Madison Back & Spine Injury Lawyer
Madison, you work in a town where a lot of people earn a living on their feet, behind a wheel, or on a job site, and a back injury at work can end that overnight. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm representing injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, and a Madison back and spine injury lawyer from our team can deal with the employer and its insurer while you focus on treatment.
Spine claims are among the most contested in workers’ compensation. A herniated disc shows up on an MRI, and the insurance carrier points at the “degeneration” in the same image and calls it a pre-existing condition. A doctor releases you to light duty before the surgeon has weighed in. A lumbar fusion gets questioned as unnecessary. The disputes are rarely about whether your back hurts. They are about what caused it, how long you will be out, and who pays for the next step.
The stakes go beyond one paycheck. Back and neck injuries can mean surgery, months or years of therapy, restrictions that permanently change the work you can do, and a long fight over how disabled you really are. The decisions made early, about which doctor you see, what you tell the adjuster, and what the medical records say about how the injury happened, tend to shape the whole claim.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Madison Spine Injury Claim
Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off before they should have been. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury only when one walks in. We built the firm the other way around.
Back and spine cases are where that focus shows up in the numbers. We secured $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury and $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury. We also recovered $385,000 for a project manager who suffered back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle, $190,000 for a truck driver who hurt his lower back in a work wreck, and $175,000 for a delivery driver with a lumbar injury. Across all case types, the firm has recovered more than $100 million for clients.
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 for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson. Andrew Rueff has successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and regularly appears for injured workers before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team. Clients tell us what they value most: someone who listens, explains the process, and fights the insurance company at every step. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of your case, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish.
Types of Back and Spine Injuries We See in Work Injury Claims
- Lumbar Disc Herniations: Lifting, twisting, and repetitive bending at construction sites, warehouses, and distribution centers are classic causes. Insurers often answer with degenerative disc disease, so the claim turns on medical opinion about whether work caused or aggravated the problem.
- Cervical and Neck Injuries: Overhead work, falls, and vehicle collisions on the job can injure the cervical spine, sometimes with nerve pain radiating into the arms. These claims often involve injections, surgery referrals, and disputes over restrictions.
- Spinal Fusion and Surgical Cases: When a treating surgeon recommends fusion or disc replacement, the carrier may push for a second opinion or deny authorization. Fighting for approved surgery is often the heart of the case.
- Injuries From Work Vehicle Wrecks: Delivery drivers, truck drivers, and project managers on the road can suffer back injuries in a crash. Those cases may also support a separate injury claim against the at-fault driver, alongside comp benefits.
- Falls From Heights and Struck-By Accidents: Ironworkers, roofers, and tradespeople on commercial sites in the Madison and Jackson metro area can suffer compression fractures and acute disc injuries when they fall or are hit by materials or equipment.
- Cumulative and Repetitive Strain: Nurses, surgical techs, mechanics, and laborers can wear down the spine over years of lifting patients, bending over engines, or hauling loads. These claims need careful records tying the condition to the job.
- Permanent Restrictions and Lost Earning Capacity: Even after surgery, many workers cannot return to heavy work. Disability ratings, permanent restrictions, and the question of whether you can earn what you did before drive the value of the claim.
What to Do After a Back Injury at Work in Madison
Report the injury to your employer right away, and in writing if you can. In Mississippi the outer limit is 30 days from the accident, and waiting gives the insurer an argument that the injury was not work-related. Be specific: what you were doing, where, who saw it, and which part of your body hurts. Back injuries are often described vaguely at first (“my back is sore”), and that vagueness gets used against workers later.
Get medical care promptly and tell every provider that the injury happened at work. Gaps in treatment and records that say nothing about a work incident are exactly what carriers use to build a denial. Follow your doctor’s restrictions, even when a supervisor pressures you to do more, and do not accept a release to full duty that your treating physician has not actually given. Keep your own file: pay stubs, a log of missed work, photos of the scene, names of coworkers who witnessed the incident, and every letter from the insurer.
Be careful with recorded statements. Adjusters will ask for one early, often asking about prior back pain, old sports injuries, or earlier accidents. Honest answers matter, but speaking with a lawyer first helps you avoid giving an incomplete picture that the carrier later twists into a pre-existing condition defense.
Mississippi workers’ compensation claims are handled by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission rather than a regular court. If benefits are denied or stopped, the way to protect your claim is to file a Petition to Controvert with the Commission, generally within two years of the date of injury or the last compensation payment. Cases are heard by an Administrative Judge at an evidentiary hearing. If you disagree with the result, the Full Commission can review the record made before the judge; it is not a new trial. A final Commission award can then be appealed within 30 days to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Appeals are decided on the existing record, which is why the evidence built at the first hearing matters so much.
How Mississippi Pays for a Spine Injury: Medical Care and Wage Benefits
Mississippi covers workers from the first day on the job, with no waiting period, and an employer with five or more employees generally must carry coverage. Benefits for a work-related back injury include reasonable and necessary medical treatment, such as diagnostic imaging, injections, surgery, and rehabilitation, plus wage replacement while you cannot work.
For temporary or permanent total disability, wage benefits are generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum set by law, and they cannot run longer than 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability benefits are likewise limited to 450 weeks in the cases that fall in the general category. The weekly maximum is adjusted over time, so ask us what applies to your injury date. Where a worker can still do some work but not what they did before, the question becomes how much earning capacity was lost, and spine cases often turn on that.
Workers hurt in a vehicle crash, or by a negligent contractor on a shared site, may also have a claim against that outside party. That claim can reach damages that comp does not, like pain and suffering, and we coordinate the two so one does not undercut the other.
Madison Back and Spine Injury Questions, Answered
How long do I have to report a back injury at work in Mississippi?
You must give your employer notice within 30 days of the accident. Do it sooner, and put it in writing, so there is no dispute later about when and how it happened.
How long do I have to file a claim with the Commission?
Generally two years from the date of injury or from the last compensation payment, by filing a Petition to Controvert. Receiving some benefits can affect how the deadline runs, so speak with an attorney early rather than assuming you have time.
The insurance company says my herniated disc is degenerative. Is my claim over?
No. A pre-existing or degenerative condition does not automatically bar a claim. If work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. The fight is usually decided by medical opinion, which is why we work to get clear causation statements from your treating doctors.
Can the insurer choose my doctor?
The rules on choosing and changing physicians are specific, and a change made without following them can cause trouble for your claim. Talk to us before switching doctors or agreeing to an insurer-selected evaluation.
What if my doctor recommends surgery and the carrier refuses to approve it?
A denial is not the final word. Treatment disputes can be taken to the Commission, and we gather the surgeon’s records, imaging, and testimony to show the surgery is reasonable and necessary.
Do I have to go back to work if the insurer says I am cleared?
Not if your treating physician has not released you. Returning to work too soon can worsen the injury and weaken your claim. If a light-duty job is offered, make sure it fits your written restrictions.
Will I get paid while my claim is being fought?
If benefits were wrongly stopped or never started, they can be recovered if you win, but there may be a gap in the meantime. Getting a lawyer involved early helps shorten that gap.
Can I be fired for filing a claim over a back injury?
Mississippi and Louisiana both protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were terminated or punished after reporting an injury, tell us so we can review your options.
What if I hurt my back at work in Louisiana but live in Madison?
Louisiana has its own rules. You should report the injury to your employer within 30 days and generally file a claim within one year of the accident. Louisiana claims go before the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, with appeals to the courts of appeal. We handle claims in both states.
Can I settle my spine claim, and should I?
Settlement is often possible, but a back injury can mean future surgery, medications, and lasting limits. A settlement that closes out medical care for too little can leave you paying later. We evaluate future care and permanent restrictions before recommending a number.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer if my back injury seems minor?
Back injuries that look minor early can turn into surgical cases. If benefits are denied, delayed, or reduced, or you expect to miss significant work, a lawyer can make a real difference. The first consultation is free and we only get paid if we recover for you.
Serving Madison and Surrounding Mississippi Communities
Our work for injured workers starts in Madison and reaches across the Jackson metro area, including Ridgeland, Flowood, Brandon, Pearl, Clinton, Byram, and Canton. We represent workers in Hinds and Rankin counties and throughout Central Mississippi, including those on jobs in the commercial and industrial corridors around Jackson and Madison.
Beyond the metro, we serve clients across the state, from Hattiesburg and the Gulf Coast to Southaven and north Mississippi, and into the Delta. In Louisiana we represent injured workers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and throughout south and north Louisiana. Wherever the injury happened, a worker with a serious back or spine claim can reach a team that handles these cases every day.
Talk With a Madison Spine Injury Attorney Today
If a back or neck injury at work has you in pain, out of a paycheck, or fighting an insurance company over care, a Madison spine injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your situation at no cost. We handle the carrier, gather the medical proof, and press for the treatment and wage benefits the law provides. Call us any hour, tell us what happened, and find out where your claim stands. You pay nothing unless we recover benefits for you.
