Greater Jackson Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Your workers’ compensation claim will not be decided in a courtroom, and the person deciding it is not a jury. In Mississippi, injury claims go to the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, an administrative body whose rules differ sharply from a car wreck lawsuit. Greater Jackson workers’ compensation lawyer help is what Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC provides to injured workers across Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties and the rest of Mississippi and South Louisiana, with workers’ compensation as the center of the firm’s practice.
That distinction matters from day one. The deadlines are short, the insurer’s adjuster is already building a file, and the questions that decide a claim, such as whether the injury arose from work or from a pre-existing condition, get answered on medical records and testimony. What you say and sign in the first weeks can shape the outcome months later.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Jackson-Area Comp Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, from the Jackson metro to the Gulf Coast, the Delta, Hattiesburg, and Southaven. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle a work injury only when one walks in. This firm works the other way around: workers’ compensation is the center of the practice, and the attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of your case, you owe no fee unless benefits or a settlement are recovered, phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking clients are served in Spanish from the first call (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 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. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
Results show what that focus produces: $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. Clients describe a team that listened, stayed professional, and went up against the insurance company on their behalf.
Injuries and Claim Types We Handle for Greater Jackson Workers
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most contested claims. Insurers often point to degenerative disc disease, so the case turns on showing that years of physical work or a single incident caused or worsened the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are routinely met with the argument that it was an old sports injury. Medical evidence tying the tear to a work event or repetitive duties is what answers that.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones can require specialists and complex surgical repair, with long recovery before any return to work.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial sites, plants, and oil rigs produce severe burns and life-altering injuries that carry long-term medical needs and permanent disability questions.
- 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 work connection.
- Construction, Trucking, and Healthcare Workers: Construction workers, truck drivers, ironworkers, nurses, and general laborers across the Jackson metro face falls, wrecks, lifting injuries, and repetitive strain.
- Denied, Delayed, and Terminated Benefits: Claims where the insurer disputes that the accident happened at work, stops paying without warning, or pushes a return to work before your doctor clears you.
- Third-Party Injury Claims: When a negligent driver hits your work truck or a contractor’s unsafe site causes your fall, a separate injury claim may sit alongside your comp benefits.
What to Do After a Work Injury in the Jackson Area
Report the injury to your employer in writing within 30 days of the accident. Do it sooner. Late notice hands the insurer a defense, and a verbal mention to a supervisor leaves nothing to point to later. Keep a copy of whatever you submit.
Get medical treatment and tell every provider the injury happened at work. Describe the mechanism plainly: what you were lifting, where you fell, what you felt. Those first records become the foundation of the claim. Follow your doctor’s restrictions even when a supervisor suggests you can handle more.
Mississippi covers you from your first day on the job, with no waiting period. The filing clock is separate from the notice clock: if no disability benefits are paid within two years of the injury, your right to benefits can be barred unless you file a claim with the Commission during that time. The filing is a Petition to Controvert, and it generally must be made within two years of the injury or the last compensation payment. Payments from the insurer do not mean you can relax; they change how the clock runs, and the details are worth confirming with an attorney early.
Your claim is administered by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission in Jackson. Disputed cases are heard by an Administrative Judge at an evidentiary hearing. If either side appeals, the Full Commission reviews the record made before the judge; it is not a new trial, so the evidence must be built correctly the first time. A final Commission award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days of its filing and notice to the parties, and the Supreme Court may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Appellate review is limited to the record from the Commission.
Be careful with recorded statements. Adjusters ask open-ended questions about prior back trouble, old injuries, and what you were doing before the incident. Answers given casually can resurface as pre-existing condition arguments. You can ask to speak with a lawyer first. Also avoid posting about your activities online, and do not sign medical releases broader than the injury at issue.
How Wage Benefits and Medical Care Work in Mississippi
Medical care for a compensable injury is part of the claim: treatment, surgery, therapy, and related costs. Wage replacement for temporary or permanent total disability is generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum that the state adjusts over time, and total disability payments are capped at 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability in other cases is also limited to 450 weeks. The statute sets a weekly floor as well, except in partial dependency and partial disability situations.
Fights usually arise over three things: whether the injury is work related, whether you have reached the point where your doctor says you can work, and how much permanent disability you have. A settlement often depends on all three, along with the cost of future medical care. Settling too early can close out medical benefits you will need, which is why the timing and terms deserve scrutiny.
When a Comp Claim Overlaps With a Personal Injury Case
Workers’ compensation does not require you to prove anyone was at fault, but it also does not pay for pain and suffering. If someone other than your employer caused the injury, such as a distracted driver or another contractor on the site, you may have a separate claim against that party. Mississippi applies pure comparative negligence, so your recovery is reduced by your share of fault rather than barred. Handling both claims together matters because a settlement in one can affect the other, including the insurer’s right to be repaid from your recovery.
Questions Injured Workers Ask Us
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim requires one. If your benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, a lawyer can make a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys protecting its interests.
How much does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances case costs, and fees are collected only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a work injury in Mississippi?
You must give your employer notice within 30 days of the accident. Written notice is safest. Waiting gives the insurer an argument that it was prejudiced by the delay.
What is the deadline to file a claim with the Commission?
Generally two years from the date of injury or the date of the last compensation payment. If no disability benefits were paid within two years of the injury, the right to benefits can be lost unless a claim was filed with the Commission in that period.
Does my employer have to carry workers’ compensation coverage?
In Mississippi, employers with five or more employees must provide coverage, and you are covered from your first day with no waiting period or minimum earnings requirement.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
Mississippi protects workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell your attorney at the consultation so the facts can be reviewed.
What if the insurer says my injury is just a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, benefits may still be owed. Strong medical opinions tying the aggravation to your job duties are the core of that response.
What happens at a hearing before the Commission?
An Administrative Judge hears testimony and reviews medical and wage evidence. There is no jury. The judge’s decision can be appealed to the Full Commission, which reviews the existing record rather than hearing the case anew.
Can I choose my own doctor?
Choice of physician is often contested and depends on how the claim is handled, so do not assume the insurer’s panel is your only option or that you can switch freely. Raise it with your attorney before changing providers, since an unapproved switch can lead to a bill dispute.
Will I get paid while the claim is being disputed?
Not necessarily. If the insurer denies the claim or stops payment, wage benefits can stall until the dispute is resolved. That gap is one reason people take the claim to the Commission quickly rather than waiting.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller injury?
Often the answer depends on whether the insurer is cooperating. A minor injury that heals with covered treatment may not need one. If surgery, permanent restrictions, or a dispute over return to work enters the picture, a small claim can become a significant one.
Can I also sue someone besides my employer?
If a third party caused your injury, such as a negligent driver, you may have a separate personal injury claim. Mississippi’s pure comparative negligence rule reduces that recovery by your share of fault. The two claims should be coordinated.
Serving Injured Workers Across Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties and Beyond
The firm represents workers in Jackson and throughout Hinds County, including Byram, Clinton, Terry, Raymond, Bolton, Utica, and Edwards. In Madison County, that includes Madison, Ridgeland, Canton, and Flora. Across the river in Rankin County, it includes Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, and Richland. Beyond the metro, the team works with injured workers in Vicksburg, Yazoo City, Hattiesburg, Meridian, Natchez, Brookhaven, and McComb.
The firm’s reach extends statewide: the Gulf Coast, the Delta, Southaven and north Mississippi, and South Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport. Whether your injury happened at a Jackson hospital, a construction site off a metro interstate, a trucking yard, or an industrial plant, the same attention goes into building the medical and work-history record.
Talk With a Jackson Workers’ Compensation Attorney
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to take on the insurance company alone. A Jackson workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain where your claim stands against the notice and filing deadlines, and handle the insurer so you can focus on treatment. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, the consultation is free, and you pay no fee unless benefits are recovered. Call today and tell the team what happened.
