Chevron Pascagoula Refinery Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
The Chevron refinery in Pascagoula sits in Jackson County, on the Gulf Coast, and a workers’ compensation claim from that site runs through the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission rather than a courtroom, with contractors, turnaround crews, and Chevron employees all feeding into the same system. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, including Jackson County, Pascagoula, and the rest of the Gulf Coast, and a Chevron Pascagoula refinery workers’ compensation lawyer from our team can take over the claim from the first call.
Refinery claims differ from ordinary workplace claims in ways that matter. The injured person may be a Chevron employee, a direct hire of a maintenance contractor, a pipefitter on a turnaround crew, or a staffing-agency worker who has been on site for a week. Who the employer is, who the insurer is, and whether someone else shares responsibility for the injury all decide where the claim goes and how it is paid. Sorting that out early often determines whether a claim moves forward or sits.
Refinery injuries also tend to be physical and serious: heavy lifting, climbing scaffolds and structures, working in heat, handling pipe and equipment, and exposure to burns and chemicals. The insurers handling these claims know the common arguments, and they raise them quickly when the injury involves a back, shoulder, or knee that was already worn from years of physical labor.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Refinery Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, serving Jackson County and Pascagoula along with the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Madison, Southaven, and the Delta. Most attorneys who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury only when one comes through the door. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients, consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish.
Several of the results most relevant to refinery and industrial work: $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, $385,000 for a project manager injured when he was struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns to the lower extremities. The firm has also handled a $195,000 settlement for a derrickhand with complex shoulder injuries from pulling large pipe and a $135,000 settlement for a diesel mechanic with a SLAP tear, the kind of injuries that follow heavy industrial work.
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 for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson. Andrew Rueff has successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and regularly appears before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, alongside attorneys Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher. Clients describe a team that listens, communicates, and stays with the insurance company through every step of the claim.
Injuries and Claims Common at a Refinery Site
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most frequent refinery claims, from lifting, climbing, awkward work in confined spaces, or a single fall. Insurers often blame degenerative disc disease, and the answer is medical evidence showing how the job caused or worsened the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, and meniscus tears come from pulling, lifting, and repetitive overhead or kneeling work. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, which does not end a claim when work caused or aggravated the damage.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Fires, steam, hot surfaces, and chemical contact at industrial sites can cause severe burns that require specialized care and long recovery. These claims often involve permanent disability benefits and large medical needs.
- Fractures and Crush Injuries: Feet, ankles, hips, and other bones can be broken by falls from height, dropped equipment, or moving machinery, often requiring specialists and surgical repair.
- Exposure and Occupational Illness: Respiratory conditions, hearing loss, and illnesses tied to long-term exposure can qualify as work-related. Mississippi’s discovery rule can matter when a condition develops slowly, so documenting symptoms early helps.
- Contractor and Turnaround Worker Claims: Workers employed by contractors or staffing agencies have their own employer and insurer, and sorting out who is responsible for the claim is a common early dispute.
- Third-Party Claims: When someone other than your employer contributed to the injury, such as a negligent driver, an equipment maker, or a separate contractor, you may have a personal injury claim alongside comp benefits.
What to Do After a Refinery Injury in Jackson County
Report the injury to your supervisor right away, and do it in writing if you can. Mississippi requires notice to the employer within 30 days of the accident, and a late report gives the insurer an argument that costs you nothing to avoid. Get medical care immediately, tell every provider that the injury happened at work, and describe exactly how it happened. Gaps in treatment and vague histories in medical records are what insurers point to later.
Write down what happened while it is fresh: the location on the site, the equipment involved, who saw it, and who you told. Keep copies of incident reports, emails, text messages with supervisors, pay records, and every medical record and bill. On a site with multiple employers, note which company directed your work and who signed your paychecks, because that determines whose insurer is responsible.
The formal deadline matters just as much as the report. In Mississippi, you generally have two years to file a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, measured from the date of injury or the last compensation payment. The Commission, not a court, hears these claims, either before an Administrative Judge at an evidentiary hearing or on review by the Full Commission, which examines the record already made rather than holding a new trial. A final award can be appealed within 30 days, and those appeals go to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which often assigns them to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
Be careful with recorded statements and with the adjuster’s early offers. Do not return to duty before your doctor clears you, and do not accept that a claim is over because the insurer says so. Benefits in Mississippi are covered from the first day of employment, and wage-loss payments run at two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statutory maximum, for periods that the law limits to 450 weeks in total disability cases. If benefits are denied, delayed, or stopped, contact an attorney before the filing window narrows.
How Refinery Claims Get Disputed and Resolved
Refinery claims tend to be contested in a few predictable ways. The insurer may argue the injury did not happen at work, that it stems from a pre-existing condition, that you reported it late, or that you can return to work sooner than your physician says. Each argument has an answer, but it is built from evidence: consistent medical records, co-worker accounts, work history showing the physical demands of the job, and a treating physician who connects the condition to the work.
Many claims resolve by settlement after the medical picture settles. The value depends on the nature of the injury, whether surgery was needed, how much permanent impairment remains, whether you can return to your prior job, and what the medical future looks like. Claims that cannot be resolved go to hearing before an Administrative Judge, and that is where preparation matters most.
Workers who live in Louisiana but work or are hurt in Mississippi, or the reverse, face an added question about which state’s law applies. Because we practice in both, we can sort out where the claim belongs rather than losing time in the wrong forum. If a Louisiana claim is involved, injuries there are handled through the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, where reporting is due within 30 days and a formal claim generally within one year.
Questions About Chevron Pascagoula Refinery Injury Claims
Do I qualify for workers’ compensation if I work for a contractor at the refinery?
Yes. Coverage depends on being an employee of a covered employer, not on who owns the site. Your direct employer’s insurer is usually responsible, though disputes over which company is the true employer are common and worth sorting out early.
How long do I have to report a refinery injury?
In Mississippi, you must notify your employer within 30 days of the accident. Report it immediately and in writing whenever possible.
How long do I have to file a claim in Mississippi?
Generally two years from the date of injury or from the last compensation payment, by filing a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Exceptions can apply, so do not wait.
What does workers’ compensation pay?
It covers reasonable and necessary medical treatment and replaces part of your lost wages, generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage up to a statutory maximum. Permanent disability benefits may apply if the injury leaves lasting limitations.
Will it cost me anything to hire your firm?
No. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the 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.
What if the insurer says my injury is just wear and tear?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your work caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, benefits may still be available. Strong medical evidence is what answers this argument.
Can I sue Chevron instead of filing for workers’ compensation?
Workers’ compensation is generally the exclusive remedy against your own employer. But if a third party, such as a separate contractor or an equipment manufacturer, contributed to your injury, you may have a separate personal injury claim.
What happens if my claim is denied?
You can file a Petition to Controvert and have the dispute heard by an Administrative Judge at the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. An adverse ruling can go to the Full Commission, which reviews the existing record, and then to the appellate courts.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
Mississippi and Louisiana both 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.
Is a refinery worker hurt by a negligent driver or contractor entitled to more than comp?
Possibly. When someone other than your employer is at fault, you can pursue a personal injury claim in addition to comp benefits. Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence, so your own share of fault reduces a recovery rather than barring it, and the comp claim and injury claim need to be coordinated.
How long does a refinery workers’ comp case take?
It depends on the injury and whether the insurer contests it. Uncontested claims move faster, while surgeries, disputed causation, or hearings extend the timeline. Settlement discussions usually mature once your doctor has determined how much function you have recovered.
Do you handle Spanish-speaking clients?
Yes. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Serving Pascagoula and Jackson County Refinery Workers Across the Gulf Coast
From Pascagoula and Moss Point through Gautier, Ocean Springs, and the communities of Jackson County, our team represents injured refinery and industrial workers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We also serve workers in neighboring Harrison County, including Biloxi and Gulfport, and in George, Greene, Hancock, Pearl River, and Stone counties, where many industrial employees live and commute from.
Our work reaches well beyond the coast, to Hattiesburg, Jackson, Madison, Southaven, the Delta, and north Mississippi, and across the state line into Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and South and north Louisiana. Refinery and industrial workers move between sites and states, and the same team can handle your claim wherever the injury occurred.
Talk to a Chevron Pascagoula Refinery Workers’ Compensation Attorney
If you were hurt at the Chevron refinery in Pascagoula, a Chevron Pascagoula refinery workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your injury, your employer, and your deadlines, and tell you where the claim stands. Call us any hour, schedule a free consultation, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you.
