Working with a Houma wrongful death lawyer is an essential step when your family is facing the catastrophic loss of a loved one due to another party’s negligence.
Under La. C.C. Art. 2315.2, you have one year from death, or two years from the day injury or damage is sustained, to file.
At Babcock Injury Lawyers, our founder Stephen Babcock brings over two decades of trial experience and a 100% trial-ready approach to every claim, ensuring insurance companies treat your family’s loss with the seriousness it deserves in Louisiana.
If you suspect your loved one’s fatal accident was preventable, contact our legal team today for a free, no-obligation consultation to understand your legal options. Call (225) 500-5000 to speak with a Houma personal injury attorney today at no cost.
Wrongful Death Legal Help in Houma, Louisiana
Losing someone you love is already the hardest thing, and discovering the death may have been preventable makes the questions even harder to answer.
At Babcock Injury Lawyers, we work with families in Terrebonne Parish on these questions. Our Baton Rouge office is approximately 85 miles from Houma, and we handle cases filed in the 32nd Judicial District Court, where wrongful death claims in Terrebonne Parish are tried. We come to you. Our Louisiana wrongful death attorneys can walk you through the full range of claims your family may have.
Attorney Insight: In Terrebonne Parish, where oilfield employment is common, insurance offers often arrive before anyone has calculated lost lifetime earnings, third-party liability, or a companion survival action under La. C.C. Art. 2315.1. Early contact protects your options before deadlines close.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim After a Fatal Accident in Houma, Louisiana
Louisiana law does not allow everyone to file. La. C.C. Art. 2315.2 sets a strict priority order: first, a surviving spouse and children; then parents, if no spouse or child survives; then siblings; then grandparents. Only one tier files at a time; a parent has no standing if the deceased left a spouse and children.
A survival action under La. C.C. Art. 2315.1 runs parallel, preserving the deceased’s own right to damages for what they suffered between injury and death. Many Houma families need both claims analyzed.
The deadline most families miss: Under the 2025 amendment to La. C.C. Art. 2315.2(B), the prescriptive period is the longer of one year from death or two years from the date of injury. Under La. C.C.P. Art. 927: missing it is final; an expired prescription ends your case. Call before the anniversary of a Terrebonne Parish death approaches.
Industrial and Oilfield Wrongful Death: Special Considerations in Terrebonne Parish
Houma is one of the most significant oilfield services hubs in the United States. The Houma Navigation Canal connects fabrication yards directly to the Gulf, and thousands of workers build platforms, maintain rigs, and supply offshore operations across Terrebonne Parish.
These cases often involve multiple employers and both federal and Louisiana state law. A worker on an offshore platform may have claims under the Jones Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, or general maritime law, each with different deadlines and damage structures. Families in Gray, Gibson, and Montegut sometimes receive workers’ compensation and assume that ends the matter. It often does not; third-party liability claims against other contractors or equipment manufacturers may remain available.
The 32nd Judicial District Court in Houma has original jurisdiction over all Terrebonne Parish wrongful death claims. Do not accept any settlement offer before speaking with an attorney.
Fatal Accidents on Houma’s Roads and Waterways
US Highway 90, linking Houma to New Orleans and Morgan City, carries heavy commercial truck traffic and is a consistent source of fatal collisions in Terrebonne Parish. LA-24 and LA-311 run through Houma and Bayou Cane, where residential and industrial traffic mix near fabrication yards. Coastal corridors like LA-315 toward Dularge reach areas with longer emergency response times.
The Houma Navigation Canal sees barge accidents and dock incidents in which federal maritime law applies, with deadlines that differ significantly from the one-year state prescription under La. C.C. Art. 2315.2.
Why Families in Terrebonne Parish Choose Us
Local Knowledge. The 32nd Judicial District Court, the oilfield economy, and the roads and waterways where fatal accidents happen all shape how a claim is built. We work from your specific facts, not a generic Louisiana framework.
Clear Communication. You should not need a law degree to follow your case. We keep Terrebonne Parish families informed at each stage in plain language.
Fees and Process. We work on contingency, no attorney’s fee unless we recover, no charge for an initial consultation, and no money required to start.
How To Get Started
Step 1: Call (225) 500-5000. You will speak with someone who can assess your situation without pressure.
Step 2: We gather what matters, death certificates, incident reports, insurance communications, and medical records from Terrebonne General or Chabert. We tell you what to preserve and what not to sign.
Step 3: We give you a clear assessment and, if we take the case, a plan including which court filings apply and which defendants to name.
To learn more before you call, learn more about our attorneys.
Fees, Scheduling, and Availability
No upfront cost. Our fee comes from the recovery; if we do not recover, you owe nothing. Most Louisiana wrongful death cases resolve in one to three years. We give you a realistic estimate based on your specific claim. For the full picture of cases we handle, see our practice areas.
Law Office Directions
Address: 10101 Siegen Ln #3C, Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Phone: (225) 500-5000
From Houma, take US Highway 90 West, then north toward Baton Rouge, approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. We can meet in Terrebonne Parish or handle your case by phone and video.
Speak With a Houma Wrongful Death Attorney
Your family has already been through the worst of it. The legal part should not make things harder.
Babcock Injury Lawyers represents Terrebonne Parish families on a contingency basis with no upfront cost and no obligation on your first call. If you are unsure whether what happened is a viable claim, call anyway; that conversation costs nothing and may be the most important step you take this year.
Contact us today or call (225) 500-5000. We are ready to listen.
Editorial review note: On the above date, we checked the Louisiana Legislature pages and local public planning materials for the source-sensitive information used here.