Forrest County Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in Forrest County and across Mississippi and South Louisiana, handling denied claims, cut-off benefits, and disputes over medical care for people hurt on the job. If you work in Hattiesburg, Petal, or the surrounding communities and an injury has put your paycheck and your treatment in doubt, a Forrest County workers’ compensation lawyer can take over the fight with the employer and its insurance carrier while you focus on recovering.
Forrest County’s economy produces its own kinds of claims. Hospital and clinic staff at the region’s large medical centers lift patients and work long shifts. Warehouse and distribution employees, truck drivers moving freight along the highways that cross the county, construction crews, and university and school workers all file comp claims here. The injuries tend to be physical and cumulative: backs, necks, shoulders, knees, and fractures from falls and equipment. Those are also the injuries insurers most often try to blame on age, degeneration, or something that happened outside work.
Mississippi comp is an administrative system, not a courtroom one. Your case is decided by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission rather than a jury, and the record you build early, the medical opinions, the incident reports, the wage history, largely determines the result. That is why what you do in the first weeks matters more than most people realize.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for Your Forrest County Comp Claim
Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle a work injury only when one walks in the door. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is built the other way around. The firm serves injured workers in Forrest County, Hattiesburg and the rest of Mississippi, along with clients throughout Louisiana, and has recovered more than $100 million in settlements.
The results reflect the kinds of injuries Forrest County workers suffer. 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 injured when his work vehicle was struck. Other recoveries include $221,000 for an oil rig worker with severe burns, $195,000 for a derrickhand with complex shoulder injuries, and $135,000 for a diesel mechanic with a SLAP tear.
Rob Lunsford, founding partner, 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, and Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the team. Clients describe attorneys who listen, stay responsive, and push back hard on the insurance company. Consultations are free, the firm advances case costs, there is no fee unless benefits are recovered, phones are answered around the clock, and Spanish-speaking clients are served in their own language.
Work Injuries We Handle for Forrest County Employees
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are the most common serious claims we see, especially among warehouse workers, truck drivers, and nurses. When the carrier points to degenerative disc disease, the answer is medical evidence showing that the job caused or aggravated the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears often follow repetitive overhead work, pulling, climbing, or a fall. Employers frequently call them old sports injuries, and we build the case to show otherwise.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones from falls, struck-by accidents, and vehicle collisions can require specialists and multiple surgeries, which means long periods of lost wages.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial sites, plants, and oil field operations produce severe burns and life-altering trauma that call for permanent disability benefits.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job are contested vigorously and need careful medical proof.
- Driving Injuries on the Job: Delivery drivers, sales staff, and project managers hurt while working on the road may have both a comp claim and a separate claim against the at-fault driver.
- Retaliation After Reporting an Injury: Mississippi law protects workers from being fired for filing a claim, and we review any termination or discipline that follows a report.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Hattiesburg or Elsewhere in Forrest County
Get medical attention first, then tell your employer about the injury promptly and in a way you can prove later. Mississippi requires notice to the employer within 30 days of the accident. Do not rely on a casual mention to a coworker; report to a supervisor and ask that it be documented. Follow up in writing if you can, and keep a copy.
The second deadline is the one people miss. If no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the injury, the right to benefits is barred unless a claim has been filed with the Commission within that window. A claim is started by filing a Petition to Controvert, which the Commission uses as Form B-5. Payment of some benefits can change how the clock runs, but you should never assume it protects you. The notice and limitation rules appear in section 71-3-35 of the Mississippi Code.
Coverage in Mississippi begins on the first day of employment, with no waiting period, so a newly hired worker is covered. Wage-loss benefits are generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum set by law, and total disability benefits are capped at 450 weeks. Medical treatment is a separate benefit, and you should be careful about statements to adjusters. A recorded statement given before you understand your diagnosis can be used against you later. Keep every medical record, work restriction note, pay stub, and photo of the scene, and write down who saw what.
Claims in Mississippi are heard by an Administrative Judge, and an appeal to the Full Commission is decided on the existing record rather than a fresh trial. After that, a final Commission award can be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and that court may send the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Because appellate review is limited to the record already made, the evidence developed at the first hearing is usually the evidence that decides everything.
How Carriers Dispute Comp Claims and How We Answer
Insurers run a familiar playbook: the accident did not happen at work, the condition was already there, you were cleared to return sooner than your doctor says, or benefits simply stop without warning. Each argument has an answer, but only if the case is built for it. A Forrest County lawyer handling these claims should be gathering the treating physician’s causation opinion, identifying witnesses, documenting the physical demands of your job, and challenging any independent medical examination that conflicts with your own doctors.
Pre-existing conditions deserve special mention because they come up so often. A prior problem does not end your claim if work caused, worsened, or accelerated it. The strategy is to get a clear medical statement tying the change in your condition to the job. We also look at settlement timing carefully, since a lump sum can close out medical benefits, and accepting one before you know your long-term needs can cost far more than it brings in.
Where a third party contributed, such as a negligent driver or an unsafe contractor, the comp claim and a personal injury claim can run side by side. Coordinating them matters, because mistakes in one can reduce recovery in the other.
Forrest County Workers’ Comp Questions Answered
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim needs one. But if benefits have been denied, reduced, or cut off, or your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, representation can change the outcome. The carrier has adjusters and lawyers protecting its side.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances case costs, and fees are paid only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report my injury?
Report it to your employer within 30 days of the accident, and sooner is better. Late notice gives the insurer an easy argument to deny the claim.
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. Exceptions exist when benefits have been paid, so speak with a lawyer early.
Am I covered if I was just hired?
Yes. Mississippi coverage starts the first day of employment, with no waiting period or minimum earnings requirement. Employers with five or more employees must carry coverage.
What wage benefits can I receive?
Temporary and permanent total disability pay roughly two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum, for up to 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability in other cases is also limited to 450 weeks.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
No. Both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from retaliation for filing. If you were disciplined or let go after reporting an injury, tell us so we can evaluate it.
Does a pre-existing condition disqualify me?
Not automatically. If the job caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, benefits may still be owed. Strong medical evidence is what answers the carrier’s argument.
My claim was denied. What happens next?
Denial is not the end. A denied claim can be contested through a petition to the Commission and heard by an Administrative Judge, with review by the Full Commission and then the appellate courts if necessary. Each stage has short deadlines, so move quickly.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my comp claim is pending?
Sometimes, but health insurers often want repayment or refuse to pay for work injuries. Tell your providers it is a work injury, and ask us how to handle bills so you are not stuck with them while the comp carrier delays.
Can I also sue someone other than my employer?
If a third party caused your injury, such as a driver who hit your work vehicle, you may have a separate injury claim in addition to comp. The two claims affect each other, so they should be coordinated from the start.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller injury?
Often yes, particularly if the injury could lead to surgery, restrictions, or permanent impairment. Early decisions about doctors, statements, and settlement can limit what you can recover later.
Do you handle cases for Spanish-speaking workers?
Yes. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call through the end of the case.
Serving Injured Workers From Hattiesburg and Petal Across the Pine Belt
Our team represents injured workers throughout Forrest County, from Hattiesburg and Petal to the communities of Brooklyn, Eatonville, Glendale, Rawls Springs, Sunrise, Palmer’s Crossing, and Oak Grove. We also serve workers in neighboring areas, including Lamar County, Jones County around Laurel, Perry County, Marion County, and Covington County. Beyond the Pine Belt, we represent clients across Mississippi, including Jackson, Madison, the Gulf Coast, Southaven, and the Delta, as well as north Mississippi.
The firm’s reach extends into Louisiana as well, where we handle claims in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and throughout South Louisiana and north Louisiana. Whether your injury happened at a hospital, a distribution center, a job site, or on the road, the same focus on workers’ compensation applies.
Talk With a Forrest County Workers’ Comp Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to deal with the insurance company by yourself. A Forrest County workers’ comp attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain the deadlines that apply to your claim, and start building the evidence you will need. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you owe no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call today and tell us what happened.
