Ridgeland Back & Spine Injury Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in Ridgeland and across Madison County, along with communities throughout Mississippi and South Louisiana, and spinal injuries are among the claims we handle most. Warehouse workers, construction crews, truck drivers, nurses, and delivery drivers in the Ridgeland and Jackson metro area hurt their backs on the job every day, and the claims that follow rarely go smoothly.
If you are looking for a Ridgeland back and spine injury lawyer, you probably already know the pattern. The MRI shows a herniated disc, the adjuster points to your age, and suddenly the insurer is calling it degenerative disc disease rather than a work injury. A back claim can be denied over one sentence in a medical record, and it can also be won on one well-written opinion from a treating surgeon.
Spine claims also run long. Conservative care comes first, then injections, then sometimes surgery, and every stage is a chance for the carrier to question the treatment or push you back to work early. What you document in the first weeks often decides how the rest of the claim goes.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Spine Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm serving injured workers in Madison County, Ridgeland, Jackson, and communities across Mississippi and Louisiana. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle one only when it walks in the door. We have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and you owe no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish.
Back injuries are a large part of that record. We secured $685,000 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 with back injuries after he was struck in his work vehicle. Other results include settlements for neck injuries, lumbar injuries, and shoulder injuries in the six figures.
The team behind those results includes Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, who has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers; Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe, Partners, both recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and The National Trial Lawyers; and attorneys Andrew Rueff, Keaton Belk, Erin Heimlicher, and Jared Martin. The firm was also ranked by Best Law Firms for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson. Clients often write about the same things: lawyers who listen, who answer, and who stay in the fight with the insurance company.
Spinal Injuries We See in Work Injury Claims
- Lumbar disc herniations: The most common spine claim. Lifting, bending, and repetitive loading at distribution centers, job sites, and hospitals tear or bulge the discs in the lower back, and carriers routinely answer with degenerative disc disease.
- Cervical disc injuries: Neck injuries from overhead work, falls, and vehicle collisions. They can send pain, numbness, or weakness into the shoulders and arms, and often lead to surgical recommendations that adjusters then challenge.
- Aggravation of pre-existing back conditions: Having prior back trouble does not end a claim. If work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, benefits can still be owed, and the medical opinion on causation carries the case.
- Trucking and driving injuries: Commercial drivers and delivery workers on I-55, I-20, and Highway 51 develop back injuries from wrecks and from years of vibration and hauling. If another driver caused the crash, a separate injury claim may exist alongside comp.
- Construction and industrial falls: Falls from ladders, scaffolding, and equipment can fracture vertebrae and injure the spinal cord. These are often catastrophic claims with long recoveries and permanent restrictions.
- Healthcare worker injuries: Nurses, techs, and aides hurt their backs lifting and repositioning patients, often through cumulative strain, which makes the date and cause of injury harder to pin down.
- Post-surgical and failed-back complications: Fusion surgery, persistent pain after operation, and the need for further procedures raise questions about continuing medical care and permanent disability that insurers like to cut short.
What to Do After a Back Injury at Work in Mississippi
Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as you can. Mississippi law requires notice within 30 days of the accident, and waiting invites the argument that nothing happened at work. Name the date, where it happened, what you were doing, and which body parts hurt. Keep a copy.
Get medical care, and tell every provider that the injury happened at work. Back injuries are often minimized in the first visit, so describe all symptoms, including pain that radiates into a leg or arm. Follow your doctor’s restrictions exactly. Working outside them, or skipping appointments, gives the insurer ammunition.
Know the filing deadline. If no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the injury, the right to benefits can be barred unless a claim is filed with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission in that window. The Commission, not a court, administers these claims. Disputed cases are heard by an Administrative Judge, and a decision can be reviewed by the Full Commission on the existing record, which is not a new trial. A final Commission award can then be appealed within 30 days, and the case may be assigned to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
Be careful with recorded statements and with the insurer’s choice of doctor. Adjusters may ask early on whether you have ever had back problems. Answer honestly, but speak with an attorney before giving a recorded statement. Keep your own records too: pay stubs, a list of treating providers, photos of the scene, and names of coworkers who saw what happened.
If your employer is in Louisiana, or the injury happened there, 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. Medical treatment denials in Louisiana move on short clocks: 15 calendar days to dispute a denial through the Office of Workers’ Compensation, and a limited window after the medical director’s decision to take the next step.
How Insurers Fight Spine Claims and What Answers Them
The arguments are predictable. The insurer says the injury is degenerative, that it is an old problem, that the accident was minor, or that you can return to work. We answer with medical evidence: treating physician opinions, imaging comparisons, and the work history that shows how your job loaded your spine.
Mississippi wage benefits for temporary or permanent total disability run at two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum, for up to 450 weeks. Partial disability payments in other cases are also capped at 450 weeks. Because spine injuries often leave lasting restrictions, how the disability is classified and rated affects the value of the claim for years.
In Louisiana, workers who return at reduced pay may qualify for supplemental earnings benefits, which pay two-thirds of the difference between pre-injury wages and what you can earn. These can last up to 520 weeks, with temporary total disability weeks counting toward that limit.
Settlement timing matters. Settling before you reach maximum medical improvement, or before the surgical question is answered, can leave future care unpaid. We push for the care first and negotiate the settlement once the medical picture is clear.
Common Questions About Spine Injury Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a back injury claim in Ridgeland?
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 an extended period, an attorney can make a real difference. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers working for it.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance case costs, and we are paid only if we recover 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 back injury in Mississippi?
Report it to your employer within 30 days of the accident. The same 30-day notice rule applies in Louisiana. Do it in writing and keep a copy.
What is the deadline to file a claim in Mississippi?
Generally two years from the date of injury or the last compensation payment, through a petition filed with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Exceptions exist when benefits have been paid, so speak with an attorney early.
Can I get benefits if I already had back problems?
Yes, if your work caused, worsened, or sped up the condition. A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim, though insurers raise it constantly.
Will workers’ compensation pay for back surgery?
It covers reasonable and necessary medical treatment, including surgery, physical therapy, and related care, when it is tied to the work injury. Surgery approvals are one of the most frequent points of dispute, and a strong surgeon’s opinion matters.
Can I choose my own doctor?
Rules on physician choice differ between Mississippi and Louisiana and depend on the circumstances. Do not assume the insurer’s doctor is your only option, and talk to us before agreeing to a change in treating physician.
What if the insurer says I can go back to work but my doctor disagrees?
Your treating doctor’s restrictions should guide you. If the insurer stops benefits against medical advice, that is a dispute we can take before the Commission or, in Louisiana, a workers’ compensation judge.
Can I be fired for filing a back injury claim?
Both states 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.
What if a negligent driver or contractor caused my spinal injury?
You may have a personal injury claim in addition to comp benefits. A third party’s fault does not replace your comp claim, and the two need to be handled together so one does not undercut the other.
How long does a spine injury comp case take?
It depends on your recovery. Cases with surgery and ongoing disputes run longer than those that resolve with conservative treatment, and rushing a settlement before your treatment plan is settled is a common and costly mistake.
If I was partly at fault, can I still recover?
Comp benefits generally do not turn on fault. In a related third-party injury claim, Mississippi reduces recovery by your share of fault, while Louisiana now bars recovery at 51 percent fault or more for claims arising on or after the start of 2026.
Serving Spine Injury Clients Across Ridgeland and Madison County
We represent injured workers in Ridgeland and throughout Madison County, including Madison, Gluckstein Lake and the Highland Colony corridor, Canton, Flora, and Pocahontas-area neighbors, along with nearby communities in Hinds and Rankin counties such as Jackson, Clinton, Byram, Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, and Terry. Many of our clients work along the I-55 and Highway 51 corridors, in healthcare, distribution, construction, and trucking.
Our work reaches across Mississippi, from Hattiesburg and the Gulf Coast to Southaven, north Mississippi, and the Delta. We also represent injured workers in Louisiana, in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and communities across South Louisiana and north Louisiana. Wherever your back or spine injury happened, we can review your claim.
Talk With a Ridgeland Spine Injury Attorney Today
If you hurt your back or neck at work, a Ridgeland spine injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your situation, explain your deadlines, and take on the insurance company so you can focus on treatment. Call us any time, day or night. The consultation is free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you.
