Holding Negligent Companies Accountable for Workplace Injuries
New Orleans sits at the center of one of the busiest industrial corridors in the country. Refineries, chemical plants, shipping terminals, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities line the Mississippi River, and the people who keep those operations running face real risks every shift. When a piece of machinery malfunctions, a safety procedure gets skipped, or a contractor cuts corners, workers can suffer injuries that change the course of their lives.
At Frischhertz & Impastato, we represent injured workers and their families in industrial accident claims throughout the New Orleans area, working to hold the responsible parties accountable. We are tireless advocates for justice and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for the injured and their families. If you were hurt on the job, our New Orleans industrial accident attorneys are ready to fight for you.
Industrial facilities are complex environments, and injuries often result from more than one contributing factor.
Some of the most frequent causes we see include:
Malfunctioning or poorly maintained machinery and equipment
Chemical spills, leaks, or exposure to toxic substances
Explosions and flash fires at plants or refineries
Falls from elevated platforms, scaffolding, or ladders
Falling objects or improperly secured loads
Electrical accidents and equipment malfunctions
Confined space incidents
Inadequate training or missing safety protocols
Failure to follow OSHA regulations or company safety standards
These accidents can result in burns, amputations, fractures, respiratory damage, spinal cord injuries, and other serious harm that often requires extensive medical care and time away from work.
Workers' Compensation Isn't Always the Full Picture
Most workplace injuries in Louisiana are covered under the state's workers' compensation system, which generally provides benefits regardless of fault but limits what an injured worker can recover from their employer. What many people don't realize is that workers' compensation doesn't prevent a separate personal injury claim against a third party whose negligence contributed to the accident.
Depending on the circumstances, a third-party claim may be possible against:
A property owner who failed to maintain safe conditions
Another company operating in the same facility
A maintenance provider who failed to properly service equipment
Because industrial sites often involve multiple companies and contractors working side by side, identifying every liable party takes a thorough review of the accident, the equipment involved, and the safety practices in place at the time. Our New Orleans industrial injury lawyers dig into these details to determine whether a worker's injury claim extends beyond the workers' compensation system.
What Compensation Can You Recover After an Industrial Accident?
An industrial accident claim may account for losses that workers' compensation alone does not fully address, including:
Full medical expenses, including ongoing treatment and rehabilitation
Full lost wages and diminished future earning capacity
Physical and emotional pain and suffering
Permanent impairment or disfigurement
Loss of enjoyment of life
Louisiana Deadlines & Fault Rules Injured Workers Should Know
Louisiana law places time limits on personal injury claims, and those deadlines matter. For injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2024, injured workers generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Injuries that occurred before that date are subject to the previous one-year deadline, which has already passed for most older claims.
For workers’ compensation, different deadlines apply. For example, you have one year to file a workers’ compensation claim, but you must report your injury to your employer within 30 days to remain eligible for benefits (with few exceptions). In any case, the sooner you talk to an attorney, the better. Evidence can quickly disappear, insurers offer low settlements soon after an incident, and an attorney from our firm can help you protect yourself and your rights.
How We Help Injured Industrial Workers
Industrial companies and their insurers typically have teams of lawyers working to limit what they pay out after a workplace accident. We built our practice to meet that resistance head-on. With more than 85 years of combined experience and over $700 million recovered for injured clients, our attorneys bring the resources and preparation needed to take on large corporations, contractors, and insurance companies.
When a client hires our firm, they gain a full team of attorneys, not just one, each bringing a different background and perspective to the case. We prepare every case as though it will go to trial, because that preparation often makes the difference in reaching a fair resolution. Several of our attorneys have been recognized by Super Lawyers, Lead Counsel, and Martindale® for their work in personal injury law. We handle industrial accident cases on a contingency fee basis, so clients owe nothing unless we recover compensation on their behalf.
Discuss Your Industrial Accident Claim with Our Team
Recovering from a serious workplace injury is difficult enough without having to navigate insurance adjusters and corporate legal teams on your own. Our industrial injury attorneys in New Orleans are here to review what happened, identify every party who may be responsible, and pursue the compensation you need to move forward.
If you or a loved one was injured in an industrial accident, contact Frischhertz & Impastato at (504) 276-6962 for a free consultation. We work on a contingency fee basis, so there's no cost to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Seek medical attention right away, report the incident to a supervisor, and document the scene if possible, including photos of equipment, conditions, and any visible injuries. Keep copies of medical records and incident reports and avoid giving a recorded statement to an insurance company before speaking with an attorney.
Yes, in many cases, you can still file a third-party claim. Workers' compensation and personal injury claims are separate legal paths. Receiving workers' compensation benefits does not automatically prevent a claim against a manufacturer, contractor, or other party whose negligence contributed to the accident.
For injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2024, the deadline is generally two years from the date of the accident. Because exceptions can apply depending on the facts of a case, it's best to speak with an attorney as soon as possible after an injury occurs.
Louisiana's modified comparative negligence rule allows injured workers to recover compensation even if they share some fault, as long as they are not found more than 50% responsible. Any percentage of fault assigned can reduce the total award, so it's worth having an attorney review the facts of the accident closely.
A compilation of the Frischhertz & Impastato attorneys and staff at work and interacting with clients.
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