Greene County Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in Greene County, Mississippi, along with the surrounding Pine Belt and Gulf Coast communities and workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. If you were hurt on a timber crew, at a sawmill, on a logging truck, on an oilfield lease, or on a construction site, we handle the claim from the first denial letter through hearing and appeal. A Greene County workers’ compensation lawyer matters most when the insurer has already started building its own version of how you got hurt.
Greene County’s economy runs on physical work: forestry and wood products, hauling, pipeline and oilfield service, road and utility construction, and county and school employment. Those jobs produce a particular pattern of injuries, mostly backs, shoulders, knees, and crush or fall injuries, and a particular pattern of insurer responses. The adjuster says the problem is degenerative, or that you were hurt at home, or that you waited too long to report. Each of those arguments has an answer, but only if the evidence is gathered while it still exists.
Mississippi comp is a no-fault system administered by a state agency rather than a jury. That changes how a case is built. Medical records, a clear work history, and consistent reporting carry far more weight than testimony about how unfair the situation feels.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Greene County Comp Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that serves injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, including Greene County and the communities around it. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle one when it walks in. We have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and we collect a fee only if we recover benefits or a settlement for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish (hablamos español).
The people doing the work matter. 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 successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and regularly appears for injured workers before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
The results reflect the kinds of injuries Greene County workers actually suffer: $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 when his work vehicle was struck, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients consistently describe the same things in their reviews: attorneys who listen, who take on the insurance company directly, and who keep them informed.
Injuries and Claim Types We Handle for Greene County Workers
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lifting, loading, and years of logging or hauling produce herniated lumbar and cervical discs. Insurers routinely blame degenerative disc disease, and the response is medical evidence showing the job caused or aggravated the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common among equipment operators, pipe handlers, and laborers. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, so prior records need to be addressed head-on.
- Fractures and Crush Injuries: Falls from trailers, timber and log-handling accidents, and equipment incidents break feet, ankles, hips, and other bones, often requiring surgery and specialist care that insurers are slow to approve.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Oilfield and industrial sites produce serious burns and life-altering trauma. These claims involve long-term medical needs and the largest benefit questions.
- Truck Drivers and Work-Vehicle Crashes: Hauling is a major local industry. A crash on the job can support a comp claim and a separate personal injury claim against the at-fault driver.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job are recognized claim categories we handle.
- Denied, Delayed, and Terminated Benefits: Claims denied outright, checks that stop without warning, and pressure to return to work before a doctor releases you all fall into this category.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Greene County
Report the injury to your employer promptly, and in writing if you can. Mississippi gives you 30 days from the accident to give notice, and a late report hands the insurer its easiest argument. Get your own copy of whatever you submit. Ask for medical care right away and tell every provider the injury happened at work and exactly how, because the first chart note often becomes the most quoted document in the file.
Mississippi workers are covered from the first day on the job, with no waiting period. Coverage applies to employers with five or more employees, and injured workers often assume a small crew or a short tenure disqualifies them. It does not, and employer size and status questions are something to raise with us rather than accept from a supervisor.
The filing deadline is separate from the notice 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 Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. If benefits were paid, the clock can run from the last payment. Do not treat voluntary payments as a reason to wait; they can stop at any time. These deadlines come from Mississippi Code section 71-3-35.
Your claim is heard by the Commission, not a county court. Evidentiary hearings take place before an Administrative Judge. A party who disagrees with that decision can seek review by the Full Commission, which meets in Jackson and works from the record already made, so the hearing before the judge is your one real chance to build the evidence. From there, a final Commission award can be appealed within 30 days to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which often assigns the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Appeals are decided on the existing record, which is why preparation at the front end decides most outcomes.
The most common mistakes are giving a recorded statement without preparation, assuming a family doctor’s note will be enough, returning to full duty before you are healed, posting about physical activity online, and signing settlement paperwork before you understand what it closes. If your employer or the carrier is telling you something that conflicts with your doctor, call us before you respond.
How Mississippi Comp Benefits Work and Where Claims Go Wrong
Benefits include reasonable and necessary medical treatment, wage replacement, and compensation for permanent impairment. For temporary and permanent total disability, wage benefits are two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a weekly maximum set by the Legislature, and generally capped at 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability in most categories is also limited to 450 weeks. Because the maximum rate is adjusted periodically, the rate that applies to you depends on your injury date and your earnings.
Where claims go wrong is usually not the injury itself but the characterization of it. Carriers contest whether the accident happened at work, argue a pre-existing condition is the real cause, or send you to a doctor whose opinion supports ending treatment. A pre-existing condition does not end a claim if work caused, worsened, or accelerated it. Answering that argument takes treating-physician opinions, imaging comparisons, and a detailed work history showing what your job demanded of your body.
Return-to-work disputes are the other pressure point. If you are released with restrictions and your employer cannot or will not accommodate them, or offers a job you cannot perform, your wage loss may continue. Getting those restrictions documented clearly matters more than most workers realize.
When the Injury Involves Someone Besides Your Employer
Comp generally prevents you from suing your own employer, but it does not block claims against others. A driver who strikes your work truck, a contractor whose unsafe site causes a fall, or a manufacturer of defective equipment can be a separate source of recovery. We represent injured people in car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death cases, and we coordinate those claims with the comp claim so one does not undermine the other. In Mississippi, most negligence claims carry a three-year filing period, and recovery is reduced by your share of fault rather than barred. Claims against a government entity carry a much shorter one-year limit and a notice requirement.
Greene County Workers’ Compensation Questions
Do I need a lawyer for a Greene County workers’ comp claim?
Not every claim requires one, but if benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if you will be out of work for a long time, a lawyer changes the outcome. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys; you should have someone doing the same for you.
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. Attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report my injury?
In Mississippi you must notify your employer within 30 days of the accident. Do it immediately and in writing whenever possible.
How long do I have to file a claim in Mississippi?
Generally two years from the date of injury to file a Petition to Controvert with the Commission, or from the last compensation payment if benefits were paid. Do not wait to find out whether the deadline has been extended.
What if the insurance company says my injury is pre-existing?
That does not automatically defeat your claim. If your work caused, aggravated, or accelerated the condition, benefits may still be owed. Strong medical opinions are the core of answering this argument.
Can my employer fire me for filing a claim?
Mississippi protects 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.
My employer has only a few workers. Am I still covered?
Mississippi requires coverage for employers with five or more employees, and coverage begins the first day you work. If you are unsure whether your employer qualifies, we can look into it, because workers are often told they are not covered when they are.
Will my health insurance pay for treatment while my comp claim is pending?
Treatment for a work injury is the comp carrier’s responsibility, and health insurers often resist paying for it. If the carrier denies care, you may be left choosing between paying out of pocket and going without. A lawyer can press for authorization or a hearing so you are not stuck.
What happens if the Administrative Judge rules against me?
You can seek review by the Full Commission, which examines the record made before the judge rather than hearing the case fresh. Because new evidence is not simply added at that stage, a thoroughly prepared hearing is essential.
I was hurt in a truck crash while working. Can I recover more than comp?
Possibly. If another driver caused the crash, you may have a personal injury claim in addition to comp benefits. Mississippi’s comparative negligence rule reduces recovery by your share of fault instead of barring it, and the two claims must be handled so that benefits and settlements do not conflict.
Can I get help in 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.
What if I live in Greene County but was hurt working in Louisiana?
Where you were hurt and where your employer operates affect which state’s rules apply. We handle claims in both states, so we can sort out which system governs and make sure you meet that state’s notice and filing deadlines.
Serving Greene County and the Surrounding Region
We represent injured workers in Greene County, including Leakesville, the county seat, and the surrounding communities that depend on timber, hauling, and oilfield work. Our reach extends to neighboring Pine Belt and Gulf Coast communities, including Hattiesburg, and across south Mississippi to the Gulf Coast. We also serve workers in Jackson, Madison, Southaven, the Delta, and north Mississippi.
Because many Greene County workers cross state lines for jobs, we also represent injured workers throughout Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport, as well as south Louisiana and north Louisiana. Wherever you were hurt, we can take the claim from denial to hearing to appeal.
Talk With a Greene County Workers’ Compensation Attorney
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to take on the insurance company by yourself. A Greene County workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which deadlines apply to you, and tell you plainly where your claim stands. 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.
