Biloxi Healthcare Worker Injury Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents nurses, nursing assistants, techs, paramedics, and other hospital and clinic employees who get hurt on the job in Biloxi, Harrison County, and across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as well as injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. Workers’ compensation is the center of the firm’s practice, and healthcare injuries are a recurring part of it: patient-handling back injuries, needlesticks, falls on wet floors, and assaults by patients.
If you are a Biloxi healthcare worker injury lawyer client in the making, you are probably in an odd spot. You spend your days getting other people the medical care they need, and now you are the one fighting to get yours approved. Employer-affiliated occupational health clinics, light-duty pressure from a short-staffed unit, and an adjuster who says your back pain is just “wear and tear from nursing” are all common. None of that means your claim is weak. It means the insurer has a plan, and you need one too.
Healthcare injuries also have a quirk that other workplaces do not: the damage is often cumulative. A single lift of a heavy patient may be the event that finally tears a disc, but years of transfers, repositioning, and long shifts on your feet set the stage. How that history gets documented is one of the most important parts of the case.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC for a Healthcare Worker Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that serves injured workers in Biloxi, elsewhere along the Gulf Coast, and throughout Mississippi and South Louisiana. Most attorneys who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury only when one happens to come through the door. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. It works on a no recovery, no fee basis, consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and phones are answered 24 hours a day. Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call.
The results most relevant to healthcare workers are back injury results, because lifting and patient handling put so much strain on the spine. The firm obtained a $685,000 settlement for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, and a $600,000 settlement for a construction worker with a complex back injury. Other outcomes include $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. Past results do not guarantee a result in your case, but they show the firm takes on serious spine claims and sees them through.
Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin, Partner, and Jennifer Priebe, Partner, 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. Clients consistently describe a team that listened, stayed professional, and fought the insurance company at every step.
Common Injuries and Claims Among Biloxi Healthcare Workers
- Patient-Handling Back and Neck Injuries: Lifting, turning, and transferring patients is the classic source of lumbar and cervical disc herniations among nurses, CNAs, and orthopedic and rehab staff. Insurers often blame degenerative disc disease, and the response is medical evidence showing how repetitive physical work caused or worsened the condition.
- Needlesticks and Exposure to Infectious Disease: A stick from a contaminated sharp, or exposure to hepatitis or another bloodborne pathogen, can mean testing, preventive treatment, and months of monitoring. These are compensable work injuries, and prompt written reporting matters because the exposure may not produce symptoms right away.
- Violence from Patients and Visitors: Emergency department, behavioral health, and long-term care staff are sometimes hit, kicked, or grabbed. Injuries from an assault at work arise out of the job, and the person who attacked you may also create a separate injury claim.
- Slips, Falls, and Floor Hazards: Wet floors, cords, equipment left in hallways, and rushed turnovers cause fractures, knee tears, and shoulder injuries among workers who rarely sit down during a shift.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff and SLAP tears from pulling or catching a falling patient, and meniscus tears from pivoting under load, often need surgery. Employers sometimes call them old sports injuries.
- Repetitive Strain and Overuse Conditions: Surgical techs, sonographers, and dental and imaging staff may develop wrist, elbow, and shoulder problems that build slowly. Because these conditions do not have a single dramatic moment, careful documentation of job duties matters.
- Stress and Trauma Responses: First responders and EMS workers connected to the healthcare system can face claims involving posttraumatic stress and other conditions tied to the job. These claims are often contested, so strong medical support is essential.
What to Do After You Get Hurt at a Biloxi Hospital or Clinic
Start with the report. Mississippi requires you to notify your employer of the injury within 30 days of the accident, and you should not use all of that time. Tell your supervisor right away and put it in writing, even if the pain seems minor. In a hospital, that usually also means the incident report through employee health or risk management. Keep your own copy or take a photo of what you submit. If the injury is a needlestick or exposure, report it immediately, because testing and treatment timelines are tight.
Get medical care and be specific with the provider about how the injury happened at work. Many healthcare employers steer employees to their own occupational health department or a designated clinic. You will want to understand your rights regarding who treats you before you accept an arrangement that leaves the employer’s side in control of your records and work restrictions. Describe every body part that hurts, not only the worst one, because anything left out of the first notes is easier for an insurer to question later.
Do not return to full duty before your doctor says you can. Healthcare units run short, and supervisors may ask you to “just cover” a shift or take on a light-duty assignment that is not actually light. Follow your written work restrictions and tell your doctor if your employer is not honoring them. Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster without understanding what you are agreeing to, and do not sign medical releases broader than the injury at issue.
Know the filing deadline. In Mississippi, if no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the date of injury, the right to benefits can be barred unless a claim is filed with the Commission during that time. The worker generally has two years from the date of injury or the last compensation payment to file a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. These notice and limitation rules are found in Miss. Code § 71-3-35. Mississippi workers’ compensation claims are heard by that Commission, not a court. Cases are decided at an evidentiary hearing before an Administrative Judge, and a party who disagrees can seek review by the Full Commission, which reviews the record made before the judge rather than holding a new trial. A final Commission award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within thirty days, and that court often assigns the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
If you live in Biloxi but were hurt at a facility in Louisiana, or you work across the state line, different rules apply. Louisiana also requires notice to the employer within 30 days, and a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident.
Benefits Available to an Injured Healthcare Worker in Mississippi
Mississippi covers you from your first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement. That matters for new graduates and travelers who were hurt in their first weeks on a unit. Benefits include all reasonable and necessary medical treatment, such as surgery, physical therapy, and prescriptions, and wage replacement while you cannot work.
Temporary total disability and permanent total disability benefits 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 benefits are also limited to 450 weeks in the categories that fall under the general rule. The weekly maximum is set under state law and updated over time, so the right figure for your case depends on your wage and the date of your injury. Because nurses and techs often earn overtime and shift differentials, calculating your average weekly wage correctly can change what you receive.
The hard part for many healthcare workers is the question of returning to the same job. If your restrictions mean you can no longer lift patients, the question becomes whether the employer can offer real work within those limits, or whether your earning capacity has been permanently reduced. That is where medical opinions, job descriptions, and vocational evidence come in, and where a settlement is often negotiated.
How Insurers Fight Healthcare Worker Claims
Insurers use a familiar playbook. They argue the accident did not happen at work, blame a pre-existing condition, push you back to work before your doctor clears you, or stop paying without warning. Healthcare workers face a particular version: because the job is physical, carriers claim that your spine or shoulder was already degenerating and the work had nothing to do with it. A pre-existing condition does not end a claim. If your job caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits, and the medical evidence is what proves it.
Another common issue is a delayed report. Nurses often finish the shift, assume it is a strain, and report days later when they cannot get out of bed. The 30-day window gives room, but the insurer will still point to any gap. Consistent, specific accounts to your employer and your doctor are the best answer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Healthcare Worker Injury Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a healthcare worker injury claim in Biloxi?
Not every claim requires one, but if benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if you will be out of work for a long time, an attorney can make a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers protecting its interests, and you should have someone protecting yours.
How much does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of your case, and it is paid only if it recovers benefits or a settlement for you. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How soon do I have to report a work injury in Mississippi?
Within 30 days of the accident, though you should report it immediately and in writing. Delay hands the insurer an argument.
How long do I have to file a workers’ compensation claim in Mississippi?
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 within two years of the injury and no claim was filed, the right to benefits can be lost. Speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Mississippi and Louisiana both protect workers from being fired in retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell the firm during your consultation so your options can be reviewed.
Am I covered if I was hurt on my first day on the job?
Yes. Mississippi coverage starts with the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement.
My employer sent me to its own clinic. Do I have to keep going there?
Not automatically. Your rights regarding choice of physician depend on the circumstances, and an employer-directed clinic may be more interested in getting you back to work than in diagnosing the full injury. Raise this with a lawyer before accepting an arrangement you are uncomfortable with.
What if a patient attacked me, can I also sue the patient?
Workers’ compensation covers the injury regardless of who was at fault. In some situations someone other than your employer is responsible, and you may have a separate personal injury claim in addition to comp benefits. The firm makes sure the two claims work together instead of against each other.
Will workers’ comp cover a bloodborne exposure even if I never get sick?
Testing, preventive treatment, and follow-up monitoring after a needlestick or exposure are medical care connected to the work event, and they should be reported and documented immediately. Do not wait for symptoms before filing the report.
What if the insurer says my back problem is just degenerative disc disease?
This is among the most frequent defenses. The question is whether work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition. Treating physician opinions, imaging, and a clear work history are used to answer it.
Can I handle a hospital injury if I am a travel nurse or work for a staffing agency?
Often yes, but the question of which entity is the employer, and which policy covers you, can be complicated. Gather your contract and pay records and talk with an attorney early.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Serving Healthcare Workers Across Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast
The firm’s work begins in Biloxi and Harrison County and extends along the Gulf Coast, where hospitals, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, and rehab facilities employ thousands of caregivers. From the Biloxi area to neighboring Gulf Coast communities, the team represents injured workers who need medical care approved and wages paid while they recover. The firm also serves clients in Hattiesburg, Jackson, Madison, Southaven, the Delta, and north Mississippi, as well as injured workers in Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and across South Louisiana and north Louisiana. Whether you are a nurse, an imaging tech, a paramedic, or a nursing assistant, the same principles apply: report promptly, document thoroughly, and do not accept an insurer’s version of events without a second opinion.
Talk to a Biloxi Healthcare Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt caring for patients, you do not have to fight the insurance company alone. A Biloxi healthcare injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC can review what happened, explain the deadlines that apply to you, and take over the dealings with your employer and its insurer. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless the firm recovers benefits for you. Call today or send your case details to the team. They help injured workers, and that is all they do.
