Jackson Workplace Slip & Fall Lawyer
A wet floor behind a loading dock, a cracked stairwell at a hospital, a gravel lot that gives way under a work boot: a fall on the job in Hinds County can leave you with a torn shoulder, a ruptured disc, or a broken hip, and a boss who suddenly remembers you weren’t watching your step. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers in Jackson, across Mississippi, and throughout Louisiana, and we handle falls at work as the benefits claims they usually are.
If you are searching for a Jackson workplace slip and fall lawyer, the first thing to know is that most falls at work are not decided the way a customer’s fall in a grocery store is. Your claim generally runs through the workers’ compensation system, where fault matters far less than whether the fall arose out of your job. The second thing to know is that a separate injury lawsuit may also exist if someone other than your employer helped cause the hazard.
How a Workplace Fall Is Treated Under Mississippi Law
Mississippi workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. You do not have to prove your employer was careless, and a mistake on your part does not erase your claim. Coverage starts on the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement. If you slipped because you were rushing, wearing the wrong shoes, or simply not paying attention, the question is still whether the fall happened in the course of your work.
That no-fault trade has a cost. Because workers’ comp is the exclusive remedy against your own employer in most cases, you generally cannot sue the company that employs you for pain and suffering. What you get instead is medical care paid for, plus wage replacement while you cannot work. Temporary and permanent total disability benefits pay two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statutory weekly maximum, for no more than 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability in the general category of cases is likewise capped at 450 weeks of payments.
Disputes over these claims are not heard in a regular courtroom. The Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission handles them, with evidentiary hearings before an Administrative Judge and review by the Full Commission, which sits in Jackson. A Commission review is not a new trial. The Commission works from the record built before the Administrative Judge, which is why what gets documented and presented at the first hearing matters so much.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Fall at Work
Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who see a work injury only when one walks in. This firm was built the other way around. Our attorneys bring over 75 combined years of 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 take on cases for injured people across the Jackson area, from Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and the Delta, and we work on a no recovery, no fee basis, with free consultations and case costs advanced by the firm. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Hablamos español.
Rob Lunsford, 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 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. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
Falls tend to produce back, hip, shoulder, and knee injuries, and the results below reflect that kind of work: $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, and $385,000 for a project manager with back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle. Clients often tell us the team listened, stayed in touch, and stood up to the insurance company. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Common Ways Workers Fall and Get Hurt on the Job
- Wet and Slick Floors: Kitchens, hospital corridors, car washes, and warehouse floors after cleaning or a roof leak. Employers often argue the spill was open and obvious, but fault does not decide a comp claim.
- Falls From Ladders, Scaffolds, and Roofs: Construction, ironwork, and maintenance work produce fractures, spinal injuries, and head trauma. These sites also tend to involve several contractors, which can open a claim against a party other than your employer.
- Stairs, Ramps, and Loading Docks: Missing handrails, broken treads, poor lighting, and uneven dock plates cause hip and ankle fractures and meniscus tears that need specialist surgery.
- Uneven Ground and Outdoor Worksites: Potholes, mud, gravel, and unmarked drop-offs at plants, yards, and job sites, common for laborers, truck drivers, and oil field workers who step down from equipment.
- Trips Over Cords, Pallets, and Clutter: Blocked walkways and stray cables in offices, retail stores, and distribution centers. Back and shoulder injuries from catching yourself mid-fall are routinely disputed.
- Falls Climbing In and Out of Vehicles and Equipment: Delivery drivers, truckers, and equipment operators who slip on a step or cab ladder while on the clock are still covered.
- Falls Caused by Another Company’s Hazard: A subcontractor’s debris, a property owner’s broken walkway, or a negligent driver can support a separate injury claim alongside your comp benefits.
What to Do After You Fall at Work in Jackson
Get medical attention first, and tell the provider the fall happened at work so the records say so from day one. Then report the injury to your employer. Mississippi requires notice within 30 days of the accident, and you should not use all of that time. Report it right away, preferably in writing, and keep a copy. A late or verbal-only report is one of the easiest things for an insurer to turn against you.
While details are fresh, write down where you fell, what was on the floor or the stairs, who saw it, and what you were doing. Photograph the spot if you can do so safely, and ask coworkers to hold on to their contact information. Employers sometimes fix a hazard within hours, and your photos may be the only proof it existed. Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster until you have talked with a lawyer.
The filing deadline is separate from the notice deadline. In Mississippi, if no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the date of injury, the right to benefits is barred unless you have filed a claim with the Commission during that time. You file a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, whose Full Commission hearings are held in Jackson. If your claim is denied and an Administrative Judge rules against you, you can seek review by the Full Commission, and a final award can be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, which may send the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
If your fall also involved a third party, the clock for that claim is different. Many Mississippi negligence claims fall under a three-year limit, but claims against a county or other governmental body carry a one-year limit and require notice under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. Do not assume you have three years until someone has looked at who owned and controlled the place you fell.
The most common mistakes are waiting to see a doctor, downplaying symptoms, going back to work before being cleared, and signing forms from the insurer without reading them. Insurers also like to point to a degenerative spine or an old knee problem. A pre-existing condition does not end a claim if the fall caused, worsened, or accelerated it, and answering that argument with solid medical evidence is a large part of what we do.
When a Fall at Work Also Supports an Injury Lawsuit
Because workers’ comp generally shields your employer from a lawsuit, people assume nothing else is available. That is often wrong. If a property owner who is not your employer let a hazard go unrepaired, if a contractor left an unguarded opening, or if a driver caused your fall, you may be able to pursue that party in addition to collecting comp benefits. Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence, so if you share some blame for a third-party claim, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than eliminated.
The two claims must be handled together. The comp carrier may have a right to be repaid from a third-party recovery, and settling one claim carelessly can damage the other. Our personal injury attorneys work alongside the workers’ compensation team so the claims support each other rather than compete.
Questions About Slip and Fall Injuries at Work
Do I need a lawyer for a workplace slip and fall claim in Jackson?
Not every claim needs one, but if benefits are denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, a lawyer can change the outcome. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys protecting its interests, and you should have someone protecting yours.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement for you. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation are also limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a fall at work in Mississippi?
You must notify your employer within 30 days of the accident. Report as soon as possible and put it in writing.
How long do I have to file my claim?
In Mississippi, if no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the injury date, the claim is barred unless you filed with the Workers’ Compensation Commission within those two years. The deadline is measured from the injury or from the last compensation payment, so talk with a lawyer before it gets close.
What if I fell because I was careless or wearing the wrong shoes?
Workers’ compensation does not turn on fault. Your own carelessness generally does not defeat a claim for a fall that happened while doing your job. Fault becomes relevant only in a separate claim against a third party, where Mississippi’s pure comparative negligence rule reduces recovery by your share of blame.
Can I sue my employer for my fall?
Workers’ comp is generally your exclusive remedy against your own employer, so a lawsuit for pain and suffering is usually off the table. A claim against a different company or person whose negligence contributed is a separate matter.
The insurer says my back problem is degenerative, not from the fall. What now?
Insurers use this argument constantly. If the fall caused, aggravated, or accelerated the condition, benefits may still be owed. Medical records from before and after the fall, and a treating physician’s opinion tying the symptoms to the incident, are what answer it.
Can I be fired for filing a claim after I fall?
Mississippi and Louisiana both protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting a fall, tell us in your consultation so we can review your options.
Will my health insurance pay for treatment while my comp claim is pending?
Workers’ comp is supposed to cover reasonable and necessary treatment for a work injury, and many health plans exclude work-related injuries. If the carrier denies or stalls on treatment, a lawyer can push to get care authorized rather than leaving you to sort out who pays.
What if I fell in Louisiana but live in Mississippi, or the reverse?
The rules depend on where the claim is brought and the facts of your employment. Louisiana has its own deadlines, including a one-year filing period for most claims and a 30-day notice requirement, so get advice early. We handle workers’ comp in both states.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a fall that seems minor?
Often, yes. Back and joint injuries from falls can worsen over weeks, and a claim that starts small can turn into surgery and months off work. A free consultation costs nothing and can head off a denial before it happens.
Serving Injured Workers Across Hinds County and Central Mississippi
We represent workers who fall on the job in Jackson and the surrounding Hinds County communities, including Clinton, Byram, Terry, Raymond, Bolton, Utica, Edwards, and Pocahontas. Our clients come from nearby Madison County and the Madison and Ridgeland area, from Rankin County, and from workplaces across the Jackson metro, including hospitals, distribution centers, construction sites, and plants.
Our reach extends well beyond the capital region. We take on workers’ compensation and injury cases in Hattiesburg, on the Gulf Coast, in Southaven and north Mississippi, and throughout the Delta. We also represent workers in Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and communities across south and north Louisiana.
Talk With a Jackson Slip and Fall Attorney Today
If you were hurt in a fall at work, a Jackson slip and fall attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which claims you may have, and deal with your employer and its insurer for you. Consultations are free, you pay no fee unless we recover benefits, and our phones are answered 24 hours a day. Call us today to talk through your fall and your next steps.
