Greater Jackson Work Injury Lawyer
A workers’ compensation case that goes well ends with the surgery approved, the weekly checks arriving on time, and a settlement that reflects what the injury actually cost. Getting there is rarely automatic. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, and a Greater Jackson work injury lawyer from our team starts with the Jackson area: Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties and the communities around them.
Mississippi’s system works differently from a car wreck lawsuit. Your claim is not decided by a jury. It is heard by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, an agency run by three appointees of the Governor, and the record you build early on is the record that will be reviewed if anything is appealed. Medical opinions, work history, and a clear account of how the injury happened carry more weight than anything you say later.
Insurers know this, which is why the first weeks after an injury matter so much. A recorded statement, a gap in treatment, or a missed notice deadline can shape the entire outcome. The sections below cover what to do, what the process looks like, and where a Jackson-area claim can go wrong.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Jackson Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles workers’ compensation as the center of its practice, not as a sideline to car accident work. Our attorneys bring over 75 combined years of experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off, and the firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. We represent injured workers across the Jackson area and statewide in Mississippi and Louisiana, including construction workers, truck drivers, nurses, firefighters, ironworkers, oil field workers, and general laborers. We work on a no recovery, no fee basis, consultations are free, the firm advances case costs, and phones are answered 24 hours a day. Hablamos español.
Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe, both Partners, 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. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
Results matter more than adjectives, so here are a few: $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 with back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Those outcomes came from building medical and vocational evidence that answered the insurer’s arguments, which is the real work of a comp case. Clients who have reviewed the firm describe attorneys who listened, stayed in the fight with the insurance company, and answered when they called.
Injuries and Claim Types We Handle for Jackson-Area Workers
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most common claims from warehouse, delivery, healthcare, and construction work. Insurers often point to degenerative disc disease; the answer is medical evidence showing that the job caused or aggravated the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears often follow lifting, pulling, climbing, or a fall. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, so the timeline of symptoms and prior medical records become central.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones can require specialists and complex surgical repair, with long stretches away from work and real questions about permanent limits.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial sites, plants, and oil rigs produce severe burns and life-altering trauma. These claims turn on long-term medical care, permanent disability, and sometimes a separate claim against a third party.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job require proof that the condition connects to the work, often through medical and occupational history.
- Vehicle Collisions on the Job: A delivery driver, truck driver, or salesperson hit while working may have both a comp claim and a personal injury claim against the other driver, and the two must be handled together.
- Denied and Cut-Off Benefits: Claims denied outright, wage checks stopped without warning, or a worker pushed back to duty before a doctor clears them all call for a formal challenge before the Commission.
What to Do After a Work Injury Near Jackson
Report the injury to your employer right away, and in writing if you can. Mississippi gives you 30 days from the accident to give notice, and a late report is one of the easiest arguments an insurer can make. Ask for medical care, tell every provider that the injury happened at work, and describe it the same way each time. Inconsistent accounts across an emergency room chart, a clinic note, and a claim form get used against workers.
Separate from notice, there is a filing deadline. If no disability benefits have been paid, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a Petition to Controvert with the Commission, and the clock can also run from the last compensation payment. Mississippi covers you from your first day on the job, with no waiting period, so a new hire is as protected as a ten-year employee. Do not assume a verbal promise from a supervisor, or the fact that checks have started, means your deadlines are handled.
Keep your own file: the incident report, names of witnesses, photographs of the scene or equipment, pay stubs, work restrictions, and every medical bill and appointment slip. Be careful with the adjuster. A recorded statement given before you understand your diagnosis can lock you into a description that later looks inconsistent with your medical records. Politely decline and call a lawyer first. Do not return to full duty before your doctor releases you, and do not skip appointments, because gaps in treatment are routinely used to argue the injury was not serious.
Most Mississippi comp disputes begin when the insurer denies compensability, disputes a medical recommendation, or stops paying wage benefits. Cases are heard by an Administrative Judge at an evidentiary hearing, and an appeal goes to the Full Commission, which reviews the existing record rather than holding a new trial. Full Commission hearings take place in Jackson. After that, a final award can be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days of its filing and notice to the parties, and the Supreme Court may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Those appeals are decided on the record from the Commission, which is why the hearing itself is the case that counts.
How Wage Benefits and Medical Care Work in Mississippi
Mississippi pays temporary and permanent total disability at two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statutory weekly maximum that the state adjusts over time, and for no more than 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability in most cases is also limited to 450 weeks. The weekly maximum matters for higher earners, such as ironworkers, oil field hands, and skilled tradespeople, because the cap can sit well below two-thirds of what they actually earned. Getting the average weekly wage calculated correctly, including overtime and second jobs where the law allows, can change the value of a claim for years.
Medical benefits cover reasonable and necessary treatment for the work injury, and disputes over a surgery recommendation, a second opinion, or a change of physician are common. Settlement is a separate question: closing out your claim can end future medical coverage, so the number has to account for what your treatment will realistically cost, not just your lost wages to date.
Common Questions About Greater Jackson Workers’ Compensation
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim requires one, but if benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if 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.
How much does it cost to hire Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of your 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 and file in Mississippi?
Report the injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident. If no disability benefits are paid, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file with the Commission, and the period can also run from the last compensation payment. Exceptions exist, so speak with a lawyer early.
Does my employer have to carry workers’ compensation?
In Mississippi, employers with five or more employees must provide coverage, and covered workers are protected from their first day on the job with no minimum earnings requirement.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
Mississippi and Louisiana both protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review your options.
What if the insurer says my injury is a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your job caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits, and strong medical evidence is how that argument gets answered.
Who decides my case in Mississippi, a judge or a jury?
Neither a civil jury nor a regular trial court. An Administrative Judge with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission hears the evidence, and the Full Commission reviews appeals on the existing record.
What happens if I disagree with the Administrative Judge’s decision?
You can seek review by the Full Commission, which examines the record made at the first hearing rather than starting over. Because new evidence is not freely added at that stage, the original hearing needs to be thoroughly prepared.
Can I still sue someone besides my employer?
Often yes. If a negligent driver hit your work vehicle or an outside contractor created an unsafe site, you may have a personal injury claim alongside your comp benefits. In Mississippi, most negligence claims without a special limit fall under a three-year deadline, and your recovery is reduced by your share of fault rather than barred. We coordinate the two claims so they do not undercut each other.
Will my health insurance pay while my comp claim is denied?
Sometimes, but it varies, and health insurers often seek reimbursement if the injury is later found to be work related. Tell your providers it is a work injury, keep records of what was paid, and let your lawyer sort out reimbursement so it does not eat into your recovery.
What if I was hurt while driving for work?
You may have a comp claim and a separate claim against the at-fault driver. Report the injury to your employer promptly, get the police report, and avoid discussing fault with any insurer until you have advice.
Do you speak Spanish?
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 Injured Workers Across Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties and Beyond
Our work for Greater Jackson clients starts in Hinds County, including Jackson, Clinton, Byram, Terry, Raymond, Utica, Bolton, Edwards, and Learned, and extends across the metro. In Madison County we represent workers from Madison, Ridgeland, Canton, Flora, and Gluckstadt, and in Rankin County from Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, Richland, Florence, Pelahatchie, and Puckett. These communities are home to hospitals, distribution centers, construction sites, state and local government employers, and the trucking and delivery routes that feed the capital region.
We also take cases from neighboring areas around Vicksburg, Yazoo City, Crystal Springs, and Hazlehurst, and across Mississippi, from the Gulf Coast and Hattiesburg to Southaven, north Mississippi, and the Delta. Our attorneys represent injured workers in South Louisiana and across the state as well, including Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport. Whether the injury happened on a jobsite in Flowood or a rig far from home, we handle the claim from first notice through hearing and appeal.
Talk With a Greater Jackson Work Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt at work, the deadlines are already running, and the insurer has already started building its file. A Greater Jackson work injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your situation, tell you where your claim stands, and take over the dealings with your employer and its carrier so you can focus on recovery. 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 what happened.
