Meridian Construction Worker Injury Lawyer
A construction worker hurt on a Lauderdale County job site is almost never dealing with just one claim. The first is workers’ compensation, which moves through the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission rather than a courtroom and pays regardless of who caused the fall, the crush, or the strike. The second, often overlooked, belongs to the worker injured by a general contractor, equipment owner, or another trade, a separate lawsuit that can run alongside comp. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, and we take on Meridian construction worker injury lawyer cases for framers, ironworkers, laborers, equipment operators, and tradespeople from Meridian and the surrounding east Mississippi communities.
Construction injuries rarely stay small. A fall from scaffolding, a disc herniation from years of lifting, a torn rotator cuff from overhead work, or a crushed foot under a load can end a career, not just a work week. Insurers know this, which is why the claim often gets contested early: the accident was not witnessed, the back problem was “already there,” or the worker was a subcontractor rather than an employee. How those first weeks go, what gets reported, to whom, and what the doctors write down, frequently decides how the whole claim turns out.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Meridian Construction Injury Claim
Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle a work injury only when one walks in. Workers’ compensation is the center of our practice. Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience, and we have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for injured workers. 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.
When a case needs a trial lawyer, Andrew Rueff has successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team serving clients in both states. We serve Meridian, Lauderdale County, and communities across Mississippi, and our phones are answered 24 hours a day. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of your case, and you owe no fee unless we recover benefits or a settlement for you. Hablamos español.
The results that matter most to construction workers are back and orthopedic cases, because that is what the trade does to the body. We secured $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, and $385,000 for a project manager injured in a collision in his work vehicle. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, stays in contact, and fights the insurance company at each step.
Construction Injuries and Claim Types We Handle
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are the most common serious injuries in the trades. Carriers routinely blame degenerative disc disease, so the claim depends on medical evidence showing that years of heavy labor or a specific incident caused or aggravated the condition.
- Falls From Height: Scaffolds, roofs, ladders, and open floor edges produce fractures of the spine, hips, wrists, and heels, often requiring specialist surgery and months away from work.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common from overhead work, climbing, and uneven ground. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, and we answer that with imaging and treating-doctor opinions.
- Crush and Struck-By Injuries: Heavy equipment, falling materials, and trench or wall collapses cause fractures and catastrophic injuries that can mean permanent disability benefits.
- Burns and Industrial Injuries: Welding, electrical work, and plant or oil-field work can cause serious burns. We recovered $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns to the lower extremities.
- Vehicle Collisions on the Job: Workers driving between sites or hauling materials may have both a comp claim and a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver.
- Third-Party Liability Claims: When a general contractor, equipment owner, or other trade’s negligence contributed, a separate injury lawsuit may add recovery that comp alone does not provide.
- Denied or Cut-Off Benefits: Stopped checks, refused surgery approvals, and pressure to return before a doctor clears you are appealable problems, not final answers.
What to Do After a Construction Injury in Meridian
Get medical care first, and tell the provider exactly how the injury happened and every body part that hurts. Early records carry enormous weight, and an omission that day can be used against you later. Then report the injury to your employer. Mississippi requires notice within 30 days of the accident, and the safest course is to report immediately and in writing, keeping a copy. Waiting because the pain “might go away” is among the most common ways valid claims get damaged.
Mississippi covers workers from the first day of employment, with no waiting period. The deadline to file a Petition to Controvert with the Commission is generally two years from the date of injury or the last compensation payment, and if no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the injury, the right to benefits is barred unless a claim has been filed. Do not treat the carrier’s initial acceptance as a reason to relax. A claim that is paid today can be disputed tomorrow, and the filing clock does not wait for you.
Write down witness names, the equipment involved, who was supervising, and what safety measures were or were not in place. Photograph the area if you can do so safely. Keep every medical bill, work-status note, and letter from the insurer. Be careful with recorded statements to the adjuster: you are not required to give one without understanding the stakes, and casual comments about prior back trouble or past injuries get turned into a pre-existing condition defense.
Mississippi comp claims are decided by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, not a court. A dispute goes to an evidentiary hearing before an Administrative Judge, and either side can seek review before the Full Commission in Jackson, which reviews the existing record rather than holding a new trial. A final award can then be appealed within 30 days, and the Mississippi Supreme Court may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Because appeals rest on the record, the evidence built at the hearing level is what counts. If your injury also involves a negligent third party, that lawsuit is separate and runs on its own timeline, generally three years in Mississippi for ordinary negligence, so it should be evaluated early.
Wage Benefits, Medical Care, and Permanent Disability for Injured Tradespeople
Mississippi pays wage-loss benefits at up to two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a weekly maximum set by the state. Temporary total disability and permanent total disability benefits are generally capped at 450 weeks, and permanent partial disability payments in “other cases” cannot run longer than 450 weeks. Medical treatment related to the injury is covered, including surgery, therapy, and prescriptions.
For construction workers, the hardest fight is often over what happens when the body does not fully recover. A worker released with permanent restrictions on lifting, climbing, or standing may not be able to return to the trade at all. Disability is measured by loss of wage-earning capacity, not just a medical rating, so evidence of your work history, training, and job market matters. Insurers sometimes push a premature return to light duty or point to a doctor who clears you too early, and those decisions deserve scrutiny before you accept them.
Many construction workers are labeled independent contractors or paid by a staffing company, which can complicate who the employer is and which carrier owes benefits. Misclassification is a frequent tactic for avoiding coverage, and the label an employer uses does not control the legal answer. If you were told you are not covered because of how you were paid, that deserves a closer look before you give up on the claim.
Questions About Meridian Construction Worker Injury Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a construction injury claim?
Not every claim requires one, but if 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 change the outcome. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys working for it, and you should have someone working for you.
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. Attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
How soon must I report a construction injury in Mississippi?
Within 30 days of the accident, and sooner is far better. Reporting right away, in writing, removes an easy argument for the insurer.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Generally two years from the date of injury or the last compensation payment to file a Petition to Controvert with the Commission. If no disability benefits were paid within two years of the injury and no claim was filed, the right to benefits is barred.
What if the insurer says my back problem was already there?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If the job caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, benefits may still be owed. Answering this defense with strong medical evidence is a core part of what we do.
Can I be fired for filing a comp claim?
Mississippi and Louisiana both protect workers from retaliation for filing. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us so we can review your options.
I was hired as an independent contractor. Am I still covered?
Possibly. Calling someone a contractor does not settle the question. What matters is how the work was actually controlled and directed. Workers paid by the job or through a staffing company should not assume they have no claim.
Can I sue the general contractor in addition to getting comp?
If someone other than your employer was negligent, you may have a separate personal injury claim, and in Mississippi that is generally filed within three years. The comp claim and the injury claim need to be coordinated so one does not undermine the other.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?
Work injuries are the comp carrier’s responsibility, and group health plans often resist paying for them. If a claim is denied, you may need to use other coverage temporarily, which is one more reason to get a denial challenged quickly rather than letting it sit.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, so your own mistake generally does not defeat a comp claim. In a separate third-party lawsuit in Mississippi, your share of fault reduces your recovery rather than barring it.
What if I was hurt on a Louisiana job but live near Meridian?
Which state’s law applies depends on where the employment is based and where the injury occurred. We handle claims in both Mississippi and Louisiana, so we can sort out where the claim belongs, and the deadlines differ between the two states.
Do you represent Spanish-speaking workers?
Yes. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call through the end of the case.
Serving Meridian and East Mississippi Construction Workers
We represent injured workers in Meridian and throughout Lauderdale County, including Marion, Collinsville, Toomsuba, and Russell, as well as the neighboring counties and towns of east Mississippi such as Newton, Decatur, Philadelphia, and DeKalb. Our reach extends across Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast, Southaven, north Mississippi, and the Delta.
We also serve injured workers across Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and communities throughout south and north Louisiana. Whether the job site is a commercial build, an industrial plant, a road project, or a residential crew, if you were hurt working in construction in either state, we can review your claim.
Talk to a Meridian Construction Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt on a construction job, the insurer is already building its file. A Meridian construction injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can take over the dealings with your employer and its carrier, push for the medical care your doctors recommend, and pursue the wage benefits you are owed. Call us any time, day or night, for a free consultation. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.
