Franklin County Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in Franklin County and across Mississippi and South Louisiana, handling claims that insurers have denied, delayed, or cut off. If you were hurt at a sawmill, on a logging crew, on a truck route, or on a job site anywhere around Meadville, Bude, or Roxie, a Franklin County workers’ compensation lawyer can take the insurance fight off your hands while you focus on treatment.
Southwest Mississippi’s economy runs on timber, hauling, oilfield support, and heavy labor. Those jobs produce the injuries that wear bodies down: crushed hands, ruptured discs, torn shoulders, broken legs. They also produce the arguments insurers love, such as “your back was already bad” or “you waited too long to tell your supervisor.”
The deadlines are short and they do not bend for rural counties. Getting the first thirty days right can decide whether a claim survives.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Franklin County Comp Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm serving injured workers in Franklin County and throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle a work injury only when one walks in. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of your case, and you pay no fee unless benefits or a settlement are recovered. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language.
The results speak to the kinds of injuries Franklin County workers suffer. The firm secured $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury and $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury. It recovered $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 to his lower extremities.
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 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. Clients describe a team that listens, communicates, and fights the carrier at every step.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Franklin County Workplaces
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lifting, climbing, and equipment vibration cause lumbar and cervical disc herniations. Insurers often point to degenerative disc disease; the answer is medical evidence showing that the work caused or aggravated the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common among loggers, mechanics, and equipment operators. Employers sometimes label them old sports injuries, and the firm builds the record to rebut that.
- Fractures and Crush Injuries: Feet, ankles, hips, and hands injured around saws, loaders, and heavy machinery may require specialists and complex surgical repair, followed by long recoveries.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Oilfield and industrial work carries fire, chemical, and electrical hazards. These claims can involve permanent disability and lifetime medical needs.
- Truck Driver and Delivery Injuries: Workers who haul timber, gravel, and freight along the highways through southwest Mississippi face wrecks, loading injuries, and repetitive strain.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Volunteer and career responders may develop heart disease, hypertension, lung disease, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, or cancer tied to the job.
- Denied and Cut-Off Claims: Carriers deny that the accident happened at work, stop checks without warning, or push workers back before a doctor clears them. Each of these can be challenged.
- Third-Party Injury Claims: If a negligent driver hit your work truck or a contractor’s unsafe site caused your fall, you may have a personal injury claim alongside comp benefits.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Franklin County
Tell your employer about the injury right away, and in writing if you can. Mississippi requires notice within 30 days of the accident. Miss that window and the insurer will use it against you. Do not wait to see whether the pain fades. Back and shoulder injuries often get worse over days.
Get medical care and be specific with every provider about how the injury happened at work. Vague histories become the insurer’s evidence later. Keep copies of discharge papers, work restrictions, pay stubs, and any statements you give. Write down the names of coworkers who saw the incident or heard you report it.
Mississippi comp covers you from your first day on the job, with no waiting period. If benefits are not being paid, the deadline to file a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission is generally two years from the date of injury or from the last compensation payment. Acting early matters regardless, because evidence and witnesses fade.
Know where your case is heard. Mississippi comp claims go before the Commission, not a regular court. Cases are tried before an Administrative Judge, and either side can seek review by the Full Commission, which examines the record already made rather than holding a new trial. A final Commission award can be appealed within 30 days, and appeals are decided on that record, which is why building it carefully at the first hearing matters so much.
Be careful with recorded statements, and do not sign medical releases broader than needed. Do not return to work against your doctor’s restrictions to keep the adjuster happy. If you were fired after reporting the injury, tell your attorney; retaliation for filing a claim is prohibited.
Wage Benefits and Time Limits Under Mississippi Law
Mississippi pays temporary and permanent total disability at two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum, for up to 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability in most cases is also capped at 450 weeks. The weekly maximum is adjusted over time, so the number your carrier uses should be checked against the current figure rather than assumed.
Medical care is a separate and often more valuable piece. A Franklin County Workers’ compensation attorney will push for the treatment your doctor orders, including surgery and therapy, and will dispute carrier-picked evaluations that minimize your condition. When a return to work is possible only at lower pay or with permanent limits, the disability rating and your actual earning capacity drive the value of settlement.
Sometimes workers cross the state line for jobs. If you were hurt on a Louisiana job, different rules apply: notice within 30 days, a formal claim generally within one year of the accident, and supplemental earnings benefits for workers who return at reduced pay. The firm handles claims in both states.
Franklin County Workers’ Comp Questions Answered
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim in Franklin County?
Not every claim requires one, but if your benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, 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 Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe?
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 soon must I report my injury?
Within 30 days of the accident in Mississippi, and the same 30-day notice rule applies in Louisiana. Report it right away and in writing when possible.
How long do I have to file a claim with the Commission?
Generally two years from the date of injury or from the last compensation payment, by filing a Petition to Controvert. Exceptions and complications exist, so speak with an attorney early.
Am I covered if I was hurt on my first day?
Yes. Mississippi coverage begins on the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement.
What if the insurer says my injury is from a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, benefits may still be owed. Strong medical opinions tying the job to your symptoms are the core of these cases.
Can I be fired for filing a comp claim?
Mississippi and Louisiana both protect workers from retaliation for filing. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation.
Which doctor can I see while my claim is pending?
Disputes over treating physicians are common, and the carrier will often steer you to its preferred providers. An attorney can help you secure a doctor who will document your restrictions honestly and push back on a one-sided independent exam.
My claim was denied. What happens next?
Your attorney files a Petition to Controvert, and the case is set for hearing before an Administrative Judge. If the ruling goes against you, review by the Full Commission is available, and a final award can then be appealed within 30 days.
Can I also sue someone other than my employer?
Possibly. If a negligent driver, equipment maker, or outside contractor contributed to your injury, you may have a separate injury claim. The firm coordinates the comp claim and the injury claim so they work together.
Will comp pay if I cannot return to my old job?
Wage benefits continue while you are disabled, up to the statutory limits, and permanent restrictions can support a larger settlement. The extent of your lasting disability and earning capacity are central to that value.
Do you handle cases outside Franklin County?
Yes. The firm represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, and Spanish-speaking clients are served in Spanish from the first call.
Serving Injured Workers Across Franklin County and Southwest Mississippi
The firm represents workers in Meadville, the county seat, and in Bude, Roxie, and the rural communities and timberland between them. We also serve workers who live in Franklin County but commute to jobs in neighboring Lincoln, Amite, Adams, Pike, and Wilkinson counties, including those working near Brookhaven, McComb, Natchez, and Liberty.
Beyond southwest Mississippi, our team handles comp claims in Jackson, Madison, Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast, Southaven, the Delta, and north Mississippi. In Louisiana, we serve clients in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and communities across South Louisiana and north Louisiana. Wherever the injury happened, the same team can take the case.
Talk to a Franklin County Workers’ Comp Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to take on the insurance company alone. A Franklin County workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your situation, explain your deadlines, and start pushing for your medical care and wage benefits. Calls are answered around the clock, the consultation is free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call today.
