Canton Construction Worker Injury Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in Canton and across Madison County, along with the rest of central Mississippi, the Gulf Coast, the Delta, and south Louisiana, and construction crews make up a large share of the people we help. If you are a framer, ironworker, equipment operator, laborer, or site supervisor hurt on a job near Canton, you need a Canton construction worker injury lawyer who knows how comp insurers fight these claims.
Construction injuries rarely arrive as a single clean event. A fall from scaffolding, a crushed hand, a herniated disc that built up over months of lifting: each one gets argued differently by the carrier. The adjuster may say the injury happened off the clock, blame an old back problem, or push you back onto the site before your surgeon agrees. Those arguments are predictable, and they can be answered with the right medical records and witness accounts.
Canton sits in a corridor of steady building, with warehouse and industrial work, road and utility projects, and residential development all within reach of the city. Crews here move between employers, subcontractors, and general contractors, and that shuffling creates questions about who is responsible for your benefits and whether someone else is liable too.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Construction Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm serving injured workers in Madison County and throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. 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 with clients from the first call to the end of the case.
Rob Lunsford, our founding partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. 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 has tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
The results matter most for construction clients. We secured $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, $385,000 for a project manager injured when his work vehicle was struck, $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns, and $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury. Clients consistently describe our team as easy to work with, attentive, and willing to take on the insurance company directly.
Common Construction Injuries and Claims We Handle
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lifting, bending, and carrying cause lumbar and cervical disc herniations on job sites. Carriers often blame degenerative disc disease, so we document how the work caused or aggravated the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Tears: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common among workers who pull, climb, and kneel all day. Employers sometimes call them old sports injuries.
- Falls From Height: Scaffolds, ladders, roofs, and open floor edges produce fractures of the feet, ankles, hips, and spine that can require specialists and complex surgery.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Electrical contact, hot work, and industrial sites can cause severe burns and life-changing trauma that call for long-term medical and wage benefits.
- Crush and Struck-By Injuries: Equipment, falling materials, and moving vehicles on or near a site cause serious fractures and internal injuries, and may point to a third-party liability claim.
- Vehicle Crashes on the Job: Hauling materials and driving between sites exposes workers to wrecks. These can support both a comp claim and an injury claim against the at-fault driver.
- Repetitive Trauma and Occupational Conditions: Hearing loss, joint wear, and other conditions that develop over years of heavy work can qualify, though the date you learned of the problem can affect your deadlines.
What to Do After a Construction Injury Near Canton
Get medical care first, then report the injury. Mississippi requires you to notify your employer within 30 days of the accident, and you should do it far sooner, in writing, with the date, location, and what happened. Name any coworkers who saw it. Verbal reports get forgotten or denied later.
Coverage in Mississippi starts on your first day of employment, with no waiting period. If your employer or its carrier does not pay disability benefits, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Missing that window can bar your claim entirely, so do not wait for the carrier to resolve things on its own.
Be careful with the paperwork you are handed. Recorded statements and forms signed on the spot can be used to say the injury was minor or happened somewhere else. Tell your doctor exactly how you were hurt and every body part affected, because the medical record becomes the backbone of the claim. Keep copies of everything, photograph the scene if you can, and keep a log of missed work and pain.
Mississippi comp claims are decided by the Commission, not a regular court. A dispute is first heard by an Administrative Judge at an evidentiary hearing. A party who disagrees can seek review by the Full Commission, which examines the record already made and does not hold a new trial, so the evidence has to be built correctly at the first hearing. A final Commission award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and that court may send the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
Another common mistake is returning to heavy work before your doctor releases you, or letting an insurer’s chosen provider set your restrictions. If benefits stop without warning, that is the moment to call us. Wage benefits are generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum and a limit of 450 weeks in many cases.
Third-Party Claims on Construction Sites
Workers’ compensation is usually your only remedy against your own employer, but a construction site often involves many companies. If a subcontractor’s unsafe work, a negligent equipment operator, or a careless driver hurt you, you may also have a personal injury claim against that party. Comp pays medical bills and a portion of your wages without regard to fault; a third-party claim can reach losses comp does not cover.
These cases have different deadlines. In Mississippi, many injury claims fall under a three-year limit, though claims against a county or governmental agency carry a one-year limit and require notice. The comp case and the injury case affect each other, particularly when the carrier seeks repayment from a settlement. Coordinating them from the start protects your total recovery. Our personal injury work covers car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death, which lets us handle both tracks.
If you were hurt while working in Louisiana, different rules apply. You should report within 30 days, and a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the injury, with a possible extension to three years after the last payment. Louisiana disputes go before a workers’ compensation judge in the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration.
Questions Canton Construction Workers Ask About Injury Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a construction injury claim in Canton?
Not every claim requires one, but if benefits are denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or you will be out of work for a long time, a lawyer makes a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys; you should have someone on your side too.
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. Attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report my injury?
In Mississippi, you must report to your employer within 30 days of the accident. The same 30-day notice rule applies in Louisiana. Report in writing as soon as you can.
How long do I have to file a claim in Mississippi?
Generally two years from the date of injury, by filing a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. If disability benefits have been paid, the period can run from the last payment, but do not rely on that without advice.
Am I covered if I was hurt on my first day?
Yes. Mississippi coverage begins on the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement.
What benefits can I receive?
Reasonable and necessary medical treatment, wage replacement while you cannot work, and additional benefits for permanent disability or death. Wage benefits are generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a weekly cap.
My employer says I am an independent contractor. Can I still get benefits?
Labels do not control the outcome. Construction companies sometimes classify workers as contractors to avoid coverage, and whether you actually qualify depends on how much control the company has over your work. Bring any pay records, contracts, and text messages so we can evaluate it.
The carrier says my injury is from an old condition. Is my claim dead?
No. If your job caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Strong medical evidence answering this argument is a core part of our work.
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 us so we can review your options.
Can I also sue someone other than my employer?
Possibly. If a subcontractor, equipment operator, driver, or property owner caused your injury, you may have a separate personal injury claim alongside comp. Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence, so partial fault on your part reduces a recovery rather than barring it.
What if my injury happened on a Louisiana job?
We handle Louisiana claims too. The injury must be reported within 30 days, and a claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, subject to extension if payments were made.
Do you handle cases for 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 Construction Workers From Canton Across Mississippi and Louisiana
We start with Canton and Madison County, representing injured construction workers in Canton, Madison, Ridgeland, Flora, and Gluckstadt. Nearby, we serve workers in Jackson, Clinton, Pearl, Flowood, Brandon, Byram, Terry, and Raymond. Across the Hinds, Rankin, and Yazoo county areas, we help crews from Vicksburg, Yazoo City, and Richland.
Our work extends across Mississippi to Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, north Mississippi, and the Delta. In Louisiana, we represent injured workers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and throughout south Louisiana and north Louisiana. Wherever the site is, the same insurer tactics tend to follow, and we are prepared for them.
Talk With a Canton Construction Injury Attorney Today
If you have been hurt on a construction job, speak with a Canton construction injury attorney before the carrier shapes the story for you. Call us any time, day or night. Consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. We help injured workers, and that is all we do.
