Pass Christian Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
The first thing most hurt workers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast learn is that their claim will not be decided by a judge in a courtroom. It goes before an administrative commission, and the insurance company usually knows that process better than the worker does. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles workers’ compensation claims for injured workers in Pass Christian and across Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties, and our attorneys have built the firm around that commission process.
If you need a Pass Christian workers’ compensation lawyer, the work you do likely sits close to the water: shrimp and oyster boats, marinas and harbor work, casino and hotel jobs up and down the Coast, restaurant kitchens, and post-storm rebuilding and construction. Those jobs produce back and shoulder injuries, falls from docks and roofs, and repetitive strain, and each brings its own fight over whether the injury happened at work and what it cost you.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Pass Christian Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including Pass Christian and the Gulf Coast. Most lawyers who accept comp cases are personal injury attorneys who take one when it walks in. We went the other direction. We help injured workers, and that is all we do.
The results reflect that focus. We have 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 when his work vehicle was struck, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Our clients tell us what mattered most to them: attorneys who listen, who stay on the insurance company, and who stay in touch.
Rob Lunsford, our Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. 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 tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and regularly appears before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, alongside attorneys Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher. 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.
Gulf Coast Injuries and Claim Types We Handle
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are common among dockworkers, deckhands, laborers, and hotel and casino staff who lift, bend, and carry all shift. Insurers often blame degenerative disc disease, so the medical proof of how your work caused or worsened the condition decides the case.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears come from hauling gear, pulling lines, and working on uneven decks and wet surfaces. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries.
- Fractures: Falls from roofs during storm repair, from boat decks, and from ladders on construction sites break feet, ankles, hips, and wrists, often requiring specialist surgery and long recovery.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial sites, kitchens, and plants along the Coast expose workers to fire, chemical, and electrical hazards that can leave permanent damage.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job are claims we pursue for those who serve Coast communities.
- Truck Driver and Delivery Injuries: Drivers hurt in wrecks or while loading and unloading often have both a comp claim and a claim against a negligent third party.
- Occupational Illness and Repetitive Strain: Conditions that develop over time, rather than in a single accident, still qualify when work caused them, though they raise harder questions about when the clock started.
What to Do After a Work Injury on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as it happens. In Mississippi you have 30 days from the accident to give notice, and waiting that long hands the insurer an argument. Keep a copy of what you submit, note who received it, and write down the date, place, and exactly how the injury occurred while it is fresh. Get medical care right away and tell the provider the injury happened at work, since the first medical records become the foundation of your claim.
The filing deadline is separate from the notice deadline. If no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the date of injury, your right to benefits is barred unless you file a claim with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission within that two-year window. The usual vehicle is a Petition to Controvert. Under Mississippi law you are covered from your first day on the job, with no waiting period, so a new hire hurt in week one has the same rights as a veteran employee.
Claims in Mississippi are heard by the Commission, not by a county court. An Administrative Judge hears the evidence, and an appeal goes to the Full Commission, which reviews the existing record rather than holding a new trial. A final award can be appealed within 30 days, and again the appellate court looks only at the record made before the Commission. That is why what goes into the record at the first hearing matters so much: medical opinions, wage proof, and witness testimony all have to be right the first time.
Common mistakes are predictable. Workers give recorded statements to an adjuster without preparing, return to work before the doctor releases them, skip appointments, or post about their activities online. An adjuster may also tell you that you have a pre-existing condition and are not covered. That is not the law. If your job caused, worsened, or accelerated a condition, benefits may still be owed.
What Workers’ Compensation Benefits Cover in Mississippi
Medical benefits cover reasonable and necessary treatment for your work injury, including doctor visits, surgery, therapy, and prescriptions. Wage benefits for temporary or permanent total disability pay two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statutory weekly maximum, and generally cannot run longer than 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability payments in most other cases are likewise capped at 450 weeks. The weekly maximum is adjusted by the state, so the exact figure changes over time.
The hard part is usually proving how much you lost. Disputes arise over when you reached maximum medical improvement, what percentage of your body is permanently impaired, and whether you can return to your old job or any job. Vocational evidence and treating physician opinions drive those fights, and insurers often arrange their own medical exams to reach lower numbers.
When a Gulf Coast Work Injury Also Involves Someone Else
Comp is a no-fault system, but it does not shield everyone who caused your injury. If a negligent driver hit your work truck, or a contractor on a shared job site created the hazard, you may have a separate personal injury claim in addition to your comp benefits. Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence, so your share of fault reduces a third-party recovery rather than eliminating it. Coordinating the two claims matters, because a settlement on one can affect the other.
Questions Pass Christian Workers Ask About Comp Claims
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 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.
How much does it cost to hire Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance case costs, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement. Attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report and file my claim in Mississippi?
Report to your employer within 30 days of the accident. If no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the injury, you generally must file with the Commission within those two years or lose the right to benefits. Do not wait to find out how the deadlines apply to you.
Am I covered if I was hurt in my first week?
Yes. Coverage begins on the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement, provided your employer is covered by the law.
What if the insurer says my injury is pre-existing?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If work caused, aggravated, or sped up the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Strong medical evidence is how we answer that argument.
Can I be fired for filing a comp claim?
Mississippi protects workers from retaliation for filing a claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us so we can review your options.
Who decides my case, and where?
The Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission handles claims, not a court. An Administrative Judge hears the evidence, and appeals go to the Full Commission, which reviews the record. Final awards can then be appealed on that same record.
What if I work on a boat or offshore rather than on land?
Some maritime and offshore workers fall under federal programs instead of state comp, and which system applies depends on your job duties and where you were hurt. Call us before assuming either way, because choosing the wrong forum can cost you rights.
Can I get benefits while my claim is being disputed?
Sometimes. Benefits may be paid voluntarily while an investigation continues, or the dispute may be resolved at a hearing. If treatment is being denied, we push to get you care while the dispute proceeds. Ask us about your specific situation.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller injury?
It can be. Injuries that look minor at first, like a sprain or a knee strain, sometimes turn into surgeries or permanent restrictions. A free consultation costs you nothing and tells you whether your claim is being handled fairly.
What if I was hurt while working in Louisiana but live on the Mississippi Coast?
Our attorneys handle claims in both states, so we can look at where the injury happened, where you were hired, and which state’s law applies. Louisiana has its own deadlines, including a one-year window to file a claim from the date of the accident.
Do I need a lawyer if my employer says everything is being handled?
It is worth a conversation. An employer’s assurances do not stop the clock on your deadlines, and benefits that are paid today can be stopped later without warning.
Serving Pass Christian and Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson County Workers
We represent injured workers in Pass Christian and in neighboring Gulf Coast communities, including Long Beach, Gulfport, Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Diamondhead, and Biloxi. Our reach extends along the Coast through Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, Gautier, and Moss Point, and into Harrison, Hancock, and Jackson counties more broadly.
Beyond the Coast, we serve workers in Hattiesburg and the Pine Belt, across the Jackson and Madison area, up to Southaven and north Mississippi, and into the Delta. We also represent injured workers across Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and South Louisiana, so a worker who crosses state lines for a job is not left looking for a second firm.
Talk to a Pass Christian Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to take on the insurance company yourself. A Pass Christian workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain how the deadlines apply to your situation, and start working on the medical care and wage benefits the law entitles you to. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Call today or send us your case details.
