Greenville Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
A Greenville work injury claim is not decided by a judge in a courtroom down the street. In Mississippi, workers’ compensation cases go before an administrative commission, and the rules, deadlines, and evidence that win there are different from what people expect from an ordinary lawsuit. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm representing injured workers in Mississippi and Louisiana, and as a Greenville workers’ compensation lawyer team, we handle claims for people hurt on the job in Washington County and across the Delta.
The Delta economy shapes the injuries we see. Agricultural equipment, grain handling, river and barge work, catfish and food processing, trucking along Highway 82 and Highway 61, and hospital and nursing work all carry real physical risk. When one of those jobs injures you, the insurance carrier usually moves faster than you do. It will question whether the accident happened at work, point to an old injury, or push you back to duty before your doctor agrees.
The decisions you make in the first weeks matter more than most people realize. Reporting the injury, choosing what to tell the adjuster, and deciding whether to sign anything can shape the whole claim. The sections below walk through those decisions in the order you are likely to face them.
Reporting the Injury and Starting the Clock in Mississippi
Mississippi gives you 30 days from the accident to report your injury to your employer. Do it in writing if you can, and keep a copy. A verbal mention to a supervisor is better than nothing, but a dated note or email removes any argument later about whether the employer knew.
The second deadline is the one that ends claims. 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 years. The claim is filed as a Petition to Controvert, and the same two-year window runs from the last compensation payment if benefits were paid and then stopped. These deadlines come from Miss. Code § 71-3-35. Adjusters know the dates, and some are content to let a worker believe the claim is “being handled” until the time runs out.
Coverage starts on your first day. Mississippi has no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement, so a new hire hurt in week one is covered the same as a 20-year employee. The employer does have to meet the coverage threshold under the statute, which is a question we check early when a small farm or business is involved.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Greenville Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including Greenville, Washington County, and the surrounding Delta communities. Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off, and the firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. We work on a no recovery, no fee basis, consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and our phones are answered 24 hours a day. 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.
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 successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and regularly appears for injured workers before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
Results matter more than adjectives. The firm secured a $685,000 settlement 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 after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients tell us what they value most: attorneys who listen, explain the process, and stand up to the insurance company at every step.
Injuries and Claim Types We See from Greenville Workplaces
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are common among farm laborers, warehouse workers, truck drivers, and nurses who lift patients. Carriers often blame degenerative disc disease, so the medical evidence has to show how the job caused or worsened the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears follow repetitive overhead work, climbing equipment, and awkward lifting. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, which is a defense we are used to answering.
- Fractures: Feet, ankles, hips, and other bones break in falls from trailers, grain bins, ladders, and loading docks. Complex repairs can mean specialists, long recovery, and a real question about whether you can return to the same work.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial plants, oil field work, and equipment fires can cause severe burns and life-altering injuries that call for long-term medical and wage benefits.
- Trucking and On-the-Road Accidents: Delivery drivers and truckers working the Delta’s highways may have both a comp claim and a separate injury claim against a negligent driver.
- Occupational Illness and Repetitive Trauma: Hearing loss, lung conditions, and cumulative injuries develop over time rather than in one event, and they still qualify when the job is the cause.
- First Responder Claims: Firefighters and first responders may have claims for hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job.
What to Do After a Delta Workplace Injury
Get medical care first, and tell the provider the injury happened at work. That sentence goes into the chart and becomes evidence. If the employer sends you to a particular clinic, go, but describe every symptom accurately and do not minimize pain to seem tough. Gaps and understatements in early records are what carriers quote back later.
Report in writing within the 30-day window, and write down what happened while it is fresh: date, time, location, equipment involved, and who saw it. Get names and phone numbers of coworkers who witnessed the accident or who know you were hurting before it was reported. Photograph the scene and your injury if you can.
Be careful with recorded statements. An adjuster may call within days and ask friendly questions about prior back trouble or what you were doing before the accident. You are not required to give a recorded statement without thinking about it first, and a careless answer about a past injury can become the foundation of a denial. Do not sign medical releases that reach back years without knowing what they allow.
Mississippi workers’ comp claims are heard by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, not a court. If the carrier denies or stops paying, a claim is filed and goes before an Administrative Judge at an evidentiary hearing. An unfavorable decision can be reviewed by the Full Commission, which examines the record made before the judge rather than starting over, so what gets into the record at the first hearing is critical. A final Commission award can then be appealed under Miss. Code § 71-3-51 within 30 days, again on that same record. Because the process is built on the record, the work done early in the case often decides the outcome.
Do not go back to work against your doctor’s restrictions to keep the peace, and do not quit without talking to someone first. Both can hurt the claim. If your employer punishes you for filing, tell us in your consultation so we can review your options.
Wage Benefits, Medical Care, and How Long They Last
Mississippi pays temporary and permanent total disability at two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a weekly maximum that the state adjusts periodically. Those benefits cannot run longer than 450 weeks, and permanent partial disability in the “other cases” category is also capped at 450 weeks. Medical treatment that is reasonable and necessary is covered separately from wage benefits, including surgery, therapy, and consultations.
The fight is often about the average weekly wage itself. If overtime, second jobs, or seasonal work are left out of the calculation, your check is lower for the entire claim. Settlement is a separate decision that deserves its own care, because closing a claim can mean giving up future medical rights. We look at the medical outlook, the wage loss, and the carrier’s exposure before recommending whether to resolve a claim or keep it open.
Common Questions About Greenville Workers’ Compensation Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim requires one. 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 carrier 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 the costs of your case, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement for you. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a work injury in Mississippi?
You must report the injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident. Reporting immediately and in writing is far safer than waiting.
What is the deadline to file a claim?
Generally two years from the date of injury or from the last compensation payment, by filing a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. If no disability benefits were paid and no claim was filed within two years, the right to benefits is barred.
Am I covered if I was hurt on my first day?
Yes. Mississippi coverage begins on the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement.
What if the insurance company says my injury was pre-existing?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end your claim. If your job caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Strong medical opinions tying the work to your current condition are the answer to this defense.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
Mississippi protects workers from being fired in 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.
Is a hearing in Greenville, or do I have to travel?
Claims go through the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission rather than a local county court, and Full Commission review hearings are held in Jackson. We handle the hearing logistics and prepare you for what to expect so travel and scheduling are not a surprise.
Can I still receive benefits if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system, so your own carelessness usually does not defeat a claim. Carriers do raise fault-based arguments in specific situations, which is another reason to speak with an attorney before giving a statement.
What if a third party, like another driver or a contractor, caused my injury?
You may have a personal injury claim in addition to your comp benefits. Our personal injury work covers car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death, and we make sure the comp claim and the injury claim work together rather than against each other.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my comp claim is pending?
That depends on your plan and on how the carrier has responded. Some workers use health insurance when comp care is denied, but doing so can create reimbursement issues. Talk to us before you decide, so you do not undermine the claim or leave bills unpaid.
Do you handle Louisiana claims too?
Yes. If you work across the river or live near the state line, Louisiana has its own deadlines, including a general one-year filing window and a 30-day reporting requirement, and its own Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration. We represent injured workers in both states.
Serving Greenville and Delta Workers’ Compensation Clients
We represent injured workers in Greenville and throughout Washington County, including Leland, Hollandale, Arcola, Metcalfe, and Glen Allan. Our work extends into neighboring Delta counties and towns such as Cleveland, Indianola, Greenwood, Clarksdale, Belzoni, Rolling Fork, and Yazoo City. We also serve clients in Jackson, Madison, the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and north Mississippi, and in Louisiana from New Orleans and Baton Rouge to Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport. Whether you work a farm, a processing plant, a river terminal, a hospital, or a truck route, the same claim rules apply and the same approach does.
Talk to a Greenville Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt at work, the clock is already running. A Greenville workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your situation, explain your deadlines, and take over the dealings with your employer and its insurer. Consultations are free, you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you, and our phones are answered around the clock. Call us today and tell us what happened.
