Brandon Head & Brain Injury Lawyer
Head and brain injuries are the claims where the worst damage often cannot be seen on the day of the accident. A worker can walk away from a fall, a struck-by incident, or a crash in a work truck, return to the job, and weeks later start losing words, forgetting steps in a routine task, or struggling with light and noise. Brandon head & brain injury lawyer representation matters because the insurance carrier will point to that gap between the incident and the symptoms. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers and accident victims in Brandon, across Rankin County, and throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, handling workers’ compensation claims and the personal injury cases that sometimes sit beside them.
For a brain injury, the quality of the early medical record often decides how the whole claim goes. Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries frequently do not appear on a standard CT scan, and the symptoms that follow, such as headaches, dizziness, memory lapses, mood changes, and trouble concentrating, are easy for an adjuster to attribute to stress, age, or something unrelated to the job. A claim that starts with a thin record is a claim that gets argued about for years.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC for a Brain Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm serving injured workers in Brandon and the rest of Rankin County, in Jackson, Madison, Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast, the Delta, and Southaven, as well as New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and the rest of South Louisiana. Workers’ compensation has been the center of the firm’s practice, not a side matter that comes through the door now and then. Its attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience, and the firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, no fee is owed unless benefits or a settlement are recovered, phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language.
The people behind those numbers matter for a case this medically demanding. Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe, Partners, 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 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 firm’s results show the scale of claims it handles: $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 after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Those cases are not head injury results, and every claim turns on its own medical proof, but they reflect a firm that builds serious injury cases from the medical evidence up. Clients describe lawyers who listened, stayed professional, and pushed back on the insurance company at each step.
How Head and Brain Injuries Happen on the Job and on the Road
- Falls from height and slips on work surfaces: Scaffolds, ladders, roofs, loading docks, and wet floors are common sources of blows to the head. Construction sites around Brandon and along the Highway 80 and Interstate 20 corridor in Rankin County generate these claims, as do warehouses and distribution operations.
- Struck-by and falling object incidents: A dropped tool, a swinging load, or equipment that shifts can cause a concussion even when a hard hat was worn. Industrial, oilfield, and plant work carry this risk in both Mississippi and Louisiana.
- Work vehicle and truck crashes: Delivery drivers, truck drivers, and employees driving for the job can suffer head trauma in collisions. When another driver caused the wreck, there may be a third-party injury claim alongside workers’ compensation.
- Explosions, burns, and industrial accidents: Blast pressure and impact in plants and on rigs can injure the brain even without a direct blow to the head, and these events often produce several injuries at once.
- Repeated minor head impacts: Some workers sustain several smaller blows over time rather than one event. Reporting each incident matters, because an insurer will argue that a later diagnosis has nothing to do with work.
- Firefighters and first responders: Collapsing structures, vehicle extrications, and violent encounters can cause head trauma, and the firm handles first responder claims more broadly, including post-traumatic stress tied to the job.
- Assaults and incidents at work: Injuries from violence at a job site can qualify when they arise out of the work, and they raise their own questions about employer responsibility.
What to Do Right Now After a Head Injury at Work
Get medical evaluation first, and tell the provider exactly how the injury happened, including every symptom, however minor it seems. Headache, nausea, confusion, sensitivity to light, balance trouble, and a feeling of being foggy all belong in the record from day one. If symptoms appear later, return for evaluation and say they began after the incident. A gap in treatment is the first thing an insurer will exploit.
Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as possible. In Mississippi, notice to the employer is due within 30 days of the accident, and Louisiana uses the same 30-day window for notice. Do not wait to see whether you feel better. Brain injury symptoms can take days to surface, and a late report invites the argument that the injury happened somewhere else.
The filing deadlines run separately from notice. 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 Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, which is an administrative body and not a court. Claims are heard first by an Administrative Judge, and the Full Commission reviews the record made there rather than holding a new trial. A final award can be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and that court may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. In Louisiana, a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, and that period can extend to three years from the last payment of compensation. Louisiana claims go to a workers’ compensation judge in the Office of Workers’ Compensation, and a judgment can be taken to the appropriate circuit court of appeal.
If the insurer denies a recommended test, specialist, or therapy, Louisiana sets a short fuse: a Form 1009 must be filed within 15 calendar days of written notice of the denial, and the OWC medical director then has 30 days to decide. Missing that window can cost you the treatment. Keep a log of symptoms, missed work, and daily difficulties, collect names of coworkers who saw the incident, and avoid recorded statements to the adjuster until you have talked to a lawyer. Do not agree to return to full duty before your doctor clears you, and do not downplay symptoms to a company-selected physician.
Proving a Brain Injury When the Scans Look Normal
A normal CT scan does not mean a normal brain. Insurers lean on that fact, so a well-built claim relies on more than imaging: treating physicians, neurologists, neuropsychological testing that measures memory, attention, and processing speed, documented symptom history, and testimony from family and coworkers who noticed changes. Medical opinions need to connect the symptoms to the work incident in clear terms, because the carrier will otherwise offer another explanation.
Pre-existing conditions are a standard defense. A prior concussion, migraines, or an earlier injury does not end a claim if work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, but it makes the medical causation evidence more important. The same is true when the employer or carrier says the problem is stress, sleep, or depression rather than trauma.
Benefits at Stake and How Long They Last
Workers’ compensation pays reasonable and necessary medical care, including neurology, imaging, therapy, and cognitive rehabilitation, along with wage replacement while you cannot work. In Mississippi, temporary and permanent total disability pay two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum, for up to 450 weeks, and permanent partial disability in non-scheduled cases is also capped at 450 weeks. Louisiana pays temporary total benefits during recovery and supplemental earnings benefits if you return at lower pay, which can continue for up to 520 weeks, with temporary total weeks counting toward that limit. Weekly caps in both states are adjusted over time.
Brain injuries often produce a lasting loss of earning ability rather than a clean recovery or a clean disability, which is why the permanent disability rating and vocational evidence deserve close attention. A worker who can no longer handle the pace or concentration of a prior job may not be able to earn what they once did even if they can technically work.
When Someone Other Than Your Employer Is Responsible
Workers’ compensation is generally the remedy against your employer, but a negligent driver, a contractor with an unsafe site, or a manufacturer of defective equipment can be sued separately. A third-party claim can reach damages that comp does not, such as pain and suffering. Deadlines differ from the comp deadlines: in Louisiana, most injury claims arising from July 1, 2024 onward carry a two-year period, and for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, while lesser fault reduces the award. In Mississippi, most negligence claims have a three-year limit and recovery is reduced by the claimant’s percentage of fault. Claims against a county or other government entity in Mississippi carry a one-year limit and a notice requirement. Coordinating the two claims protects the comp lien and the settlement terms of each.
Brandon Brain Injury Questions Answered
Does a concussion qualify for workers’ compensation?
Yes, if it arose out of and in the course of your work. A concussion is a brain injury, and the benefits available include medical treatment and wage replacement. The harder question is usually proof, since symptoms can be subtle and the insurer may dispute severity or cause.
How soon do I have to report a head injury to my employer?
Within 30 days of the accident in both Mississippi and Louisiana. Report in writing if you can, and report even if you think the symptoms will pass.
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. Reporting to the employer does not by itself stop that clock.
Who hears a Mississippi workers’ compensation dispute?
The Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, not a county court. An Administrative Judge holds the evidentiary hearing, the Full Commission reviews appeals on the existing record, and a final award can go to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days.
Do I need a lawyer for a brain injury claim?
Not every claim requires one, but brain injury cases are among the most contested because the injury is hard to see. If benefits are denied, delayed, or cut off, or if you expect to be out of work for a long time, a lawyer can make a major difference. The firm’s consultations are free and no fee is owed unless benefits or a settlement are recovered.
What if my symptoms did not start until days or weeks after the accident?
Delayed symptoms are common with brain injuries. Get evaluated promptly, tell the provider about the earlier incident, and notify your employer. The sooner the medical record ties the symptoms to the event, the harder it is for the carrier to blame something else.
Can the insurance company make me see its own doctor?
Carriers can request an independent medical examination, and you should not ignore the request. Those doctors are often retained by the insurer, so bring your symptom history, tell the full story, and consult a lawyer beforehand about what to expect and how to handle the findings.
What if I had a previous concussion or head injury?
A prior injury does not bar a claim. If work caused a new injury or aggravated the old one, you may still be entitled to benefits. Expect the insurer to raise it, and expect medical causation to become the center of the case.
Can I be fired for filing a brain injury claim?
Both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or disciplined after reporting a head injury, tell your lawyer so the circumstances can be reviewed.
Can I also sue someone besides my employer?
Possibly. If a negligent driver, contractor, or equipment maker contributed to the injury, a separate personal injury claim may exist with its own deadlines and fault rules. Louisiana now bars recovery for claimants found 51 percent or more at fault for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, while Mississippi reduces recovery by the claimant’s share of fault.
What if the insurer denies my neurologist or therapy request?
In Louisiana, the denial can be challenged by filing Form 1009 within 15 calendar days of written notice, after which the OWC medical director has 30 days to rule. In Mississippi, disputes over treatment are taken to the Commission. Either way, act quickly and get the treating doctor’s reasoning in writing.
Does the firm speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call through the end of the case.
Serving Brain Injury Clients in Brandon and Across Rankin County
From Brandon, we represent injured workers throughout Rankin County, including Pearl, Flowood, Richland, Pelahatchie, Florence, Puckett, and Star, along with the communities that sit alongside the Pearl River and Highway 80. We also serve clients in neighboring Hinds County, including Jackson, Clinton, Byram, Terry, and Raymond, and in Madison County, including Madison and Ridgeland. Beyond the Jackson metro, our work reaches Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast, Southaven, north Mississippi, and the Delta.
We handle claims across the Louisiana side of our practice as well, representing workers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and communities throughout South Louisiana and north Louisiana. Whether the injury happened on a construction site, a plant floor, a rig, a delivery route, or a highway in a work truck, the firm’s attorneys bring the same focus on workers’ compensation and the related personal injury claims that follow serious accidents.
Talk With a Brandon Brain Injury Attorney Today
If a head injury at work or in a work-related crash has changed how you think, work, or function, speak with a Brandon head injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC before the insurer shapes the record for you. The call costs nothing, our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and you owe no fee unless we recover benefits or a settlement for you. Call to schedule a consultation and let us start building the medical proof your claim needs.
