Clinton Personal Injury Lawyer
A wreck on I-20 near the Clinton exit, a fall on a contractor’s unsafe site, a work truck hit by a driver who ran a light on Clinton Parkway: injuries like these leave you with medical bills, missed paychecks, and an insurance adjuster calling before you have even seen a specialist. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles injury claims for people in Clinton, throughout Hinds County, and across Mississippi and South Louisiana, with workers’ compensation as the center of the practice.
Looking for a Clinton personal injury lawyer often means one of two things: you were hurt by someone’s negligence, or you were hurt at work and someone other than your employer shares the blame. The second situation is where this firm’s background matters most. When a negligent driver, a subcontractor, or a property owner contributes to an on-the-job injury, you may have a workers’ compensation claim and a separate injury claim at the same time, and the two have to be handled so they support each other instead of colliding.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Clinton Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers and accident victims in Clinton and the rest of Hinds County, along with Jackson, Madison, the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Delta, and communities across Mississippi and Louisiana. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury generalists who see a work injury now and then. Clients pay nothing up front, consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and fees are collected only if there is a recovery. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language.
The numbers behind that focus are concrete. 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, and $385,000 for a project manager with back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle. That last case is exactly the kind of overlap Clinton workers face: a person on the job, hit by another driver. A $221,000 settlement for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns shows the same depth on catastrophic injuries.
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 successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict, which matters when an injury claim cannot be settled fairly. The team also includes Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher. Clients consistently describe a team that listened, communicated well, and stood up to the insurance company on their behalf.
Injury Situations We Handle for Clinton Residents
- Work Vehicle and Delivery Crashes: Clinton sits on the I-20 corridor between Jackson and Vicksburg, and drivers who haul, deliver, or travel for work are exposed to heavy traffic. When another driver causes the crash, the injured worker can pursue comp benefits and a claim against the at-fault driver.
- Car and Truck Accidents: Commercial trucks, rear-end collisions at busy intersections, and wrecks on Clinton Parkway and Highway 80 can bring claims against drivers, trucking companies, and their insurers.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Disc herniations in the lumbar and cervical spine are among the most common serious injuries, and insurers often blame degenerative disc disease. Medical evidence tying the injury to the incident or to years of physical work is the answer.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears frequently draw the “old sports injury” argument, which has to be met with treating-physician proof.
- Premises Liability: Falls caused by unsafe conditions on a job site, in a store, or on someone else’s property can create a claim against the property owner or a contractor, separate from comp.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial settings, plants, and oil field work produce severe injuries that require long-term care and careful valuation.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones can need specialists and complex surgical repair, with recovery that stretches well beyond the first few weeks.
- Wrongful Death: When a fatal injury happens at work or in a crash, surviving family members may have rights under both comp death benefits and a wrongful death claim.
What to Do After an Injury in Clinton
Get medical care first, and tell every provider exactly how the injury happened, because early records become the backbone of the claim. If you were hurt at work, report it to your employer right away. Mississippi gives you 30 days to report a work injury, and missing that window can sink an otherwise valid claim. Do not wait to see whether the pain improves.
Next, gather what disappears fastest: photos of the scene and your injuries, names of witnesses, the other driver’s insurance information, and any police report. If a crash happened inside Clinton city limits, the Clinton Police Department typically responds; outside the city, the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office or the Mississippi Highway Patrol may. Ask for the report number at the scene.
Be careful with the other side’s insurer. Adjusters often call within days and ask for a recorded statement. You are not required to give one, and casual comments about how you feel can be used later to argue your injury is minor or pre-existing. Let your attorney handle those conversations.
Know the clocks. For a typical negligence claim in Mississippi, the general limit is three years from when the cause of action accrued, with a discovery rule for latent injuries. Claims against a county or other governmental body are far shorter: one year, with notice required under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. For comp, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a petition with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Civil injury suits in Clinton are filed in Hinds County, whose circuit court for the First Judicial District sits in Jackson, and federal cases go to the Southern District of Mississippi.
When a Work Injury Also Creates a Third-Party Claim
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. It pays medical care and a share of lost wages regardless of who caused the accident, but it does not pay for pain and suffering and it does not hold anyone accountable. When someone other than your employer contributed to the injury, a third-party claim can reach damages comp never will.
Common examples include a driver who strikes you while you are on a work errand, a subcontractor whose crew creates the hazard that injures you, or a manufacturer whose defective equipment fails. In each case your comp claim runs through the Commission, while the injury claim runs through the courts against the responsible party.
Coordination is where mistakes happen. The comp carrier may have a right to be reimbursed from a third-party recovery, settlement terms in one case can affect the other, and statements made in one forum can be used in the other. Mississippi also applies pure comparative negligence, so if a jury finds you partly at fault in the injury case, your recovery is reduced by your share instead of being barred. Planning both cases together from the start protects the value of each.
Questions Clinton Injury Victims Ask
Do I need a lawyer for a personal injury claim in Clinton?
Not every minor claim requires one, but if you have significant medical treatment, missed work, a disputed account of the accident, or an insurer that is delaying or lowballing, a lawyer can change the outcome. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys working for it, and you should have someone working for you.
How much does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and fees are paid only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. In workers’ compensation cases, attorney fees are also limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Mississippi?
Most negligence claims fall under the general three-year limit that begins when the cause of action accrues. Claims against a county or other government agency have a one-year limit and require notice under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. Some claims, such as medical malpractice, follow different periods, so talk to an attorney early.
I was hurt while working. Can I get comp and also sue someone?
Often yes, when a party other than your employer helped cause the injury. You can receive workers’ compensation benefits and pursue a separate claim against the negligent driver, contractor, or property owner. The two claims need to be coordinated.
What is the deadline to report a work injury?
In Mississippi you should report the injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident, and sooner is better. Louisiana has the same 30-day reporting rule for injuries there.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Mississippi uses pure comparative negligence, so being partly responsible does not bar your claim. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. Louisiana is different for newer claims: for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a person found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing.
Is there a cap on what I can recover in Mississippi?
Mississippi limits noneconomic damages in certain cases, including most wrongful death claims and medical malpractice claims, but the caps do not apply to economic damages such as medical bills and lost income. How a cap applies depends on the type of case.
Can the insurance company use my pre-existing condition against me?
They will try. A pre-existing condition does not end a claim if the accident or your job caused, worsened, or accelerated it. Clear medical opinions comparing your condition before and after the incident are the strongest response.
Will I be fired or punished for filing a claim?
Mississippi and Louisiana both protect workers from retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim. If you were disciplined or let go after reporting an injury, raise it in your consultation so the situation can be reviewed.
My injury happened in Louisiana but I live near Clinton. Can you still help?
Yes. The firm represents clients in both Mississippi and Louisiana. A Louisiana injury is governed by Louisiana law, including its own deadlines. For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, the general injury lawsuit period is two years, and a workers’ comp claim generally must be filed within one year.
How long does an injury case usually take?
It depends on how long medical treatment lasts and whether liability is disputed. Settling before you have reached maximum medical improvement risks undervaluing the claim, so timing is driven by your recovery, not by the insurer’s calendar.
What if my comp claim is denied?
Denials are common, often based on claims that the injury did not happen at work or is pre-existing. In Mississippi, disputed claims are heard by the Workers’ Compensation Commission, and further review is available through the courts. The firm builds the medical and witness evidence to answer those denials.
Serving Clinton and Hinds County Injury Clients
The firm’s work begins in Clinton and reaches across Hinds County, including Jackson, Byram, Terry, and Raymond. From there it extends to neighboring Madison County and the Madison area, Rankin County, and the surrounding Jackson metro communities that share Clinton’s commuter routes. Clients also come from along the I-20 corridor toward Vicksburg and Warren County.
Beyond central Mississippi, the team represents injured people on the Gulf Coast, in Hattiesburg, Southaven, north Mississippi, and the Delta. In Louisiana, the firm serves South Louisiana and communities including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport, as well as north Louisiana.
Talk With a Clinton Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt in a crash, on a job site, or at work by someone else’s negligence, a Clinton personal injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which claims you may have, and tell you what deadlines apply. Consultations are free, you owe no fee unless there is a recovery, and phones are answered around the clock. Call today and let the team start dealing with the insurance companies for you.
