with a New Iberia personal injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC costs nothing and puts the facts of your case in front of someone who handles these claims every day. Consultations are free, you pay no fee unless we recover for you, and our phones are answered 24 hours a day. Call to talk through what happened, and we will tell you plainly what your options look like.
