Opelousas Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If you were hurt on the job in Opelousas, the choices you make in the first few weeks, who you tell, which doctor you see, what you sign, can shape the rest of your claim. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers throughout Louisiana and Mississippi, and we handle claims for people in St. Landry Parish and the communities around it. If you are looking for an Opelousas workers’ compensation lawyer, here is what the claim actually involves and where it tends to go wrong.
Opelousas sits in the heart of Acadiana, and the work around it is physical: sugarcane and crawfish operations, trucking and hauling along I-49 and US-190, warehouse and distribution jobs, school and hospital work, construction, and oilfield service work that pulls people toward Lafayette and beyond. Those jobs produce back injuries, torn shoulders, crushed feet, and burns, and they also produce a predictable argument from insurers: that the injury was old, minor, or happened somewhere else. Our work is answering that argument with medical evidence and a clear record.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for Your Opelousas Comp Claim
Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury when one happens to walk in. Workers’ compensation is the center of our practice. Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off, and we have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients across Louisiana and Mississippi. We serve injured workers in Opelousas and St. Landry Parish, throughout Acadiana, and statewide from Baton Rouge to Shreveport to the Gulf Coast.
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 tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and regularly appears before appellate courts. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
Results matter more than adjectives. 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. Clients regularly describe a team that listens, stays responsive, and fights the insurance company at every step. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of your case, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and hablamos español.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From St. Landry Parish Workplaces
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are common among drivers, warehouse workers, farm laborers, and anyone lifting for a living. When the insurer blames degenerative disc disease, we show how years of physical work or one specific incident caused or worsened the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears often follow pulling, climbing, or twisting on the job. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, and the medical records have to answer that.
- Fractures: Feet, ankles, hips, and other bones broken in falls, equipment accidents, or struck-by incidents may need specialists and complex surgical repair, which means a long stretch away from work.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Oil rig, plant, and industrial site accidents can cause severe burns and life-altering harm that call for lifetime medical planning.
- Truck and Vehicle Accidents on the Job: Delivery drivers, truckers, and field workers on I-49 and US-190 are hurt in wrecks while working. These often create 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 can all be compensable.
- Wrongful Death: When a worker dies from a workplace injury, surviving family members may be entitled to death benefits and may have additional claims against third parties.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Opelousas
Report the injury to your employer right away, in writing if you can. Louisiana requires notice within 30 days of the accident, and a compensation proceeding generally cannot go forward without it. Do not wait to see whether the pain fades. Then get medical treatment and tell every provider the injury happened at work, because the first records become the foundation of your claim. Keep copies of anything the employer or insurer sends you, write down who witnessed the accident, and avoid giving a recorded statement to the adjuster before you understand what you are agreeing to.
The formal deadline is separate from the notice deadline. In Louisiana, a claim generally must be filed within one year of the date of injury. If the insurer has paid benefits, that window can extend to three years from the last payment, but do not count on that exception; paying attention early costs nothing and waiting can cost you the claim. Disputes are heard by a workers’ compensation judge in the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, and you choose where to file among a few options: the parish where you were hurt, the parish where you lived when injured, or the parish of the employer’s principal place of business. Lafayette has an OWC district office, and depending on your facts it may be the practical venue for an Opelousas worker.
If the insurer denies a treatment your doctor ordered, a short clock starts. The denial can be challenged through a utilization review dispute by filing Form 1009 within 15 calendar days of getting written notice of the denial, and the medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide. If you disagree with that decision, Form 1008 must be filed within 45 days of the date the decision was issued, and the clock runs from issuance, not from the day you read it. These are exactly the deadlines people lose when they try to handle a denial alone.
The most common mistakes are delaying the report, downplaying symptoms to a supervisor, going back to work before your doctor clears you, and assuming a denial letter is the final word. It almost never is.
How Louisiana Wage Benefits and Appeals Work
Louisiana workers’ compensation pays reasonable and necessary medical treatment and replaces part of your lost wages. Temporary total disability benefits cover you while you cannot work at all. If you return to lighter duty at reduced pay, supplemental earnings benefits apply when you cannot earn at least 90 percent of what you made before the injury; they pay two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury wages and what you earn or are able to earn. Supplemental earnings benefits last until you are released to full duty, you are earning your pre-injury wages, or you hit the 520-week maximum, and weeks of temporary total disability count toward that 520. Weekly rates are capped, the cap is set annually from the statewide average weekly wage, and the rate that applies to you is fixed by your accident date.
When a workers’ compensation judge rules against you, that is not necessarily the end. A final judgment can be appealed to the Louisiana court of appeal. For St. Landry Parish, that is the Third Circuit, which also covers Lafayette, Acadia, Evangeline, and neighboring parishes. 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. Louisiana’s circuit courts publish their workers’ compensation opinions, and a party can ask the Louisiana Supreme Court to review by applying for a writ within 30 days of notice of the judgment.
Also keep in mind that your employer cannot lawfully fire you in retaliation for filing, and that a pre-existing condition does not automatically defeat a claim if work caused, worsened, or accelerated it.
Opelousas Workers’ Compensation Questions Answered
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim in Opelousas?
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 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 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 and file a claim?
Report to your employer within 30 days of the accident. A formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the injury, though payments made by the insurer can extend that to three years from the last payment. Speak with a lawyer as early as you can rather than relying on an exception.
Can I choose my own doctor?
Louisiana gives injured workers a say in choosing a treating physician, with some limits. Do not assume the doctor your employer sends you to is your only option, and ask before you commit to one.
What if the insurance company says my injury is from a pre-existing condition?
That argument is common and often beatable. If your job caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. We answer it with treating-physician opinions, imaging, and your work history.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
No. 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.
What happens if my doctor-ordered surgery is denied?
The denial can be challenged through the utilization review process. You have 15 calendar days from written notice to file Form 1009, and the medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide. Missing that window can seriously weaken your position, so call us the day the denial arrives.
Can I receive comp benefits and also sue someone else?
Often yes. If a negligent driver hit your work truck or a contractor’s unsafe site caused your fall, you may have a personal injury claim in addition to comp. Louisiana’s tort deadline for injuries on or after July 1, 2024 is two years, and our team coordinates the two claims so they do not undercut each other.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system, so your own carelessness does not usually erase benefits. Fault matters more in a separate third-party injury claim, where Louisiana bars recovery if you are found 51 percent or more at fault for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026.
How long does a contested claim take?
It depends on the medical picture and how hard the insurer resists. Claims that stay in dispute may involve hearings before a workers’ compensation judge and, if needed, an appeal. A surgery recommendation or an unresolved question about your ability to work can lengthen the timeline, and we will give you a realistic read once we see your records.
Will you work with me if I 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 Across Opelousas and St. Landry Parish
We represent injured workers in Opelousas and across St. Landry Parish, including Eunice, Port Barre, Krotz Springs, Arnaudville, Leonville, Washington, Sunset, Palmetto, Melville, Grand Coteau, Cankton, and Lawtell. We also serve workers in neighboring Acadiana communities such as Lafayette, Carencro, Breaux Bridge, Ville Platte, Crowley, Opelousas-area farm country, and New Iberia.
Beyond Acadiana, our attorneys handle workers’ compensation claims throughout South Louisiana and the rest of the state, including Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and New Orleans, as well as Mississippi communities from Jackson and Madison to Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast, Southaven, and the Delta. Wherever the injury happened, the same question applies: is the insurer paying what the law requires?
Talk With an Opelousas Workers’ Compensation Attorney
If you have been hurt on the job, you do not have to fight the insurance company alone. An Opelousas workers’ compensation attorney from our team can review your injury, your medical records, and any denial letter, and tell you plainly where you stand and what the next deadline is. Call us any time; our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you.
