Starkville Back & Spine Injury Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in Starkville, in Oktibbeha County, and in communities across Mississippi and South Louisiana, with workers’ compensation as the core of what the firm does. A herniated disc from lifting at a distribution dock, a lumbar injury from hours in a truck cab, a cervical strain from a fall on a job site: these are the claims that tend to be fought hardest, because spine injuries are expensive to treat and easy for an insurer to blame on age.
If you are looking for a Starkville back and spine injury lawyer, the central issue in your claim is probably causation. Insurance carriers rarely deny a back injury by saying you are not hurt. They say the MRI shows degenerative disc disease, that the condition was there long before the job, and that the work had nothing to do with it. Answering that argument takes medical opinion evidence, a precise account of how the injury happened, and a clear picture of your physical work history. That is the work we do.
Starkville’s economy produces its share of these claims. Mississippi State University employs maintenance, grounds, custodial, and facilities workers who lift and bend all day. The surrounding area has manufacturing and warehouse employers, and Highway 82 and Highway 12 carry steady commercial trucking and delivery traffic. Each of these environments puts repeated stress on the lumbar and cervical spine, and each produces the kind of gradual-onset injury that insurers love to call pre-existing.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Spine Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm serving injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including Starkville and Oktibbeha County. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle a work injury only when one walks in. We have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish.
Back and spine cases are where that focus shows. We have secured a $685,000 settlement 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 who suffered back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle. 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, who has tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict, also regularly appears before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, alongside Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher.
Clients describe the same things in their reviews: attorneys who listen, who stay in contact, and who stand up to the insurance company at every step. For a spine injury that may involve surgery, months of treatment, and a long absence from work, that steady involvement matters as much as any settlement figure.
Types of Back and Spine Injuries We Handle for Starkville Workers
- Lumbar disc herniations: The most common spine claim. Lifting, twisting, or a sudden jolt pushes disc material against a nerve root, causing leg pain, numbness, or weakness. Warehouse, manufacturing, and facilities work around Starkville produces these regularly.
- Cervical disc injuries: Neck injuries from overhead work, falls, or vehicle collisions can cause radiating arm pain and may lead to fusion surgery. Insurers often argue these are simply age-related changes.
- Aggravation of degenerative disc disease: Mississippi does not require a perfectly healthy spine. If work worsened, accelerated, or triggered symptoms in an existing condition, the claim can still succeed with the right medical opinion.
- Fractures of the vertebrae: Falls from ladders, roofs, scaffolding, or equipment can fracture the spine. These cases usually involve specialists, extended recovery, and serious questions about permanent restrictions.
- Back injuries from truck and vehicle crashes: Drivers and delivery workers on Highway 82, Highway 12, and the roads around Oktibbeha County can suffer spinal injuries in wrecks. These can support both a comp claim and a separate personal injury claim against the at-fault driver.
- Repetitive strain and gradual-onset injuries: Years of lifting, bending, or vibration from equipment can wear down the spine without a single dramatic event. These claims depend on a well-documented work history.
- Post-surgical complications and failed back surgery: When a fusion or discectomy does not resolve the problem, the claim often turns to ongoing medical care, further surgery, and permanent impairment.
What to Do After a Back or Spine Injury at Work
Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as you can. Mississippi gives you 30 days from the accident to notify your employer, and a late report is one of the easiest ways for an insurer to attack a claim. Describe what happened, when, and where, and name any coworkers who saw it. Keep a copy. With back injuries the pain sometimes builds over a day or two, so do not wait to see whether it passes.
Get medical attention and tell the provider the injury happened at work. The first records matter enormously. If the chart says only “back pain” with no mention of how it started, the insurer will use that gap later. Follow every restriction and every treatment recommendation, attend your appointments, and do not return to heavy duty before your doctor clears you. Pushing back to work too early can worsen the injury and hand the carrier an argument.
Mississippi workers’ compensation claims are heard by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, not a court. In general, you have two years from the date of injury, or from the last compensation payment, to file a Petition to Controvert with the Commission if benefits are in dispute. Mississippi covers you from your first day of employment, with no waiting period. Do not assume that a quiet claim file means you are safe; the clock can run out while you are waiting on an adjuster. Contested cases are heard first by an Administrative Judge. A party who disagrees can seek review by the Full Commission, which examines the record made before the judge rather than starting over, and a final Commission award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days. That makes the evidence you build at the first hearing critical.
Be careful with recorded statements and with the insurer’s choice of doctor. An adjuster may call quickly, sound friendly, and ask questions designed to elicit an admission about prior back trouble. Speaking with a Starkville workers’ compensation attorney before you give a recorded statement is almost always wise. Avoid social media posts that show you lifting or active, and keep a log of symptoms, missed work, mileage to appointments, and every conversation with the carrier.
How We Answer the Pre-Existing Condition Defense
Nearly every serious spine claim runs into this argument. An MRI of almost any adult will show some disc degeneration, and carriers treat that as proof that work did nothing. The law does not see it that way. If your job caused your condition, made it worse, or brought on symptoms that were not disabling before, you may still be entitled to benefits.
Winning on this issue is a matter of evidence. We look at the time between the incident and the first complaint, whether you were working full duty without restrictions beforehand, how the physical demands of your job relate to the injury, and what your treating surgeon or physician will say about causation. A well-supported medical opinion that links the work event to the need for treatment often changes the insurer’s position, and when it does not, it is the foundation of the hearing. We also pay attention to the independent medical examiners carriers send you to, whose opinions are frequently written to minimize the injury.
Wage Benefits, Medical Care, and Permanent Impairment
Medical benefits should cover reasonable and necessary treatment: physician visits, imaging, injections, physical therapy, prescriptions, and surgery. Disputes over spine surgery are common, and carriers often delay or deny authorization. Wage-loss benefits for total disability, whether temporary or permanent, are generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum, and cannot run longer than 450 weeks. Partial disability payments in most other cases carry the same 450-week ceiling.
Many spine patients reach a point where they can work again but not at their old job. The value of the claim then depends on your permanent restrictions, your medical impairment, and what your injury has done to your ability to earn a living. A settlement that ignores future surgery, ongoing medication, or a permanent lifting restriction can leave you worse off than a hard-fought hearing. We evaluate these claims with the long term in mind.
Starkville Back and Spine Injury Questions, Answered
Do I need a lawyer for a back injury workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim requires one, but spine injuries are among the most disputed. If your benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if you face surgery or a long absence from work, an attorney can make a real difference. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers working for it, and you should have someone working for you.
How long do I have to report a back injury at work in Mississippi?
You must notify your employer within 30 days of the accident. Report it in writing as soon as possible rather than waiting, particularly if the pain developed gradually.
How long do I have to file a claim with the Commission?
Generally two years from the date of injury or the date of the last compensation payment to file a Petition to Controvert. If no disability benefits were paid and no claim was filed within two years of the injury, the right to benefits can be lost.
What if my employer says my back problem was already there?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end your claim. If work caused, aggravated, or accelerated the condition, benefits may still be owed. Strong medical evidence from your treating physician is the key.
Will workers’ compensation pay for back surgery?
If the surgery is reasonable and necessary because of a work injury, it should be covered. Insurers frequently contest surgery recommendations, which is when the quality of your medical records and physician opinions matters most.
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. Attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
Can I choose my own doctor for my spine injury?
Choice of physician in comp cases is governed by Mississippi’s rules, and the carrier may try to steer you toward its preferred providers. Talk to us before you accept a doctor’s opinion that seems to minimize your injury or before you change physicians, so your treatment is not disrupted.
Can I be fired for filing a comp claim after a back injury?
Mississippi protects workers from retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim. If you were terminated or punished after reporting your injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review it.
What if a negligent driver caused my back injury while I was working?
You may have two claims: workers’ compensation against your employer’s carrier and a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver. Mississippi uses pure comparative negligence, meaning your recovery is reduced by your share of fault rather than barred. We coordinate both claims so one does not undermine the other.
What happens if the insurance company stops paying while I am still treating?
A sudden cutoff is often challenged by filing with the Commission. Continue treatment, keep your appointments, and call us right away. Timing matters, and the longer a dispute sits, the harder it is on your finances.
Can I still get benefits if I was hurt in Louisiana but live near Starkville?
Possibly. Where you were hurt and where your employer operates can affect which state’s law applies. In Louisiana, you generally must report within 30 days and file a claim within one year of the accident. Tell us the details and we can determine which state’s rules govern your case.
Serving Back and Spine Injury Clients Across Oktibbeha County and Beyond
We represent injured workers in Starkville and throughout Oktibbeha County, including the communities around Mississippi State University, Sturgis, Maben, and the surrounding rural areas. We also help workers in neighboring areas of north and east Mississippi, including those traveling for work along Highway 82 and Highway 12. Beyond that, our team serves injured workers in Jackson, Madison, the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and the Delta, and we represent claimants across Louisiana in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and throughout South Louisiana and north Louisiana. Wherever the injury happened in Mississippi or Louisiana, we can take your case.
Speak With a Starkville Back Injury Attorney Today
A spine injury can change what you are able to do for a living, and the insurance company is already building its case. If you need a Starkville back injury attorney who handles workers’ compensation every day, call us. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. We help injured workers. That is all we do.
