Pascagoula Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in Pascagoula and across Jackson County, handling workers’ compensation claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off throughout the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the rest of Mississippi and South Louisiana. Our clients are the people who keep the region’s industrial economy running, and when one of them is hurt on the job, we take over the fight with the employer and its insurer so they can focus on recovery. If you are searching for a Pascagoula workers’ compensation lawyer, you likely have questions about medical care, missed paychecks, and why the insurer’s tone changed after the first few weeks.
Pascagoula is a working town built around heavy industry. Shipbuilding, fabrication, refining, marine construction, and the contractors who staff turnarounds and shutdowns all concentrate in and around Jackson County. Those jobs involve welding, grinding, overhead work, confined spaces, heavy lifting, and long hours on steel decks and scaffolding. The injuries that follow tend to be exactly what the insurance carrier is quickest to dispute: a herniated disc that the adjuster calls degenerative, a torn rotator cuff that gets labeled an old injury, a knee that was supposedly bad long before the shift in question.
Mississippi’s system also works differently from a lawsuit. Your claim is not heard by a jury or in a county courtroom; it moves through the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, and the choices you make in the first weeks, what you tell the adjuster, which doctor you see, when you report, can shape the result months later.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Pascagoula Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including Pascagoula, Moss Point, Gautier, and the rest of the Gulf Coast. Most attorneys who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury only when one happens to walk in the door. We have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for our clients, we take every case 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.
Founding partner Rob Lunsford 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 routinely appears before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, and attorneys Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the team.
Results matter most in the kinds of injuries Pascagoula workers suffer. We secured $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury and $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury. A project manager who suffered back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle recovered $385,000, and a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns to the lower extremities recovered $221,000. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, stays responsive, and goes up against the insurance company on their behalf at every step.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Jackson County Workplaces
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are common among fabricators, pipefitters, and laborers who lift, bend, and twist all day. Carriers frequently blame degenerative disc disease, so the case turns on medical evidence showing how 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 often come from overhead welding, pulling heavy equipment, or climbing and kneeling on decks and scaffolds. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, and we build the record to answer that.
- Fractures: Falls from staging, crushed feet and ankles, and broken hips and arms may require specialists and complex surgical repair, with long recoveries that keep a worker off the job for months.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Refinery, plant, and offshore-supply environments carry fire, chemical, and electrical hazards. Severe burns and other catastrophic injuries raise questions about permanent disability and lifetime medical care.
- Occupational Illness and Repetitive Trauma: Hearing loss, breathing problems, and conditions that develop gradually from exposure or repeated motion are compensable when work caused or worsened them, though they are often disputed because there is no single dramatic accident.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job are claims our attorneys handle for public safety workers.
- Third-Party Injury Claims: When someone other than your employer contributes to the injury, such as a negligent driver who hits your work truck or a contractor whose unsafe site causes a fall, you may have a personal injury claim alongside comp benefits, and the two must be coordinated carefully.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Pascagoula
The first decision is reporting. Mississippi requires you to notify your employer of the injury within 30 days of the accident, and the safest course is to report immediately, in writing if you can, and keep a copy. Waiting because the pain seems minor, or because a supervisor suggested you handle it informally, is one of the most damaging mistakes we see. A back strain that seemed manageable on Monday can become a surgical case by spring, and a late report hands the insurer an easy argument that the injury happened somewhere else.
The second decision is medical care. Tell every provider that the injury happened at work and describe the mechanism precisely: what you were lifting, how you fell, what part of the job you were doing. Vague histories are later used against workers when a carrier reads a chart looking for any mention of an earlier problem. Follow the treatment plan, attend every appointment, and do not return to full duty until your doctor releases you, because insurers sometimes push workers back early and then argue the injury was never serious.
Third, understand the deadlines that protect your claim. Mississippi generally gives you two years from the date of injury, or from the last compensation payment, to file a Petition to Controvert with the Commission, and that period can quietly expire if benefits stop and you assume the matter is still pending. These notice and limitation rules are found in Miss. Code § 71-3-35. Coverage begins on your first day of employment, with no waiting period, so a new hire is protected just as a veteran is.
Fourth, expect the claim to be decided by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission rather than a court. Disputed cases are heard at an evidentiary hearing before an Administrative Judge, and either side may seek review by the Full Commission, which examines the record already made rather than holding a new trial. That means the evidence assembled at the first hearing largely decides the outcome. A final award can be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and the Supreme Court often assigns those appeals to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Appellate courts look only at the record, which is why the early record matters so much.
Finally, be careful with recorded statements and paperwork. The adjuster’s job is to protect the carrier. Do not sign medical releases broader than you understand, do not guess about prior injuries, and do not accept a denial as the end of the story. Many denied claims are won on appeal with better medical evidence and clearer testimony. If you were hurt across the state line in Louisiana, different rules apply, including a 30-day reporting window and a one-year deadline to file a formal claim, so tell us where the injury occurred at the start.
How Insurers Fight Shipyard, Refinery, and Industrial Claims
The arguments are predictable once you have seen enough of them. The carrier says the accident did not happen at work, usually because no one saw it or the report came late. It says the condition was already there, pointing to an old MRI or a prior doctor visit. It says you are well enough to work and sends you to a physician it selects for an opinion that supports ending benefits. Or it simply stops paying without a clear explanation.
A pre-existing condition does not end a claim. If your job caused, aggravated, or accelerated the problem, benefits can still be owed. Answering this argument takes treating-physician testimony, imaging comparisons, and a detailed work history showing the physical demands of the job. Industrial workers in this area often have decades of heavy labor behind them, and that history can be evidence for the claim rather than against it.
Wage benefits in Mississippi are generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum that is adjusted periodically. For total disability, temporary or permanent, payments are capped at 450 weeks, and permanent partial disability benefits in most other cases also stop at 450 weeks. Because those limits are measured in weeks and the value of a claim depends on permanent impairment and loss of earning capacity, settling too early or on the insurer’s timetable can leave a great deal unpaid. We evaluate medical care, wage loss, and permanent disability together before any settlement discussion begins.
Questions Pascagoula Workers Ask About Comp Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim in Pascagoula?
Not every claim requires one, but if your 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 insurance company has adjusters and lawyers 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 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 my injury?
In Mississippi you must report the injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident. Report as soon as it happens and put it in writing so there is no dispute later about when the employer knew.
How long do I have to file a claim with the Commission?
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 ever paid, the right to benefits can be barred after two years unless a claim was filed in that time.
Am I covered if I was only on the job for a few days?
Yes. Mississippi coverage starts on the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement, as long as your employer is subject to the law, which generally means five or more employees.
What if my claim was denied?
A denial is a position, not a final answer. You can contest it by filing a petition with the Commission, and the dispute is then heard by an Administrative Judge. Many denials rest on a weak medical opinion or a missing record that can be corrected.
Can my employer fire me for filing a claim?
Mississippi and Louisiana both protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review your options.
Will my own health insurance pay for treatment while the claim is disputed?
Often it will pay at first, but health insurers typically expect reimbursement if the comp carrier is later found responsible. Tell your providers the injury is work related, keep every bill and explanation of benefits, and let your attorney coordinate so you are not caught between the two payers.
The insurance company wants me to see its doctor. Do I have to go?
You can generally be required to attend an examination, but the examiner is chosen by the carrier and the opinion often favors ending benefits. Bring a clear account of your symptoms and your treating physician’s findings, and let us know before the appointment so we can prepare you and respond to the report afterward.
Does my claim end if the Commission rules against me?
Not necessarily. Either side can seek review by the Full Commission, which reviews the record from the first hearing, and a final award can be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days. Because appeals are decided on the existing record, the evidence developed early is what carries a case forward.
I was hurt by someone who does not work for my employer. Can I still recover more than comp?
Possibly. A negligent driver, equipment manufacturer, or outside contractor may be liable in a separate injury claim in addition to your comp benefits. Mississippi uses pure comparative negligence, so your own share of fault reduces a recovery rather than barring it, and the comp and injury claims have to be handled so they do not undercut each other.
Can I get help in Spanish?
Yes. 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.
Serving Injured Workers Across Pascagoula and the Mississippi Gulf Coast
We represent injured workers throughout Pascagoula and Jackson County, including the neighborhoods and communities around the shipyard and the river, as well as Gautier, Moss Point, Escatawpa, Vancleave, and Ocean Springs. Our reach continues along the Gulf Coast to Gulfport, Biloxi, Gautier’s neighboring coastal towns, Bay St. Louis, and Pass Christian, and inland to Lucedale, Hattiesburg, and Laurel. Across the rest of Mississippi we serve clients in Jackson, Madison, Southaven, the Delta, and north Mississippi.
Many Pascagoula workers also travel for jobs, so we handle claims in South Louisiana as well, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport, and throughout north Louisiana. Whether you work at a yard, a plant, a marine contractor, or a job site far from home, we can review where the injury happened and which state’s rules apply.
Talk With a Pascagoula Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to fight the insurance company alone. A Pascagoula workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain your deadlines, and step in on denied or stopped benefits. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call us today to talk through your claim, because the sooner we start, the more of the record we can protect.
