Adams County Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in Adams County, Mississippi, including Natchez and the surrounding river communities, along with workers across the rest of Mississippi and South Louisiana. Our practice is built around people hurt on the job whose benefits have been denied, delayed, or cut off.
If you are looking for an Adams County workers’ compensation lawyer, the first thing to know is that your claim will not be decided by a local judge or jury. Mississippi comp claims are handled by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, which has its own hearing process, its own deadlines, and its own rules about what evidence counts.
Adams County sits across the river from Louisiana, so some workers here are employed by Louisiana companies or hurt on jobs that cross the state line. Which state’s law governs your claim is a question worth answering early, because the deadlines differ.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for Your Adams County Comp Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that serves injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including Adams County, Natchez, the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Madison, the Delta, and Louisiana communities from New Orleans to Shreveport. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury only when one walks in the door. This firm is built the other way around, with workers’ compensation as the center of its practice. Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience, and we have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and you owe no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish (hablamos español).
Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, 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 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. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
Results matter more than adjectives. We secured $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 his work vehicle was struck, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients tell us what they value most: a team that listens, stays professional, and stands up to the insurance company at every step.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Adams County Workers
- Back, neck, and spine injuries: Lifting, hauling, and repetitive labor wear on the spine. When an insurer blames degenerative disc disease for a herniation, we use medical evidence and work history to show the job caused or worsened it.
- Shoulder and knee injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common among workers who pull, climb, and kneel. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, and we push back with the medical record.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones often need specialists and complex surgical repair, which means long absences from work and large medical bills.
- Burns and catastrophic injuries: Industrial sites, plants, and rigs carry burn and crush risks. These claims involve extended treatment and serious questions about permanent disability.
- Truck driver and on-the-road injuries: Workers who drive for a living are hurt in wrecks while on the clock. The comp claim may run alongside a separate injury claim against the other driver.
- Firefighter and first responder claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job are all claims we handle.
- Construction and trades injuries: Falls, struck-by accidents, and equipment injuries affect ironworkers, laborers, and general construction crews.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Adams County
Report the injury to your employer right away, in writing if you can. Mississippi law gives you 30 days from the accident, and missing that window can sink an otherwise valid claim. Ask for a copy of whatever report your employer prepares, and keep your own record of the date, location, what happened, and who saw it.
Get medical care and tell every provider the injury happened at work. Gaps in treatment and vague descriptions of how you were hurt are exactly what insurers use later. If you are sent to a doctor chosen by the employer or carrier, go, but be honest and complete about your symptoms and your prior history.
The filing deadline is separate from the notice deadline. In Mississippi, you generally have two years from the date of injury, or from the last compensation payment, to file a Petition to Controvert with the Commission. If no disability benefits were paid within two years of the injury and no claim was filed, the right to benefits is barred. Do not wait for the insurer to resolve things on its own.
Your claim goes before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, not the Adams County circuit court. An Administrative Judge hears the evidence at a hearing, and the losing side can ask the Full Commission to review the record, which is not a new trial. A final Commission award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and that court often assigns the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Appeals are decided on the record built before the Commission, so what gets into evidence at the first hearing matters enormously.
Common mistakes include giving a recorded statement to the adjuster without preparation, returning to work before your doctor clears you, and signing paperwork you do not fully understand. Both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from being fired for filing a claim, so if you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us.
How Insurers Fight Mississippi Comp Claims
Carriers follow a familiar playbook. They argue the accident did not happen at work, blame a pre-existing condition, push you back to the job before you are ready, or stop paying without warning. A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your work caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, benefits may still be owed.
Mississippi covers workers from the first day on the job, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement. Wage-loss benefits for temporary or permanent total disability are generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statutory weekly maximum and capped at 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability payments in most cases also cannot run longer than 450 weeks. The weekly maximum is adjusted periodically, so the number that applies to you depends on your date of injury.
Medical treatment is the other half of the claim, and often the harder fight. We build each case with medical opinions, witness accounts, and work history that answer the insurer’s arguments directly.
When a Louisiana Connection Changes the Picture
Adams County borders Louisiana, and plenty of local workers cross the river for jobs. Louisiana also requires notice to the employer within 30 days, but a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the injury, with a possible extension to three years from the last payment if benefits were paid. Louisiana’s supplemental earnings benefits can apply when you return to work at reduced pay, and disputes over denied treatment have their own short deadlines. Sorting out which state governs your case is one of the first things we do.
Adams County Workers’ Compensation FAQ
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim requires one. But if benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or 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.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of your 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.
How long do I have to report my injury in Mississippi?
You must give your employer notice within 30 days of the accident. Report it right away 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 the last compensation payment, by filing a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. If no benefits were paid and no claim was filed within two years of the injury, the right to benefits is barred.
Who hears my case, a court or the Commission?
The Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. An Administrative Judge hears evidence, and the Full Commission reviews the record on appeal from that decision. Further appeal goes to the Mississippi Supreme Court.
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 if my injury came from a pre-existing condition?
It does not automatically end your claim. If the job caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Strong medical evidence is the key.
Can I be fired for filing a comp claim?
No. Mississippi and Louisiana both protect workers from retaliation for filing. If you were fired or punished after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation.
What if a third party, like a negligent driver, caused my injury?
You may have a personal injury claim in addition to your comp benefits. We handle both and make sure the two claims work together. In Mississippi, many injury claims have a three-year limit, but claims against a county or government agency have a one-year limit and require notice, so do not wait.
Will I get my full paycheck while I am out?
No. Wage-loss benefits are generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a weekly maximum. They are meant to replace part of your income, not all of it.
My Adams County job is for a Louisiana company. Which state’s law applies?
It depends on where you were hired, where the work is based, and where you were hurt. The answer affects your filing deadline, since Louisiana generally requires a claim within one year, so get it reviewed quickly.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Serving Injured Workers From Natchez Across Adams County and Southwest Mississippi
We represent injured workers in Natchez, the county seat, and in the communities throughout Adams County, including Washington, Kingston, and Stanton, along with the rural areas along the Mississippi River and the Natchez Trace. Workers in the river industries, paper and wood products, hospitals, hospitality, and construction trades all come through our practice.
Our reach extends to neighboring counties in southwest Mississippi, including Franklin, Jefferson, Wilkinson, Amite, and Claiborne, and to Concordia Parish and other Louisiana communities just across the river. Beyond this region, we serve Jackson, Madison, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, and the Delta, as well as Louisiana workers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport.
Speak With an Adams County Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to take on the insurance company alone. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call us to talk with an Adams County workers’ compensation attorney about your claim, your deadlines, and your next step.
We help injured workers. That is what we do.
