Biloxi Truck Driver Injury Lawyer
A truck driver hurt on the job in Harrison County usually has a different kind of claim than a warehouse worker or a plant employee. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, and a Biloxi truck driver injury lawyer from our team can sort out which state’s rules apply, who owes you benefits, and who else may be responsible.
Truck drivers get hurt in ways that are easy for an insurer to dispute. A lower back injury from a hard hit on Interstate 10 can be recast as “wear and tear.” A shoulder tear from wrestling a strap or a tarp can be called an old problem. A wreck caused by another motorist can leave you with two separate claims, one against your employer’s comp carrier and one against the driver who hit you. Getting those claims to work together, instead of against each other, is a big part of what a trucking injury case requires.
Where Biloxi Trucking Injuries Come From
Biloxi sits at the center of the Mississippi Gulf Coast freight corridor. Trucks run Interstate 10 east and west, Interstate 110 up from the Biloxi peninsula, and U.S. Highway 90 along the beach, and a steady stream of freight moves to and from the Port of Gulfport, the casinos, shipyards, and the region’s seafood and construction industries. Drivers hauling for local fleets, regional carriers, and long-haul companies all pass through Harrison County, and they get hurt in the same few ways.
Collisions are the obvious one. Rear-end crashes in construction zones, sideswipes on the I-10 stretches through Biloxi and Gulfport, and rollovers on ramps and curves all produce serious spine, neck, and joint injuries. Less dramatic injuries add up just as fast. Climbing in and out of a cab thousands of times, cranking landing gear, tarping flatbeds, and loading or unloading freight by hand wear down the back, shoulders, and knees. Hurricane season adds its own risks, with drivers pushed to run storm-related freight in bad conditions.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Trucking Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, including Biloxi, Gulfport, Ocean Springs, and the rest of the Gulf Coast. Workers’ compensation is the center of the firm’s practice, not a side matter that happens to come through the door. Our attorneys bring over 75 combined years of experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off, and the firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. 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 with clients from the first call to the end of the case.
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. The team also includes Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher.
The results include several that look a lot like trucking cases. We secured $190,000 for a truck driver who hurt his lower back in a wreck on the job, $150,000 for a truck driver with a meniscus tear, $175,000 for a delivery driver with a lumbar injury, and $385,000 for a project manager injured after being struck in his work vehicle. Larger results include $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury and $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, answers questions, and stays in the fight with the insurance company.
Injuries and Claim Types We See in Trucking Cases
- Highway Collision Injuries: Crashes on I-10, I-110, and Highway 90 can cause herniated discs, fractures, and head injuries. You may have a comp claim and a separate injury claim against the at-fault driver.
- Lower Back and Spine Injuries: Years of vibration, long sitting, and heavy lifting lead to lumbar and cervical disc problems. Insurers often blame degenerative disc disease, and medical evidence is how that argument gets answered.
- Shoulder and Knee Tears: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, and meniscus tears come from tarping, coupling, and climbing in and out of equipment. Carriers frequently call them old sports injuries.
- Loading and Unloading Injuries: Dock work, strap and chain handling, and manual freight handling cause sprains, hernias, and crush injuries, sometimes on a third party’s property.
- Fractures: Falls from trailers, cab steps, and loading ramps can break feet, ankles, wrists, and hips, often requiring surgery and long recovery.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Fires, fuel and chemical exposure, and severe crashes can leave drivers with injuries that end careers.
- Fatal Accidents: When a driver does not survive, the family may have death benefits under workers’ compensation and a wrongful death claim against a negligent third party.
What to Do After a Trucking Injury on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Report the injury to your employer right away, in writing if you can. In Mississippi, you must give notice within 30 days of the accident, and Louisiana uses the same 30-day notice period. Do not assume a verbal heads-up to a dispatcher is enough. Send a message or email to the company so there is a record, and keep a copy.
Get medical care immediately and tell the provider exactly how the injury happened, including that it was work related. Gaps in treatment and vague histories are what insurers use to argue the injury came from somewhere else. Take photos of the scene, the truck, and your injuries, collect the names of any witnesses, and save your logbook entries, dispatch messages, trip records, and pay stubs. If another vehicle was involved, get the police report number and the other driver’s insurance information.
Know the filing deadline. In Mississippi, the right to benefits is generally lost if no disability benefits are paid and you do not file a claim with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission within two years of the injury. Mississippi comp claims are heard by that Commission, not a court. An Administrative Judge hears the evidence, the Full Commission reviews the record on appeal, and a final award can be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days. If your trucking job runs through Louisiana, the clock is shorter: a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, and a workers’ compensation judge at the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration hears the case.
Be careful with the insurance adjuster. Recorded statements, early settlement offers, and forms that ask about prior injuries can all be used against you. You can decline a recorded statement until you have talked with a lawyer. Do not return to driving before your doctor clears you, and do not sign anything that releases the employer or carrier without having it reviewed.
Which State’s Law Applies When a Driver Works Across State Lines
That matters because Mississippi and Louisiana have different deadlines, benefit rules, and procedures. Mississippi covers a worker from the first day of employment, and wage-loss benefits are generally two-thirds of average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum and not beyond 450 weeks. Louisiana pays wage replacement and, if you return to work at reduced pay, supplemental earnings benefits that can run until you are released to full duty, earn your old wages again, or reach 520 weeks. Weekly maximums in both states are adjusted over time, so the number that applies depends on the date of injury.
Where you can file depends on facts like where you were hired, where your employer is based, and where the accident happened. Getting that choice wrong can cost you time or benefits, which is why it is worth a call before you file anything.
When Someone Other Than Your Employer Caused the Crash
Workers’ compensation is not the end of the story if a negligent driver, a trucking broker, a maintenance contractor, or a property owner contributed to your injury. A third-party claim can pay for pain and suffering and for wage losses that comp does not fully cover. In Mississippi, the general limit for a negligence claim is three years, and fault shared by the injured person reduces the recovery rather than eliminating it. Louisiana claims for injuries on or after July 1, 2024 generally carry a two-year limit, and for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a person found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing.
Our personal injury lawyers handle car and truck accident cases in both states, and we coordinate the comp claim and the injury claim so that a settlement in one does not damage the other. Claims against a government entity carry shorter notice requirements, so tell us early if a public vehicle or road condition was involved.
Biloxi Truck Driver Injury Questions Answered
Do I need a lawyer for a trucking injury claim?
Not every claim requires one, but if your benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, a lawyer can make a major difference. Trucking claims often involve several insurers and sometimes two states’ laws.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. 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 workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a work injury?
Report it to your employer right away, and no later than 30 days after the accident in both Mississippi and Louisiana. Waiting risks giving the insurer a reason to deny the claim.
How long do I have to file a claim in Mississippi?
Generally two years from the date of injury, unless disability benefits have already been paid, in which case the period can run from the last payment. Filing is done with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go, cut from the schedule, or punished after reporting an injury, tell us so we can review your options.
What if the company says my back problem was already there?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If driving or loading aggravated, accelerated, or worsened the condition, you may still qualify. This is one of the most common insurer arguments in trucking cases, and strong medical evidence is the answer.
I am an owner-operator or independent contractor. Can I still get comp?
It depends on how the relationship actually works, not just what the contract says. Carriers often label drivers as contractors when they function like employees. We look at who controls your routes, equipment, and schedule before deciding how to proceed.
Can I get workers’ comp and sue the driver who hit me?
Yes, in many cases. Comp covers your medical care and part of your wages regardless of fault, while a claim against the negligent driver can recover additional damages. The two claims have to be handled carefully because the comp carrier may have a right to be repaid from a third-party recovery.
What if I was partly at fault for the wreck?
Workers’ compensation does not depend on fault, so your comp benefits are generally unaffected. On the injury claim against another party, Mississippi reduces your recovery by your percentage of fault. For Louisiana causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, being 51 percent or more at fault bars recovery.
Will my health insurance pay while my claim is pending?
Comp is supposed to cover reasonable and necessary treatment for a work injury, and health insurers often push back on paying for work-related care. If the comp carrier is denying treatment, talk to us before you let bills pile up, because there are specific dispute procedures with short deadlines, especially in Louisiana.
What if my claim was denied and I disagree with the decision?
You can appeal. In Mississippi, an Administrative Judge’s decision can go to the Full Commission, then to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days of a final award. In Louisiana, a workers’ compensation judge’s judgment can be appealed to the court of appeal within 30 days if you want to suspend the judgment, and 60 days if not.
Does the firm help Spanish-speaking drivers?
Yes. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call through the end of the case.
Serving Injured Drivers Across Harrison County and the Gulf Coast
We represent injured truck drivers and other workers throughout Biloxi and Harrison County, including Gulfport, D’Iberville, Long Beach, Pass Christian, and Diamondhead. Our reach continues along the Gulf Coast to Ocean Springs and neighboring Jackson County, Bay St. Louis in Hancock County, and the Pearl River County and Stone County communities north of the coast. Inland, we serve clients in Hattiesburg, Jackson, Madison, the Delta, and Southaven in north Mississippi.
Because so many coastal drivers cross into South Louisiana, we also handle claims in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles, and we represent workers in Shreveport and across north Louisiana. Wherever the wreck or the injury happened, we can review where your claim belongs and what benefits are available.
Talk With a Biloxi Truck Driver Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt behind the wheel or on the dock, you do not have to deal with the carrier on your own. A Biloxi truck driver injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your case, explain which deadlines apply, and start protecting your medical care and wage benefits right away. Call us any time, day or night. The consultation is free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you.
