Claiborne County Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
A hurt back at a plant outside Port Gibson, a crushed hand on a logging job in the county’s hardwood country, a wreck on U.S. 61 in a company truck: when a paycheck stops and the adjuster starts asking questions, the first weeks decide a lot. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that represents injured workers in Claiborne County and across Mississippi and Louisiana, and a Claiborne County workers’ compensation lawyer from our team can take the claim off your desk and put it in front of the people who decide it.
Claiborne County sits in the southwest corner of Mississippi, along the Mississippi River, with Port Gibson as its seat. Work here runs through agriculture, timber, river and highway freight, county and school employment, health care, and the industrial and energy sites that draw labor from the surrounding region. Different jobs produce different injuries, and different injuries draw different defenses from insurers.
Mississippi workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, so you do not have to prove your employer did anything wrong. You do have to prove the injury arose out of and in the course of your work, and that is where most disputes begin.
What a Claiborne County Workers’ Comp Claim Looks Like From Start to Finish
Most claims follow a recognizable arc. The injury happens, you tell your supervisor, and your employer reports it to its insurance carrier. The carrier assigns an adjuster. The adjuster takes a recorded statement, requests medical records, and decides whether to accept or contest the claim.
If the claim is accepted, you receive medical treatment through an approved provider and wage benefits while you are off work or earning less. If it is contested, the carrier simply stops responding or sends a denial, and the worker is left with bills and no income.
A contested claim does not go to a county courtroom. Mississippi workers’ compensation cases are decided by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, an administrative body in Jackson. The case is filed by petition, the carrier answers, both sides gather medical evidence and testimony, and an Administrative Judge hears the dispute at an evidentiary hearing. A party unhappy with that decision can seek review by the Full Commission, which works from the record already made rather than starting over.
Final Commission awards can be appealed on that same record, and the statute sets a 30-day window from the filing and notice of the award. The Mississippi Supreme Court receives the appeal and often assigns it to the Court of Appeals. This is why the evidence built early matters so much. What gets into the record at the hearing is largely what the appellate courts will see.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Claiborne County Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Mississippi, including Claiborne County, Port Gibson, and the surrounding southwest Mississippi communities, as well as across south and north Louisiana. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle them occasionally. We built the firm the other way around.
The results reflect that focus. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients, including $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. Shoulder, knee, neck, and hip claims fill out the rest of the record.
Our lawyers include Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, who has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers; Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe, Partners, both recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and The National Trial Lawyers; and attorneys Andrew Rueff, Keaton Belk, Erin Heimlicher, and Jared Martin. Best Law Firms ranked the firm in 2026 for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson.
Clients tell us the same things in their reviews: the team listened, explained the process, and fought the insurance company at every step. We work on a no recovery, no fee basis, consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and our phones are answered 24 hours a day. Hablamos español.
Injuries and Claim Types We Handle for Claiborne County Workers
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lifting, pulling, and repetitive labor on farms, in timber operations, and at industrial sites often produce herniated discs. Carriers routinely blame degenerative disc disease, and we answer with medical evidence tying the injury to the job.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, and meniscus tears are common in heavy manual work, and employers sometimes label them old sports injuries.
- Fractures: Falls from equipment, trailers, and ladders can break feet, ankles, and hips, and may require specialists and surgical repair.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial and energy-related worksites carry risks of severe burns, crush injuries, and other life-changing harm.
- Truck and Vehicle Accidents on the Job: Drivers and delivery workers on U.S. 61 and the surrounding highways may have both a comp claim and a third-party injury claim against the other driver.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job can all support a claim.
- Wrongful Death: When a work injury is fatal, dependents may be entitled to death benefits and may also have a separate claim against a negligent third party.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Claiborne County
Get medical care first. If the injury is serious, go to the nearest emergency department. If it can wait, tell the treating provider the injury happened at work so it is recorded that way from the first visit.
Then report it to your employer, in writing if possible. Mississippi gives you 30 days from the accident to give notice, and waiting even a few days invites the argument that the injury happened somewhere else. Keep a copy of whatever you send and note who received it.
The filing deadline is separate. If no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the injury, the right to benefits is barred unless you file a claim with the Commission during that time. Generally you have two years from the injury or the last compensation payment to file a Petition to Controvert. The notice and limitation rules appear in Miss. Code § 71-3-35. If the carrier is paying some benefits, do not treat that as a reason to wait, because the protection it offers depends on the facts.
Write down what happened while it is fresh: the date, the task, the equipment, who saw it. Gather the names of coworkers who witnessed the incident or who can describe the conditions. Keep pay stubs, work schedules, and every medical record and bill you receive.
Be careful with the adjuster. You will likely be asked for a recorded statement. Answers given casually, such as “my back has bothered me for years,” can be turned into a pre-existing condition denial. You are entitled to speak with a lawyer before giving one.
Do not return to work before your doctor releases you, and do not sign anything from the insurer that you do not fully understand. If benefits are denied, reduced, or stopped, that is the moment to call us. Claims are litigated before the Commission in Jackson, and Claiborne County workers are not required to travel alone through that process.
How Insurers Contest Comp Claims, and How the Benefits Work
The common denials are predictable. The carrier says the accident did not happen at work, that the injury is a pre-existing condition, that you reported it late, or that you can return to work when your doctor says you cannot. Each can be answered with medical records, witness accounts, and work history, but only if that evidence is collected and presented properly.
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your work caused, aggravated, or accelerated the condition, benefits may still be owed.
Coverage starts on your first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement. Medical treatment that is reasonable and necessary is covered. Wage replacement for total disability, whether temporary or permanent, is generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statutory weekly maximum, and it is capped at 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability in most cases is also limited to 450 weeks. The weekly maximum is adjusted periodically, so the figure that applies to you depends on your injury date.
If someone other than your employer caused the injury, such as a negligent driver or the owner of an unsafe site, a separate injury claim may be available alongside comp. Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence, which reduces a recovery by your share of fault rather than barring it. Our attorneys also handle car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death, so the two claims can be coordinated.
Claiborne County Workers’ Compensation Questions Answered
Do I need a lawyer for a Mississippi workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim requires one. If benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or stopped, or if the injury will keep you out of work for a long time, a lawyer can change the outcome. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys, and you should have someone on your side too.
How much does it cost to hire Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe?
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 my injury?
Tell your employer within 30 days of the accident. Do it right away and in writing, because delay gives the insurer an argument.
How long do I have to file a claim?
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 disability benefits have been paid within two years of the injury and no claim has been filed, the right to benefits is barred.
Which agency decides my case?
The Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, not a county court. An Administrative Judge hears the evidence, and the Full Commission reviews appeals on the existing record.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Mississippi protects workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us so we can review your options.
What if my employer says I am an independent contractor?
The label does not control the answer. Whether you are covered depends on how the work actually relationship operates, including who directs the work, supplies equipment, and sets the schedule. Employers sometimes misclassify workers to avoid coverage, so a denial on that basis deserves a close look.
My employer has fewer than five employees. Am I covered?
Mississippi requires coverage for employers with five or more employees. Smaller employers may fall outside the mandate, but you may still have other avenues, including an injury claim against a negligent third party. Talk to us before assuming you have no options.
Will my health insurance pay while my claim is pending?
Sometimes, but health insurers often exclude work injuries and may seek reimbursement if comp is later approved. Tell every provider the injury is work related, and let us help sort out how bills are handled while the dispute is open.
I am a Louisiana resident hurt on a job in Mississippi, or the reverse. Which state’s law applies?
It depends on where the employment is based, where the contract was made, and where the injury occurred. Louisiana generally requires a formal claim within one year of the accident, so the timing can differ sharply. Because the deadlines are short, call promptly and let us sort out which state’s rules govern.
What happens if I am offered a settlement?
A settlement can close out future benefits, including medical care. Before agreeing, you need to know what your treatment is likely to cost and whether the offer reflects your permanent impairment. Do not sign until a lawyer has reviewed it.
Can I still claim if the injury developed gradually?
Yes. Repetitive-use injuries and occupational illnesses can be compensable, though proving that the job caused them takes strong medical support. The reporting clock can turn on when you knew or should have known the condition was work related.
Representing Injured Workers From Port Gibson Across Southwest Mississippi
Our work for Claiborne County clients begins in Port Gibson, the county seat, and extends through Hermanville, Pattison, Lorman, Alcorn State University and the Alcorn community, Rodney, Grand Gulf, Carlisle, Willows, and the rural stretches along the Mississippi River and U.S. 61. Federal court for this part of the state sits in Natchez, and Claiborne County falls within its division, though most comp disputes never reach federal court.
We also serve workers in neighboring Jefferson, Copiah, Hinds, Warren, Franklin, Adams, and Lincoln counties, including Fayette, Vicksburg, Natchez, Brookhaven, and the Jackson area. Beyond southwest Mississippi, the firm represents injured workers across the state, including Madison, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, the Delta, and north Mississippi, and across Louisiana in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and New Orleans and the rest of south Louisiana. Because the river here is a short drive from Louisiana, many Claiborne County workers cross state lines for jobs, and we handle claims in both states.
Speak With a Claiborne County Workers’ Compensation Attorney
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to fight the insurance company by yourself. A Claiborne County workers’ compensation attorney from Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain where your claim stands, and take over the dealings with your employer and its insurer.
Call us at any hour; our phones are answered 24 hours a day. The consultation is free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. We help injured workers. That is all we do.
