Jackson Work Injury Lawyer
Hurt on a job site in Hinds, Rankin, or Madison County, and now weighing whether to call a lawyer before the adjuster calls you back? That decision matters more than most people realize, because the first weeks after a work injury are when recorded statements get taken, treating doctors get chosen, and the insurer starts building its version of events. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, and the firm’s Jackson work injury lawyer team handles claims for people hurt anywhere in the Jackson metro and beyond.
A Jackson work injury lawyer earns their keep in the gap between what the law promises and what carriers actually do. Mississippi covers a worker from the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement, and the benefits include reasonable medical care and wage replacement. Yet claims still get denied on the theory that the injury did not happen at work, that a degenerative condition is to blame, or that the worker was ready to return before the doctor said so. Those are the arguments this firm answers every week.
Unlike a car wreck case, a work injury claim in Mississippi is not decided by a jury. It runs through an administrative system with its own forms, its own judges, and its own deadlines, and a missed deadline can end a claim that was otherwise strong. Knowing how that system works in Jackson, where the Full Commission sits, is a large part of getting a claim paid.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Jackson Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including Jackson, Madison, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, and the Delta. Most lawyers who accept comp cases are personal injury attorneys who take 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, offers free consultations, advances the costs of the case, answers its phones 24 hours a day, and speaks with clients in Spanish (hablamos espanol).
The people behind that work matter. Rob Lunsford, 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 successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and regularly appears before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
Results show what that focus produces. The firm secured $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 with back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients describe the same things in their reviews: attorneys who listen, who stay with the insurance company through every step, and who treat the case like it matters. One client called Brad Baskin and his team a lifeline during a hard stretch.
Jackson-Area Work Injuries We Handle in Mississippi Comp Claims
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most disputed claims because carriers point to degenerative disc disease. Warehouse, distribution, and construction workers around the Jackson metro often have years of physical work behind the injury, and that history can support a claim rather than defeat it.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are routinely labeled old sports injuries by employers. Medical records and a treating surgeon’s causation opinion are what turn that argument around.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, and hips from falls on job sites or loading docks can require multiple surgeries and a long recovery, which makes the wage-loss side of the claim just as important as the medical side.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial plants, oil field operations, and rigs produce severe burns and crush injuries. These claims involve permanent disability questions and often justify a closer look at claims against outside parties.
- Truck Driver and Delivery Driver Injuries: Drivers hurt in wrecks on Interstate 20, Interstate 55, or Highway 49 may have both a comp claim and a claim against the at-fault driver, and the two have to be coordinated.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job require careful proof of the connection between the work and the condition.
- Denied Claims and Appeals: A denial, a sudden termination of benefits, or a push back to work before medical clearance can all be challenged before the Commission and, if needed, on appeal.
- Third-Party and Wrongful Death Claims: When a negligent contractor, driver, or equipment maker contributed to the injury or a worker’s death, a separate personal injury or wrongful death claim may sit alongside the comp case.
What to Do in the Days After a Work Injury in Jackson
Start with the medical care and the notice. Get treated, tell the doctor plainly that the injury happened at work, and describe every body part that hurts, not just the worst one. Then report the injury to your employer, preferably in writing. Mississippi requires notice within 30 days of the accident, and the safest course is to report the same day or the next. A worker who waits until the pain becomes unbearable can hand the carrier an easy argument about late notice and about what actually caused the problem.
Next, protect the paper trail. Keep copies of every medical record, work restriction note, and pay stub, and write down the names of anyone who saw the accident. If your employer has an incident report, ask for a copy. Be careful with the adjuster: you can be courteous and give basic facts, but a recorded statement taken before you understand your diagnosis can be used against you months later. This is the point where talking to a Jackson workers’ compensation attorney before agreeing to anything pays off.
The deadline that catches people most often is the filing deadline. Beyond the 30-day notice, a worker generally has two years from the date of injury, or from the last compensation payment, to file a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Under the Mississippi statute, if no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the injury, the right to benefits is barred unless a claim was filed with the Commission in that window. Do not assume that because the insurer is paying medical bills, the clock has stopped; medical payments and wage-loss payments are treated differently, and the safe approach is to talk with a lawyer early.
Understand who decides your claim. Disputed claims are heard at an evidentiary hearing before an Administrative Judge, and either side can ask the Full Commission to review the result. That review works from the record already made, so it is not a second trial, which is why the evidence put in front of the Administrative Judge has to be right the first time. From there, a party can appeal a final award within 30 days, and the case goes to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which often assigns it to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Appeals are decided on the record from the Commission.
Finally, watch for the common mistakes: returning to work before your doctor releases you, signing a settlement or a stack of forms without understanding what they waive, skipping follow-up appointments, and posting about physical activity on social media. Insurers look at all of it. Also keep in mind that you cannot be punished for filing a claim; both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from retaliation, and if you were let go or disciplined after reporting an injury, raise it in your consultation.
How Wage-Loss Benefits and Disability Ratings Work in Mississippi
The weekly check for a worker who cannot work is based on two-thirds of the average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum that the state adjusts over time. Temporary total disability and permanent total disability are both paid at that rate, and neither may run longer than 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability is the category that generates the most disagreement, because it depends on how much the injury limits your ability to earn, and it too is capped at 450 weeks in most cases. There is also a statutory floor on weekly payments, though it does not apply in partial dependency and partial disability situations.
Where the fight usually happens is the medical question underneath those numbers. Whether you have reached maximum medical improvement, what restrictions you carry, and whether you can return to your old job or only to lower-paying work all turn on medical opinions. A carrier-selected doctor who releases you to full duty while your own surgeon disagrees creates a dispute that has to be resolved with evidence. Vocational testimony, job search records, and a clear work history are what establish loss of wage-earning capacity, which is the real measure of permanent partial disability in many Mississippi claims.
When Another Party Caused the Injury: Comp and Personal Injury Together
Workers’ compensation is the exclusive remedy against your own employer, but it does not shield everyone else. A delivery driver rear-ended by a distracted motorist, an ironworker hurt by a subcontractor’s unsafe scaffolding, or a worker injured by defective equipment may have a separate claim against the responsible outsider. These claims follow different rules: Mississippi uses pure comparative negligence, so your recovery is reduced by your share of fault rather than barred, and the general limitation period for negligence claims without a shorter statute is three years. Claims against a county or other governmental body are much tighter, with a one-year limit and a notice requirement under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act.
The two tracks must be managed together. The comp carrier often has a right to be reimbursed from a third-party recovery, and a careless settlement on one side can damage the other. The firm’s personal injury lawyers handle car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death claims so the comp case and the injury case are built to support each other.
Jackson Work Injury Questions Answered
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim in Jackson?
Not every claim needs one, but if benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, a lawyer can change the outcome. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys working for it, and you should have someone working for you.
How much does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and you pay a fee only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are also 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 the better practice, since late notice is one of the first defenses a carrier will raise.
What is the deadline to file a claim with the Commission?
Generally two years from the date of injury or from the date of the last compensation payment, by filing a Petition to Controvert. If no disability benefits are paid within two years of the injury and no claim has been filed, the right to benefits is barred. Because exceptions depend on what has been paid, speak with an attorney as soon as you can.
Can I be fired for filing a comp claim?
No. Mississippi and Louisiana both protect workers from retaliation for filing a claim. If you were terminated or disciplined after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation so the situation can be reviewed.
My employer says my injury is just a pre-existing condition. Is my claim over?
No. A pre-existing condition does not automatically defeat a claim. If your job caused, aggravated, or accelerated the condition, benefits may still be owed. Answering this argument with strong medical evidence is a core part of the work.
My company has fewer than five employees. Am I still covered?
Mississippi’s mandatory coverage rule applies to employers with five or more employees. If your employer is smaller or claims you are an independent contractor, the question of coverage needs to be examined closely before you assume you have no claim, so call and talk through the facts.
The insurance company’s doctor says I can go back to work, but my surgeon disagrees. What happens?
That conflict is common and it is resolved by evidence. The Administrative Judge weighs the medical opinions, your job duties, and your restrictions. Do not return to work against your treating doctor’s restrictions just because the carrier says you are cleared, and do not stop attending appointments.
How long does a contested claim take at the Commission?
It varies with the complexity of the injury, how long treatment continues, and how quickly the carrier responds. Cases that go to an evidentiary hearing take longer than those that settle, and an appeal to the Full Commission or the appellate courts adds more time. Your attorney can give you a realistic expectation once the medical picture is clear.
Will my health insurance pay while my comp claim is pending?
Some health plans will deny or later seek reimbursement for treatment they consider work-related. If the comp carrier is contesting the claim, tell your lawyer before using personal insurance so the bills can be handled in a way that does not create problems later.
What if I was hurt while driving for work and someone else caused the wreck?
You may have both a comp claim and a personal injury claim against the other driver. The comp claim pays regardless of fault, while the injury claim can address losses the comp system does not, and the two should be coordinated from the start.
Do you represent people who do not speak English?
Yes. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call through the end of the case.
Serving Injured Workers From Jackson Across Mississippi
The firm’s Jackson work injury representation begins in Hinds County, where the Commission holds its Full Commission hearings, and reaches every community around it. From downtown Jackson and Belhaven through Fondren, Eastover, and the neighborhoods along I-55 and I-20, clients come from across the capital city. We also represent workers in Byram, Clinton, Terry, Raymond, Bolton, Utica, and Edwards, and in neighboring Rankin County communities such as Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, and Richland. Moving north, our team serves Madison County, including Madison, Ridgeland, and Canton.
Beyond the metro, the firm represents injured workers from Vicksburg and Yazoo City to Hattiesburg and the Gulf Coast, from Southaven and north Mississippi to the Delta, and in Louisiana in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport. Whether the injury happened at a plant, on a rig, on a construction site, at a hospital, or on the road, the claim is handled by a team that works on injured workers’ cases and nothing else.
Talk With a Jackson Work Injury Attorney Today
If you have been hurt on the job, you do not have to manage the insurance company yourself. A Jackson work injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which deadlines apply to your claim, and start dealing with the employer and insurer so you can focus on getting well. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you owe no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call today to talk through your claim.
