Brandon Truck Driver Injury Lawyer
A truck driver hurt on the road in Rankin County usually has two claims, not one. Workers’ compensation covers the injury because it happened on the job, and a second claim may exist against whoever caused the wreck. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that also handles personal injury and wrongful death cases, serving injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, and that pairing matters for a Brandon truck driver injury lawyer search because the two claims have to be handled together.
Brandon sits on the I-20 and Highway 80 corridor east of Jackson, with Highway 471 and Highway 18 feeding traffic into the area. Drivers hauling freight, building materials, and local deliveries run these roads daily, and the injuries that follow tend to be serious: herniated discs from impact or from hours of vibration, shoulder tears from fighting a wheel, broken bones, and burns. A driver who cannot climb into a cab cannot earn a paycheck, and that is when the insurance carrier starts asking questions.
Which state’s comp law applies depends on the facts of the employment, which is one reason to talk to a lawyer before giving a recorded statement.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Trucking Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Mississippi, including Rankin County, and throughout Louisiana. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle a work injury only when one walks in the door. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients, works on a no recovery, no fee basis, offers free consultations, advances the costs of the case, and answers its phones 24 hours a day. Hablamos español.
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 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.
The firm obtained $385,000 for a project manager with back injuries after he was struck in his work vehicle, $190,000 for a truck driver who hurt his lower back in a wreck on the job, $175,000 for a delivery driver with a lumbar injury, and $150,000 for a truck driver with a meniscus tear. Clients describe attorneys who listen, communicate clearly, and stay with them against the insurance company at every step. Each case is different, and past results do not guarantee a future outcome.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Truck Drivers
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are the most common trucking injuries, whether from a collision, a hard stop, or years of seat vibration. Carriers often blame degenerative disc disease, and medical evidence tying the injury to the job is what answers that.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, and meniscus tears happen when drivers wrestle with heavy loads, straps, tarps, and trailer gear. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries.
- Fractures: Falls from a cab, trailer, or loading dock break ankles, feet, hips, and wrists, and many require specialists and surgical repair with long recovery times.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Fuel, fire, and chemical hauling accidents can cause severe burns and life-altering harm that call for lifetime medical planning.
- Collision Injuries With a Third-Party Driver: When a negligent motorist hits a work truck, the driver may have a personal injury claim against that motorist in addition to comp benefits.
- Delivery and Local Haul Drivers: Drivers making stops around Brandon, Pearl, and Flowood face loading injuries and lower-speed collisions, and carriers sometimes dispute whether the driver was an employee at all.
- Wrongful Death: When a trucking wreck or workplace accident kills a driver, the family may have both death benefits under comp and a separate wrongful death claim.
What a Hurt Driver Should Do Right Now
Get medical care first and tell the provider the injury happened at work. Then report it to your employer in writing, and do it quickly. In Mississippi and Louisiana alike, you must notify the employer within 30 days of the accident. Waiting does not just risk the deadline; it gives the carrier room to argue the injury happened somewhere else.
Mississippi comp covers you from your first day on the job, with no waiting period. If the claim goes forward, the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission hears it, not a regular court. Cases are tried before an Administrative Judge, and an appeal to the Full Commission is decided on the record from that hearing, not a fresh trial. The deadline to file a Petition to Controvert is generally two years from the date of injury or the last compensation payment. A final Commission award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and that court may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
Louisiana claims go to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration. A denial of medical treatment must be disputed on Form 1009 within 15 calendar days of written notice, which is a short fuse. A workers’ compensation judge’s final ruling can be appealed to the Louisiana court of appeal within 30 days when the appeal suspends the judgment.
If another driver caused the wreck, gather what you can: the police report, photos of the vehicles and scene, names of witnesses, and your truck’s data and dispatch records if you can get them. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurer before talking with a lawyer, and do not let a dispatcher or safety manager talk you into returning to work before your doctor clears you. Keep copies of everything and write down who you spoke with and when.
How Comp and Third-Party Claims Work Together for Drivers
Workers’ compensation pays medical care and a share of lost wages regardless of who was at fault. In Mississippi, temporary and permanent total disability benefits run at two-thirds of your average weekly wage up to a weekly statutory maximum, for no more than 450 weeks. In Louisiana, supplemental earnings benefits apply if you return to work at reduced pay, and they stop at full-duty release, a return to pre-injury wages, or the 520-week limit. These maximums are adjusted periodically, so the exact figures should be confirmed for your accident date.
Comp does not cover pain and suffering. A third-party claim against a negligent driver or another responsible party can. Fault matters there: Mississippi reduces a recovery by the injured person’s share of fault, while Louisiana now bars recovery for a person found 51 percent or more at fault on claims arising in 2026 or later. The comp carrier may also have a right to be repaid from a third-party recovery, so the two claims have to be planned together rather than settled separately by accident.
Questions Truck Drivers Ask About Injury Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a trucking injury claim in Brandon?
Not every claim needs one, but if benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if you will be off work a long time, a lawyer makes a real 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 it is paid only if it recovers benefits or a settlement for you. Fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a work injury?
Report to your employer right away and within 30 days at the latest, in Mississippi and Louisiana alike.
How long do I have to file a Mississippi comp claim?
Generally two years from the date of injury or the last compensation payment, filed with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Exceptions exist, so do not wait to find out whether one applies.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
Both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell your lawyer.
My employer calls me an independent contractor. Can I still get comp?
Possibly. The label on your paperwork does not decide it; how the work is actually controlled and performed matters. Many drivers called contractors are found to be employees, and that is worth reviewing before you accept a denial.
The carrier says my back problem was already there. Is my claim over?
No. If the job caused, worsened, or sped up a condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Insurers raise this argument constantly, and strong medical evidence is how it is answered.
Can I bring a claim against the other driver as well as get comp?
Often yes. A negligent driver who hit your truck can face a personal injury claim in addition to your comp benefits, and the two should be coordinated.
What if I was partly at fault for the wreck?
In Mississippi, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. In Louisiana, for claims arising in 2026 or later, being found 51 percent or more at fault bars recovery, and a lower percentage reduces it. Comp benefits generally do not depend on fault.
Will comp pay my medical bills while the claim is pending?
If the claim is accepted, reasonable and necessary treatment is covered. If it is disputed, benefits can stall, and a lawyer can push for treatment while the dispute is resolved. In Louisiana, a medical denial has its own 15-day dispute deadline.
What if the driver died from the injury?
Family members may be entitled to death benefits under comp and may also have a wrongful death claim. Louisiana’s wrongful death period is one year from death or two years from the injury, whichever is longer, and Mississippi generally allows three years for negligence claims.
Does the firm help Spanish-speaking drivers?
Yes. Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call through the end of the case.
Serving Truck Drivers Across Rankin County and Beyond
We represent injured drivers throughout Rankin County, including Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, Richland, Pelahatchie, Florence, Puckett, Cleary, and Fannin. Just across the line in neighboring Hinds County we serve Jackson, Clinton, Byram, Terry, and Raymond, and in neighboring Madison County, Madison, Ridgeland, and Canton. Our Mississippi work reaches the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Delta, and north Mississippi.
Because trucking does not stop at a state line, the firm also represents injured workers and accident victims across Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and the rest of south and north Louisiana. A driver hurt on I-10 or I-20 in either state can reach a team that handles both comp systems.
Talk to a Brandon Truck Accident Injury Attorney Today
If you drive for a living and got hurt doing it, you do not have to fight the insurance company alone. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call to speak with a Brandon truck driver injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC about your comp benefits and any claim against the party that caused your wreck. We help injured workers. That is what we do.
