Brandon Healthcare Worker Injury Lawyer
A nurse who tears a rotator cuff lifting a patient, or a tech who herniates a disc during a transfer, usually does not have time to think about legal deadlines while trying to get through the next shift. For healthcare workers in Brandon, the injury is often just the first problem, because the claim that follows can turn into a second one. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, including Brandon, Rankin County, and the surrounding Jackson metro communities.
If you are searching for a Brandon healthcare worker injury lawyer, you are probably dealing with a specific set of problems: a back or shoulder injury from patient handling, a needlestick, an exposure, a fall on a wet hospital floor, or an assault by a patient. Healthcare injuries carry their own wrinkles. Employers and insurers often point to age, prior imaging, or the physical nature of nursing itself to argue the injury was just wear and tear. Answering that argument takes medical evidence, not just a good story.
Why Healthcare Workers Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for Work Injury Claims
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles workers’ compensation as the center of its practice, and the firm’s attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off. Workers across Mississippi, including Brandon and the rest of Rankin County, call the firm when benefits stall. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients, works on a no recovery, no fee basis, offers free consultations, advances the costs of the case, answers its phones 24 hours a day, and serves Spanish-speaking clients in their own language.
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 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.
The results matter most for healthcare workers because so many of these injuries are back and spine claims. The firm secured $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, and $385,000 for a project manager with back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle. Clients describe a team that listens, stays responsive, and goes up against the insurance company on their behalf.
Common Injuries and Claims Among Brandon Healthcare Workers
- Patient-Handling Back and Neck Injuries: Lifting, repositioning, and transferring patients is the leading cause of lumbar and cervical disc injuries among nurses, CNAs, and techs. Insurers often blame degenerative disc disease, so the claim depends on showing how repeated lifting or one specific incident caused or worsened the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, and meniscus tears happen when a patient starts to fall and a worker catches them, or during long stretches on hard floors. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries.
- Slips, Falls, and Fractures: Wet floors, cluttered hallways, and rushed transport can leave a worker with a fractured ankle, hip, or wrist that needs specialist care and sometimes surgery.
- Violence From Patients: Emergency departments, behavioral units, and long-term care settings see assaults on staff. These injuries can include fractures, concussions, and lasting psychological harm, and the claim should document both.
- Exposure and Needlestick Injuries: Contact with infectious disease or contaminated sharps can require testing, treatment, and time away from work, all of which belong in a comp claim.
- Repetitive-Use and Occupational Conditions: Carpal tunnel, tendon problems, and hearing or breathing conditions that build up over time can still be compensable when the work caused or aggravated them.
- Third-Party Claims: When a negligent driver hits you in a work vehicle, or a contractor’s unsafe conditions cause a fall, you may have a personal injury claim in addition to comp benefits.
What to Do After a Healthcare Workplace Injury in Brandon
Tell your supervisor about the injury right away and put it in writing. Mississippi requires you to report the injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident, and a report made at the time is much harder for an insurer to dispute later. Be specific about what happened, which body parts hurt, and where it occurred, even if the pain seems minor. Back and shoulder symptoms in particular tend to get worse after the adrenaline wears off.
Get medical care and describe the work event to every provider. Healthcare workers sometimes downplay an injury because they are used to pushing through, or because they know the system and assume the facility’s occupational health office will handle it. Be careful here. A note that says “pain after lifting a patient at work” is far more useful than a chart that says “back pain.” Keep copies of incident reports, schedules, texts with supervisors, and the names of coworkers who saw it.
Mississippi workers’ compensation covers you from your first day on the job, with no waiting period, and the benefit for lost wages is a share of your average weekly wage up to a statutory weekly maximum. Mississippi claims are decided by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, not a regular court. If benefits are denied or stopped, the claim is heard by an Administrative Judge at an evidentiary hearing, and either side can ask the Full Commission to review the record. 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 you gather early matters so much.
The filing clock is separate from the reporting clock. Generally you have two years from the date of injury, or from the last compensation payment, to file a Petition to Controvert with the Commission. Do not let a long run of voluntary payments lull you into waiting, because those payments do not always protect you if they stop. And do not give a recorded statement or sign a medical release without understanding what it covers. If you work across the state line in Louisiana, the rules differ: report within 30 days and generally file a formal claim within one year.
How Insurers Fight Healthcare Worker Claims
Insurance carriers follow a familiar playbook, and healthcare claims draw particular versions of it. They argue the injury did not happen at work, especially when no one witnessed a lift. They point to a pre-existing condition, which in a physically demanding field is almost always something they can find on an old MRI. They push you to return to work before your doctor clears you, or send you to a physician of their choosing who reaches a convenient conclusion.
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your job caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. The answer is strong medical evidence tying your duties, the patient-handling demands, and the specific incident to your diagnosis. The firm builds each case with the medical records, witness accounts, and work history needed to answer those arguments, and when a settlement is on the table, evaluates whether it reflects the true cost of lost earning capacity and future care.
Frequently Asked Questions About Healthcare Worker Injury Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim as a nurse or healthcare worker?
Not every claim needs one, but if your benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if you will be out of work for a long time, a lawyer can make a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys protecting its interests. 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 you pay only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How soon 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 in Mississippi. Louisiana also uses a 30-day notice rule. Waiting gives the insurer an easy argument that the injury was not work related.
How long do I have to file a claim 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. Exceptions can apply, so speak with an attorney as early as you can rather than counting on the full period.
Am I covered if I just started the job?
Yes. Mississippi workers’ compensation coverage begins on the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement.
What wage benefits can I receive while I cannot work?
Mississippi pays temporary and permanent total disability at two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statutory weekly maximum and for no more than 450 weeks. Partial disability benefits are also capped at 450 weeks. The weekly maximum is adjusted periodically, so ask what applies to your date of injury.
Can my employer fire me for filing a claim?
Both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go, written up, or had your hours cut after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review your options.
What if my injury came from years of lifting rather than one accident?
Cumulative and repetitive injuries can be compensable. These cases rely heavily on medical opinions explaining how your duties caused or worsened the condition, along with a clear work history showing the physical demands of the job.
I was hurt by a patient or visitor. Is that only a comp claim?
Comp benefits cover the injury regardless of who was at fault, but when someone other than your employer is responsible, you may also have a separate personal injury claim. A negligent driver who hits your work vehicle is a common example. The two claims have to be coordinated so one does not undermine the other.
Will my health insurance pay while my comp claim is pending?
Workers’ compensation is supposed to pay for reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the injury. If the insurer denies treatment, you may be tempted to use health insurance, but that can create reimbursement problems later. Talk to an attorney before choosing, so the bills are routed properly.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer if my injury seems minor?
A free consultation costs nothing and helps you decide. Injuries that seem minor early on, particularly to the back, neck, and shoulders, can turn into surgery and extended time off. Getting the claim documented correctly from the start protects you if things get worse.
Can the firm help Spanish-speaking healthcare workers?
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 Healthcare Workers From Brandon Across Rankin County and Beyond
The firm represents injured healthcare workers in Brandon and throughout Rankin County, including Pearl, Flowood, Richland, Pelahatchie, Puckett, Florence, and Star. From there, our team serves workers in neighboring Hinds County communities such as Jackson, Clinton, Byram, Terry, and Raymond, as well as Madison County and the city of Madison, and the surrounding Jackson metro area. Nurses, aides, technicians, and support staff from hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home health agencies throughout these communities turn to the firm when a claim runs into trouble.
The firm’s work extends across Mississippi, from Hattiesburg and the Gulf Coast to Southaven, north Mississippi, and the Delta, and across Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and the rest of South Louisiana and north Louisiana. Wherever you were hurt and wherever you work, the same attorneys are available to review your situation.
Talk With a Brandon Healthcare Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt while caring for patients, you do not have to sort out the claim alone while you are trying to heal. A Brandon healthcare injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which deadlines apply to you, and take on the insurance company so you can focus on recovery. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call today to talk through your claim.
