University of Mississippi Medical Center Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
A hospital worker hurt on a unit at the state’s only academic medical center is not filing a claim against a typical private employer. UMMC is a state institution in Jackson, in the First Judicial District of Hinds County, and that status shapes who administers the paperwork, how the insurer handles the claim, and which deadlines apply. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm representing injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including nurses, technicians, and support staff in Jackson and the surrounding Hinds, Madison, and Rankin County communities.
If you need a University of Mississippi Medical Center workers’ compensation lawyer, the injuries tend to follow the work itself: a nurse who hurts her back lifting or repositioning a patient, a transporter who tears a shoulder pushing a loaded bed, a lab or imaging employee with a repetitive strain, a staff member stuck by a needle, or a worker who falls on a wet corridor floor. These claims are real and common in hospital settings, and they are also the claims where an insurer is most likely to say the problem was already there, because healthcare workers carry years of physical wear in their spines and joints.
Injuries Hospital Employees Bring to a Mississippi Comp Claim
Medical center work produces a particular pattern of injuries, and knowing the pattern helps explain how these claims are won or lost. The categories below are the ones we see most in clinical and support settings.
- Patient-handling back and neck injuries: Lifting, turning, and catching patients is the leading source of spinal injury for nurses and aides. Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are common, and insurers frequently respond by pointing to degenerative disc disease. Years of patient handling can cause or aggravate that condition, and the medical proof has to say so.
- Shoulder and knee injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, and meniscus tears occur when staff push heavy equipment, restrain combative patients, or kneel and twist during procedures. Employers sometimes label these as old sports injuries.
- Slip, trip, and fall fractures: Wet floors, cords across hallways, and stairwells can lead to broken ankles, wrists, hips, and feet, some requiring specialist surgery and months away from work.
- Needlestick and exposure injuries: A puncture from a contaminated sharp can mean testing, preventive treatment, and months of uncertainty. Prompt reporting matters here because the medical record starts with that first report.
- Repetitive strain and overuse conditions: Technicians, sonographers, and surgical staff can develop carpal tunnel, tendon injuries, and neck problems that build over time instead of arising from one event.
- Workplace violence injuries: Staff in emergency, psychiatric, and behavioral settings can be hurt by patients or visitors. Those cases can raise a comp claim and sometimes a separate injury claim against the person responsible.
- Vehicle and campus-travel injuries: Couriers, transport staff, and employees traveling between sites for work can be hurt in crashes, which can add a third-party claim alongside comp benefits.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Medical Center Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, serving Jackson, Madison, the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Delta, and communities throughout both states. Workers’ compensation is the center of the firm’s practice. Our attorneys bring over 75 combined years of experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off before they should have been, and the firm has 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 Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language.
The people handling your case matter. Rob Lunsford, our Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe are partners 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 successfully 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 results bear directly on hospital-type injuries. We secured $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, which is close to the physical reality of clinical work, and $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury. Other outcomes include $385,000 for a project manager injured when his work vehicle was struck and $221,000 for an oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients consistently say they felt heard and supported, and that their attorney stayed in the fight with the insurer at every step.
What to Do After a Hurt-on-the-Job Incident at the Medical Center
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 waiting that long hands the insurer an argument. Do not downplay the incident because you plan to push through your shift. Hospital employees are used to working through pain, but a vague first report that says “sore back” can later be used to argue the injury was minor or came from somewhere else. Be specific about what you were doing, which patient or piece of equipment was involved, and which body parts hurt.
Get medical care and tell every provider that the injury happened at work. Employee health may be your first stop, but you should understand your rights regarding who treats you and whether a second opinion is available. Keep copies of incident reports, any messages with supervisors, names of coworkers who saw the event, and your own notes on dates and symptoms. If the insurer questions what happened, witnesses and early records are what answer it.
Mississippi comp claims are heard by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, not by a court. Cases are decided at an evidentiary hearing before an Administrative Judge, and a decision can be reviewed by the Full Commission on the record already made, which is not a new trial. If benefits are denied or stopped, the worker generally has two years from the date of injury or the last compensation payment to file a petition with the Commission, and the filing deadline can be lost if nothing is paid and nothing is filed. From there, a final Commission award can be appealed within 30 days, and the appeal is decided on the record built before the Commission, which is why the evidence at the hearing level is so important.
Because UMMC is a state institution, questions can arise about how a separate negligence claim against a government entity would work. Claims against governmental bodies in Mississippi carry a one-year limit and notice requirements under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, much shorter than the usual window. If someone other than your employer contributed to your injury, talk to an attorney early so no claim is lost.
Benefits Available to Injured Medical Center Workers
Mississippi coverage begins on the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement. Medical treatment that is reasonable and necessary for the work injury is covered, including surgery, therapy, and prescriptions. When you cannot work, temporary total disability pays up to two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum, and temporary and permanent total disability benefits are limited to 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability benefits are likewise capped at 450 weeks in the cases that fall outside the scheduled-member list. There is also a statutory weekly floor, though it does not apply in partial disability cases.
For a nurse or technician who cannot return to patient-handling duties, the real question is often what the permanent restrictions are and whether the employer has any work that fits them. Insurers sometimes push a return before the treating doctor releases you, or point to a light-duty assignment that does not match your restrictions. Disputes over restrictions, impairment ratings, and loss of earning capacity are where having a firm focused on comp work changes outcomes, and where settlements are negotiated with the full picture of future medical needs in view.
Questions Hospital Workers Ask About Comp Claims
Do I have to report a UMMC injury if it seems minor?
Yes. Report it within 30 days no matter how small it seems. Many back, shoulder, and nerve problems worsen over days or weeks, and a late or missing report gives the insurer a reason to deny.
Does Mississippi workers’ compensation cover hospital employees?
Mississippi coverage begins from the first day on the job, with no waiting period. Employees of the medical center who are hurt by work activities may qualify, and the details of coverage can be reviewed in a free consultation.
How long do I have to file my claim?
You must give notice to your employer within 30 days. You generally have two years from the date of injury, or from the last compensation payment, to file a petition with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission.
What if the insurer says my back problem was already there?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically defeat a claim. If your work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Strong medical opinions tying the job to the injury are the heart of answering that argument.
Can I be fired for filing a comp claim?
Mississippi protects workers from retaliation for filing a claim. If you were disciplined or let go after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review what happened.
What 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.
What if my injury happened because a patient attacked me?
Injuries from patient violence are generally part of a comp claim. If another person, such as a visitor, is responsible, there may be a separate personal injury claim that has to be coordinated with your benefits.
Will my health insurance pay while my claim is pending?
Your comp insurer is responsible for medical treatment tied to the work injury. If the claim is denied, some workers use health insurance in the meantime, which can create reimbursement questions later. Talk to an attorney before choosing that route so you do not weaken the claim.
How long does a contested claim take in Mississippi?
It varies widely with how contested the medical issues are. A disputed claim goes through an evidentiary hearing before an Administrative Judge, then possible review by the Full Commission, then appeal. Many cases resolve by settlement before reaching the end of that path.
What if I was hurt while traveling between sites for work?
Work-related travel can be covered, and if another driver caused the crash, you may have a separate injury claim alongside comp. The two claims need to be handled together so one does not undercut the other.
Can I choose my own doctor?
Mississippi gives injured workers some rights regarding treatment, including the ability to seek care from a physician of your choosing under certain conditions. The rules are specific, so ask before you change providers.
What happens if my claim is denied?
You can contest the denial by filing with the Commission and going to a hearing. Our attorneys build the medical evidence, witness accounts, and work history needed to answer the insurer’s reasons.
Serving Injured Workers Around the Medical Center and Across Mississippi
We represent injured workers from Jackson and the surrounding Hinds County communities, including Clinton, Byram, Terry, Raymond, Bolton, Edwards, and Utica, and we serve families throughout the rest of the Jackson metro area, from Madison and Ridgeland to Pearl, Flowood, Brandon, and Richland in neighboring Madison and Rankin Counties. Our reach extends across the state, from the Gulf Coast and Hattiesburg to Southaven, north Mississippi, and the Delta. We also represent injured workers in Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and communities across south and north Louisiana. Whether you work in patient care, imaging, laboratory services, transport, or facilities support, we help people hurt in healthcare and in every other line of work.
Talk to a Medical Center Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job at UMMC and the insurer is questioning your claim, delaying treatment, or pushing you back to work too early, a University of Mississippi Medical Center workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened and explain your options. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call us today to talk through your injury and your next steps.
