Columbus Construction Worker Injury Lawyer
A fall from scaffolding, a crushed hand on a jobsite, or a back that gave out under a load you lift every day can leave a Columbus construction worker with medical appointments, no paycheck, and an adjuster who suddenly has questions. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, and a Columbus construction worker injury lawyer from our team can take on the insurer while you focus on treatment.
Construction injuries rarely look like office injuries. They come from heavy materials, heights, vehicles, and repetitive physical strain, and the insurer’s defense usually follows a pattern: the worker was not really hurt on the job, the problem was already there, or the employer claims the worker was not covered. In Columbus and the Golden Triangle, where industrial plants, commercial building, and road work keep crews busy, those disputes come up often, and they are won or lost on medical records, witness accounts, and a careful work history.
Mississippi law covers you from your first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement. That includes laborers, ironworkers, carpenters, heavy equipment operators, electricians, and supervisors. What follows is a practical look at how these claims work, where they go wrong, and what to do now.
What Kinds of Construction Injuries Lead to Mississippi Comp Claims?
Construction work produces a wide range of injuries, and the type of injury often shapes how the insurer fights the claim. These are the situations our attorneys see most.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most common construction claims. Insurers often point to degenerative disc disease; the answer is medical evidence showing that years of lifting or a single incident caused or worsened the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears come from overhead work, pulling, climbing, and awkward footing. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, and the claim then turns on timing and imaging.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones from falls, falling objects, or equipment can require specialists and complex surgical repair, with long stretches away from work.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Electrical contact, welding, fires, and industrial site accidents can cause severe burns and life-altering harm that brings permanent disability benefits into play.
- Struck-By and Vehicle Incidents: Workers hit by a vehicle on the way between sites, or struck while driving a work truck, may have a comp claim and a separate claim against the at-fault driver.
- Third-Party Jobsite Accidents: When a subcontractor, equipment owner, or property owner other than your employer creates the hazard, a personal injury claim may exist alongside your comp benefits.
- Wrongful Death: When a jobsite accident is fatal, surviving family members may have rights to death benefits and, in some cases, a claim against a third party.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Construction Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including Columbus and communities across north Mississippi. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle a work injury only when one walks in the door. We built the firm the other way around. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of your case, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits or a settlement for you. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish, which matters on construction crews across the region.
The results reflect that focus. We have 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 in a work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. 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.
The team is built for contested claims. Rob Lunsford, our Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe are partners. Andrew Rueff has successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and regularly appears before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, alongside attorneys Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher. Clients describe a team that listens, answers questions, and stays in the fight with the insurance company at every step.
What to Do After a Construction Injury, and How the Claim Moves
The first rule is to report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as you can. Mississippi gives you 30 days from the accident, but waiting invites the argument that the injury happened somewhere else. Say what happened, when, and which body parts hurt, and keep a copy. If a supervisor or coworker saw the accident, write down their names while memories are fresh.
Get medical care right away and tell every provider the injury happened at work. Gaps in treatment and vague histories are what insurers use to blame a pre-existing condition. Follow your doctor’s restrictions, and do not go back to heavy work because a foreman or adjuster pushes you before you are cleared. Take photos of the hazard or equipment if you can, and keep pay stubs showing your average weekly wage.
Mississippi comp claims are not heard in an ordinary courtroom. They go through the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, which hears contested cases at an evidentiary hearing before an Administrative Judge. If the loser appeals, the Full Commission reviews the record from that hearing; it is not a new trial, which is why the evidence built early matters so much. A final Commission award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and the Supreme Court often assigns those cases to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
The filing clock is separate from the 30-day notice rule. Generally you have two years from the date of injury or the last compensation payment to file a Petition to Controvert with the Commission. If no disability benefits were paid and no claim was filed within two years, the right to benefits can be barred. Do not rely on the insurer’s promises to keep paying; get the claim on file.
A common mistake is giving a recorded statement before you understand how it will be used. Adjusters ask questions designed to lock in a version of events that helps them deny the claim. Another is signing medical releases that are broader than the injury. Having an attorney involved early means those conversations go through someone who knows where the traps are.
Benefits Available and How Insurers Fight Construction Claims
Mississippi comp pays for reasonable and necessary medical treatment, including surgery, therapy, and prescriptions, and replaces part of your wages when you cannot work. Temporary and permanent total disability benefits are generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum, and they cannot run beyond 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability benefits are also capped at 450 weeks in the cases covered by that provision. The weekly maximum is adjusted by the state, so the figure changes over time, and your attorney will calculate what applies to your accident.
The fight in a construction claim is rarely over whether benefits exist. It is over whether you get them. Insurers argue the accident was not witnessed, that a degenerative condition explains the pain, that you were an independent contractor rather than an employee, or that you can return to work sooner than your doctor says. Misclassification deserves attention in construction, where crews are sometimes paid as contractors despite working under an employer’s direction and control. Each argument is answered with medical opinions, work history, and testimony, and our attorneys prepare the case for a hearing from the beginning rather than waiting to see if the insurer relents.
If someone other than your employer caused the injury, such as a negligent driver or a contractor with an unsafe site, you may also have a personal injury claim. Our attorneys coordinate the two so one does not undercut the other, including how comp benefits already paid are handled when a third-party recovery comes in.
Questions Columbus Construction Workers Ask About Injury Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a construction injury claim?
Not every claim requires one, but if benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, an attorney can make a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers protecting its interests, and you should have someone protecting yours.
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 for you. Attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a construction injury in Mississippi?
You must report the injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident. Report it in writing right away rather than waiting, 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. Exceptions can apply, so speak with an attorney as soon as you can.
Am I covered if I was only on the job a few days?
Yes. Mississippi coverage begins on your first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement, as long as your employer is subject to the law.
What if my employer says I am an independent contractor?
The label on your paperwork does not settle the question. What matters is how the relationship actually works, including who directs your work, supplies tools, and sets your schedule. Misclassified workers can still be entitled to benefits, and this is worth raising in your consultation.
The insurer says my back problem was already there. Is my claim over?
No. A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your work caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Strong medical evidence is how that argument is answered.
Can I be fired for filing a comp claim?
Mississippi protects workers from retaliation for filing a claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review your options.
Can I sue my employer on top of getting comp benefits?
Comp is generally the exclusive remedy against your own employer. But if a different company, a driver, or an equipment party caused the accident, you may have a separate personal injury claim against them.
Will my health insurance pay while my claim is pending?
That depends on the insurer and the situation. Treatment for a work injury is supposed to be paid by comp, so health plans often push back. Tell your providers and your attorney about any bills so they can be handled correctly rather than ignored.
What happens if my claim is denied?
You can contest the denial by filing with the Commission and presenting your case at a hearing before an Administrative Judge. Review by the Full Commission and then an appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court are available if needed, and each has a short deadline.
Do you represent Spanish-speaking workers?
Yes. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Serving Construction Workers Across Columbus and the Golden Triangle
Our work starts with Columbus and Lowndes County and extends across north Mississippi. From Columbus we represent injured workers in the surrounding Golden Triangle communities, including nearby Starkville and West Point, and workers whose jobsites take them to Tupelo, Aberdeen, and Corinth. We also serve workers throughout the rest of the state, from Jackson and Madison to Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Delta, and the Gulf Coast.
Construction crews travel, and so do injuries. If you were hurt on a project outside your hometown, or work for a contractor based elsewhere, we can still help. Our reach also includes Louisiana, from New Orleans and Baton Rouge to Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and communities across south and north Louisiana, which matters for workers whose jobs cross the state line.
Talk With a Columbus Construction Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt on a Columbus jobsite, you do not have to argue with the insurance company on your own. A Columbus construction injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain your benefits, and deal with your employer and its insurer while you recover. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call us today to talk through your claim.
