St. Mary Parish Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in St. Mary Parish and across South Louisiana and Mississippi, handling claims that insurers have denied, delayed, or cut off. A St. Mary Parish workers’ compensation lawyer spends a good share of the time on the kinds of jobs this part of the state runs on: oilfield and offshore support work, marine and shipyard labor, sugar cane harvesting and milling, and plant and refinery maintenance.
Those jobs produce injuries that adjusters love to contest. A derrickhand who tears a shoulder pulling pipe, a welder with a herniated lumbar disc, or a deckhand whose knee gives out after years of climbing ladders and hauling gear will often hear that the problem is “degenerative” or “an old injury.” Physical work wears a body down, and the law does not require a worker to have been in perfect condition before a job aggravated, accelerated, or caused a condition. The fight is usually about medical evidence, and that is where our practice concentrates.
Louisiana has its own system for resolving these disputes. Claims do not go to a regular civil jury. They go to a workers’ compensation judge, with strict deadlines at nearly every stage, and a missed deadline can cost a worker benefits that were otherwise owed. What follows covers how those claims work for St. Mary Parish workers and what to do when an insurer pushes back.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a St. Mary Parish Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm serving injured workers throughout Louisiana and Mississippi, including St. Mary Parish and the surrounding South Louisiana communities. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle a work injury when one happens to walk in. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients, works on a no recovery, no fee basis, advances the costs of the case, offers free consultations, answers its phones 24 hours a day, and speaks Spanish (hablamos español).
The team is led by Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, who 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 has argued before state appellate courts, which matters when a ruling has to be challenged on appeal. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
The results track the kinds of injuries St. Mary Parish workers suffer. The firm secured $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury and $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury. It recovered $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns to the lower extremities, and $385,000 for a project manager injured when he was struck in his work vehicle. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, communicates, and stands up to the insurance company at every step.
Injuries and Claims We See From St. Mary Parish Workplaces
- Back, neck, and spine injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are common among oilfield hands, welders, mechanics, and laborers who lift and twist all day. When the carrier points to degenerative disc disease, the answer is medical evidence showing how the job caused or worsened the condition.
- Shoulder and knee injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears follow repetitive pulling, climbing, and kneeling on rigs, vessels, and plant floors. Employers often label these old sports injuries, and we meet that argument directly.
- Burns and catastrophic injuries: Rig, plant, and industrial sites carry fire, steam, chemical, and electrical hazards. These cases involve long treatment, specialists, and significant permanent disability questions.
- Fractures of the feet, ankles, hips, and other bones: Falls from decks, ladders, and equipment, and crush injuries around heavy machinery, can require complex surgical repair and long recovery.
- Vehicle crashes on the job: Truck drivers, delivery drivers, and crews traveling between job sites along the highways running through the parish may have a comp claim and a separate 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 support a claim.
- Wrongful death: When a workplace accident takes a life, surviving family members may be entitled to death benefits and, in some cases, additional claims against third parties.
What to Do Right Now After a Work Injury in St. Mary Parish
Report the injury to your employer immediately, in writing if you can. Louisiana law bars a compensation proceeding unless notice is given within 30 days of the injury, and a late report hands the insurer an easy argument. Get medical treatment and tell every provider the injury happened at work, because an emergency room note that leaves out the workplace cause can be used against you later. Write down what happened, who saw it, and the names of any coworkers who can confirm it while memories are fresh.
The formal claim has its own clock. In general, a claim must be filed within one year of the date of the accident, though that period can extend to three years from the last compensation payment if benefits were actually paid. Do not assume that because the employer or insurer is handling things, your deadline has stopped running. Workers sometimes lose rights this way, especially after weeks of informal promises.
Louisiana workers get a choice about where their case is heard. The worker can elect the parish where the injury occurred, the parish where they lived when hurt, or the parish of the employer’s principal place of business. Claims are heard by workers’ compensation judges at the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, which operates district courts around the state, including in Houma, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge. Choosing the right venue early can matter, and it is one of the first things we sort out.
If the insurer denies a treatment your doctor recommends, a separate and much shorter clock applies. The dispute goes through the utilization review process, and the aggrieved party must file Form 1009 with the OWC within 15 calendar days of receiving the written denial. The OWC medical director then has 30 calendar days to issue a decision. If you disagree with that decision, R.S. 23:1203.1 gives you 45 days from the date it was issued to file Form 1008. Those windows are easy to blow, and the 45-day period runs from issuance, not from the day the letter reaches you.
Do not return to work before your doctor clears you, give a recorded statement to the adjuster without preparation, or sign anything you have not had reviewed. Adjusters ask questions that sound routine but build a record about pre-existing conditions, prior injuries, or whether the accident really happened at work. Pay attention as well to any pressure from the employer, because Louisiana protects workers from being fired in retaliation for filing a claim.
Wage Benefits, Medical Care, and Supplemental Earnings in Louisiana
A successful claim covers all reasonable and necessary medical treatment and wage replacement while you cannot work. Weekly compensation is tied to your pre-injury wages and capped under a maximum that the state recalculates every year based on the statewide average weekly wage; the rate that applies to you is fixed by your accident date and does not change later. Temporary total disability covers the period you cannot work at all, and permanent partial and permanent total disability address lasting limitations.
Many St. Mary Parish workers end up in the middle: able to do some work, but not the job that paid what they earned before. Supplemental earnings benefits exist for exactly that gap. When an injured worker cannot earn at least 90 percent of the pre-injury wage, SEB pays two-thirds of the difference between what you earned before and what you earn or are able to earn now. They continue until you are released to full duty, return to your pre-injury earnings, or reach the 520-week maximum, with any temporary total disability weeks counting toward that 520. Insurers frequently try to cut SEB by claiming you could earn more than you do, often with a vocational report listing jobs you cannot realistically perform. Challenging that report is routine work for our attorneys.
When the Insurer Says No: Denials and Appeals
The common denial arguments are predictable: the accident did not happen at work, the condition is pre-existing, you were released too early, or the benefits simply stopped without explanation. Each has an answer, and the answer is almost always built from treating-physician opinions, imaging, work history, and witness accounts. A pre-existing condition does not end a claim if the job caused, worsened, or sped up the problem.
If the workers’ compensation judge rules against you, the decision is final unless appealed. Cases from St. Mary Parish go to the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal, which covers St. Mary along with Assumption, Lafourche, Terrebonne, and other parishes. An appeal that suspends the judgment must be filed within 30 days, and one that does not suspend it within 60 days, with the delay running from the day after the judgment was signed or the day after notice was mailed, whichever is later. A party unhappy with the First Circuit’s decision can apply to the Louisiana Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari within 30 days of notice of the judgment.
Common Questions About St. Mary Parish Workers’ Compensation
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 if you will be 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, the firm advances the costs of your case, and you pay only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report an injury in Louisiana?
Notice must be given to your employer within 30 days of the injury. Report it right away and in writing, since waiting gives the insurer a reason to question the claim.
How long do I have to file a formal claim?
In general, within one year of the accident. If compensation payments were made, the deadline may extend to three years from the last payment. Because exceptions are narrow, it is best to speak with an attorney early.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
Louisiana prohibits retaliation against workers for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or disciplined after reporting an injury, tell us so we can review your options.
What if my injury involved a pre-existing condition?
You may still be entitled to benefits if your work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition. Insurers raise this argument constantly, and strong medical evidence is the response.
What happens if the insurer denies my surgery or treatment?
You have 15 calendar days from receiving written notice to file Form 1009 with the OWC, and the medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide. Missing that window can leave you without the treatment your doctor ordered.
Can I choose where my case is heard?
Yes. Louisiana lets the worker elect the parish where the injury happened, the parish of residence at the time of injury, or the parish of the employer’s principal place of business. The choice affects convenience and sometimes strategy.
What if I was hurt offshore or by a third party, not just my employer?
Some injuries involve a negligent driver, a contractor, or an unsafe site owned by someone other than your employer. You may have a personal injury claim alongside your comp benefits, and the two need to be coordinated. Louisiana’s tort deadline for injuries on or after July 1, 2024 is two years from the date of injury, and fault rules changed for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, so a prompt review matters.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my comp claim is pending?
Workers’ compensation is supposed to pay for work-related treatment, and health insurers often resist covering it. If the comp carrier denies care, we work to get that treatment authorized so you are not left choosing between your health and a medical bill.
Do you represent Spanish-speaking workers?
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 St. Mary Parish and South Louisiana
Our work for injured workers in St. Mary Parish reaches the communities of Morgan City, Berwick, Patterson, Franklin, Baldwin, Charenton, Centerville, Amelia, Bayou Vista, and Siracusa, as well as the Cypremort Point and Louisa areas. We represent workers whether they were hurt at a shipyard, on a fabrication site, in a cane field, at a processing plant, or on a rig staged out of the parish.
The firm also serves workers in neighboring parishes such as Terrebonne, Iberia, Assumption, and Lafourche, including the Houma, Thibodaux, and New Iberia areas, along with Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and New Orleans, and throughout South Louisiana and north Louisiana. We also handle Mississippi workers’ compensation claims from Jackson and Madison to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and the Delta.
Talk to a St. Mary Parish Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job and the insurer is questioning your claim, denying your treatment, or has stopped paying, a St. Mary Parish workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your situation at no cost. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you.
Call us to schedule a consultation and learn where your claim stands before another deadline passes. We help injured workers, and that is the focus of our practice.
