Flowood Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in Flowood and across Rankin County, and throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, handling claims that insurers have denied, delayed, or cut off. If you work at a distribution center, a medical facility, a construction site, or a trucking yard near the Flowood corridor and got hurt doing your job, you are the person this firm was built to help. Looking for a Flowood workers’ compensation lawyer usually means something has already gone wrong: a claim was questioned, a doctor was changed for you, or the paychecks stopped.
Flowood sits in Rankin County, just across the Pearl River from Jackson, and much of the daily workforce commutes in from Jackson, Brandon, Pearl, and Madison. That matters legally. Your claim is governed by Mississippi’s workers’ compensation system and heard by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, not by a county court, and the insurer handling it is often adjusting claims from far away. The decisions you make in the first few weeks after an injury, who you tell, what you sign, which doctor you see, tend to shape the whole claim.
What Flowood Injured Workers Need to Decide Early
The first decision is whether to report the injury immediately and in writing. Mississippi gives you 30 days from the accident to notify your employer, and waiting costs people claims they should have won. Tell a supervisor, then follow up with a short written note or email so there is a record. Do not wait to see whether the pain “settles down.”
The second decision is how to describe what happened. Adjusters read the first statement looking for a reason to deny: an accident that was not witnessed, a vague description of when it started, or a casual remark that you had back trouble years ago. Be accurate and complete, mention every body part that hurts even if one injury seems worse, and do not guess about things you are unsure of.
The third decision is medical. Whatever the insurer’s nurse case manager suggests, your treatment record is the backbone of the claim. Report every symptom to every provider, follow the treatment plan, and keep appointments. Gaps in care are routinely used to argue that an injury was not serious or not work-related.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Flowood Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm serving injured workers in Flowood, Rankin County, the Jackson metro, the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Delta, and communities across Mississippi and South Louisiana. Most attorneys who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury only when one comes through the door. This firm works the other way around: workers’ compensation is the center of the practice. Its attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience, and the firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients.
Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin, Partner, and Jennifer Priebe, Partner, 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 and regularly appears before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, and Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the team.
Results show what that focus produces: $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 struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients who have left reviews describe attorneys who listened, stayed professional, and fought the insurance company at every step. Consultations are free, the firm advances case costs, you pay nothing unless benefits or a settlement are recovered, and phones are answered 24 hours a day. Hablamos español.
Injuries and Claims We Handle for Rankin County Workers
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lifting, repetitive bending, and vehicle impacts produce lumbar and cervical disc herniations. When an insurer points to degenerative disc disease, the answer is medical evidence showing how the work caused or worsened the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common among warehouse, construction, and delivery workers, and employers often try to relabel them as old sports injuries.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, and hips from falls and equipment accidents can require specialists and complex surgical repair, with long stretches away from work.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial sites, plants, and oil field work produce severe burns and life-altering injuries that call for lifetime medical planning, not just a quick settlement.
- Truck Drivers and On-the-Road Workers: Drivers and delivery workers injured in wrecks while on the clock may have both a comp claim and a separate claim against the at-fault driver.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job require proof linking the condition to service.
- Pre-Existing Condition Disputes: A prior injury does not end a claim if work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition.
- Retaliation After a Report: Mississippi protects workers from being fired for filing a claim, and punishment after reporting an injury deserves a prompt review.
Deadlines, the Commission, and What Happens After a Denial
Mississippi workers’ compensation covers you from your first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement. Beyond the 30-day notice rule, you generally have two years from the date of injury, or from the last compensation payment, to file a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. If no disability benefits were ever paid and nothing is filed within those two years, the right to benefits is lost. These time limits come from the Mississippi workers’ compensation statute, and exceptions exist, so do not rely on a coworker’s memory of the rule.
The Commission is an administrative body, not a court. Contested claims are heard at an evidentiary hearing before an Administrative Judge. If either side appeals that decision, the Full Commission reviews the record made at the hearing; it is not a new trial, which is why the evidence built at the first hearing matters so much. A final Commission award can then be appealed within 30 days of filing and notice to the parties, to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which often assigns the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Appellate review is limited to the record the Commission built.
Wage replacement for total disability, temporary or permanent, is two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statutory weekly maximum and a cap of 450 weeks. Partial disability payments in other cases are also limited to 450 weeks. Medical treatment that is reasonable and necessary is covered on top of those wage benefits.
Steps to Take After a Work Injury Near Flowood
Get medical care first, and make sure the provider knows the injury happened at work. If you are taken to a hospital in the Jackson area, say so at intake so the visit is not billed to your health insurance. Report the injury to your employer in writing, keep a copy, and write down the date, time, place, and names of anyone who saw it. Take photographs of the scene, the equipment, and visible injuries while they are fresh.
Be cautious with the insurance adjuster’s recorded statement and with any form that asks you to release medical records broadly. You are required to cooperate, but you are not required to hand over a decade of unrelated history. Do not return to work before your treating doctor clears you, and do not accept light duty that your restrictions do not allow. Keep a simple log of symptoms, missed shifts, mileage to appointments, and every call from the insurer.
If benefits are denied, delayed, or stopped without explanation, that is the moment to call, not after months of waiting. Evidence disappears, witnesses move on, and the two-year filing window keeps running even while an insurer says it is “still investigating.” If a third party was involved, such as a negligent driver or a contractor on a shared site, there may also be an injury claim, and the firm coordinates the two so one does not undercut the other.
Flowood Workers’ Compensation Questions Answered
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim in Flowood?
Not every claim requires one. But if benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, an attorney can make a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers protecting its interests, and you should have someone protecting yours.
How much does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of your case, and fees are paid only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report my injury?
Report it to your employer as soon as possible, and no later than 30 days after the accident. Late notice is one of the easiest ways for an insurer to challenge an otherwise valid claim.
How long do I have to file a claim with the Commission?
Generally two years from the date of injury or the last compensation payment. If no disability benefits were paid and no claim was filed within that period, the right to benefits is barred.
What benefits can I receive?
Reasonable and necessary medical treatment, wage replacement at two-thirds of your average weekly wage up to the statutory maximum, and additional benefits for permanent disability. The weekly maximum is adjusted over time, so ask for the current figure.
Does my employer have to carry coverage?
In Mississippi, employers with five or more employees must provide workers’ compensation coverage, and you are covered from your first day on the job.
Can I choose my own doctor?
Treatment decisions are often contested. The insurer may steer you toward its preferred providers, and which doctor’s opinion controls can decide the claim. Talk to a lawyer before agreeing to a change of physician or an independent medical exam.
What if my employer says my injury is just a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your work caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. The fight is usually won with consistent medical records and a treating doctor willing to explain the connection.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
Mississippi protects workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go, demoted, or punished after reporting an injury, mention it in your consultation so the circumstances can be reviewed.
What if I live in Rankin County but work in Louisiana, or the reverse?
Which state’s law applies depends on where you were hired, where the work is based, and where the injury happened. The firm handles claims in both Mississippi and Louisiana, and for a Louisiana claim the deadlines differ: report within 30 days and generally file within one year of the accident.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?
Group health plans usually exclude work injuries and may seek repayment if they pay first. If comp is denied, health insurance can sometimes bridge the gap, but tell your providers and your attorney so reimbursement issues do not catch you off guard.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller injury?
Small injuries can become large ones, such as a “strain” that turns out to be a herniated disc. A short consultation costs nothing and tells you whether a claim is being handled properly before deadlines pass.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call through the end of the case.
Representing Injured Workers Across Flowood and Rankin County
From Flowood and the communities along the Pearl River, the firm represents injured workers throughout Rankin County, including Brandon, Pearl, Richland, Florence, Pelahatchie, and Puckett. It also serves workers across the Jackson metro in Jackson, Clinton, Byram, Terry, Raymond, and Ridgeland, and in neighboring Madison County in Madison and Canton.
The firm’s reach extends across Mississippi to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and the Delta, and into Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, New Orleans, and communities throughout South Louisiana and north Louisiana. Whatever your trade, whether construction, trucking, nursing, firefighting, oil field work, or general labor, the same focus on workers’ compensation applies.
Talk With a Flowood Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to fight the insurance company alone. A Flowood workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain where your claim stands, and start working on the medical care and wage benefits the law entitles you to. Consultations are free, phones are answered 24 hours a day, and you pay no fee unless the firm recovers benefits for you. Call today and tell us what happened.
