Hattiesburg Forklift & Crane Accident Lawyer
Workers in Hattiesburg and across Forrest and Lamar counties who have been hurt by a forklift or a crane are usually asked to make decisions before they have had time to think: give a recorded statement, sign a form, see the company’s clinic. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles workers’ compensation and related injury claims for people hurt on the job throughout Mississippi and South Louisiana, and a Hattiesburg forklift and crane accident lawyer from our firm can take those decisions off your plate.
Forklift and crane injuries are rarely minor. A tipped forklift can pin an operator or crush a pedestrian’s foot. A dropped load, a failed rigging point, or a boom that contacts a power line can cause fractures, crush injuries, burns, and spinal damage. Hattiesburg’s warehouses, distribution centers, lumber and building supply yards, construction sites, and industrial plants all depend on this equipment every day, and the injuries that come from it tend to need surgery, long recovery, and months away from work.
Most of these claims start in the workers’ compensation system, which pays medical care and wage benefits without proving anyone was careless. But equipment accidents often involve more than one company, which can open a second path to compensation beyond comp. Sorting out which path applies is the first real job of a lawyer on one of these cases.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Forklift or Crane Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm representing injured workers in Hattiesburg, throughout Forrest and Lamar counties, and across Mississippi and Louisiana. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury only when one walks in. We work the other way around. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of your case, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits or a settlement for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish.
The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Results relevant to heavy-equipment and industrial injuries include $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 after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Forklift and crane accidents so often end in back, shoulder, and lower-extremity damage that these outcomes speak directly to the kind of medical evidence these cases demand.
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, which matters when a third-party lawsuit runs alongside the comp claim. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team. Clients consistently describe lawyers who listened, stayed professional, and stood up to the insurance company at every step.
Common Forklift and Crane Injuries We See in Workers’ Comp Claims
- Tip-Over and Crush Injuries: Forklifts carrying raised or uneven loads can roll over, trapping an operator’s legs or torso. Crush injuries often mean multiple surgeries, hardware in the bones, and a long period before a doctor will release you for any work.
- Pedestrian Strikes in Warehouses and Yards: Workers on foot are hit in loading docks, aisles, and lumber yards where traffic patterns are poorly marked or mirrors and warning alarms are missing. Foot, ankle, hip, and pelvic fractures are typical.
- Falling Loads and Dropped Materials: A pallet shifts, a fork slips, or a crane lift fails and steel, pipe, or lumber comes down. Head, neck, and spinal injuries are common, and the insurer may later argue the worker was careless.
- Crane Boom and Rigging Failures: Overloaded cranes, worn slings, improper rigging, and bad ground conditions at construction and industrial sites cause some of the most catastrophic injuries, including death.
- Electrical Contact and Burns: Cranes and raised forks that touch overhead power lines send current through the equipment and into nearby workers, causing severe burns and cardiac injuries.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Herniated discs from a sudden impact or years of vibration and jarring on a forklift seat. Insurers often blame degenerative disc disease; we answer with medical evidence tying the injury to the work.
- Shoulder and Knee Tears: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, and meniscus injuries from catching a falling load, bracing in a rollover, or climbing in and out of equipment.
- Fatal Equipment Accidents: When a worker dies, surviving family members may be entitled to death benefits through comp and, in some cases, a wrongful death claim against a negligent outside party.
What to Do After a Forklift or Crane Accident in Hattiesburg
Get medical care first, and tell the provider exactly how the accident happened. What you say at that first visit becomes the foundation of the medical record, and insurers read it closely. If you can, ask a coworker to photograph the equipment, the load, the area, and any warning signs or missing safeguards before anyone cleans up or repairs anything.
Report the injury to your employer in writing. In Mississippi, you have 30 days from the accident to give notice, and waiting risks the whole claim. Keep a copy. Mississippi coverage begins your first day on the job with no waiting period, so being new is not a reason to hold back.
Next comes the filing deadline. If no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the injury, the right to benefits can be barred unless a claim is filed with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission in that window. The usual way to start a contested case is a Petition to Controvert. The Commission, not a court, administers these claims, and cases are heard by an Administrative Judge, with review available before the Full Commission. That review is based on the record already made; it is not a new trial. A final award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, which may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
Be careful with the insurance adjuster. Do not give a recorded statement before speaking with a lawyer, do not sign medical releases broader than necessary, and do not let anyone talk you into returning to work before your doctor clears you. Those are the moves that later become “you were fine” or “you went back voluntarily.” If the equipment belonged to or was operated by a company other than your employer, say so in your first consultation. Preserve any shoes, clothing, or personal gear involved.
How Forklift and Crane Claims Unfold, From Injury to Resolution
Most cases follow a recognizable arc. First comes treatment, often with an orthopedic surgeon or spine specialist, and the insurer’s decision to accept or deny the claim. Denials in equipment cases often rest on three arguments: the worker was not following procedure, the injury was a pre-existing condition, or the accident did not happen as described. Each is answered with medical records, witness accounts, and work history.
While you recover, wage benefits in Mississippi run at two-thirds of your average weekly wage up to a statutory weekly maximum, and total disability benefits are limited to 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability payments in most cases are also capped at 450 weeks. Once your doctor says you have reached maximum medical improvement, the fight often turns to how much permanent impairment you have and whether you can return to the same work. Many cases resolve by settlement after that point, but a denied or underpaid claim may need a hearing before an Administrative Judge.
Where a third party is involved, the picture widens. A forklift manufacturer with a defective brake, a crane rental company that sent an uninspected machine, or a general contractor running an unsafe site may be sued for negligence in addition to your comp claim. Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence, so partial fault reduces recovery rather than eliminating it, and negligence claims generally carry a three-year time limit. Claims against a county or governmental agency are different, with a one-year limit and a notice requirement under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. Coordinating a comp claim with an outside lawsuit matters because the comp insurer typically has a reimbursement interest in what you recover.
Forklift and Crane Accident Questions Answered
Can I get workers’ comp if the forklift accident was partly my fault?
Yes. Workers’ compensation does not require anyone to be at fault. If you were hurt in the course of your job, fault is generally not the question. Exceptions are narrow, so tell your lawyer exactly what happened.
How long do I have to report a forklift or crane injury in Mississippi?
You must notify your employer within 30 days of the accident. Do it in writing right away, and keep a copy for your records.
How long do I have to file a claim with the Commission?
If no disability benefits have been paid, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. If payments have been made, the deadline can run from the last payment. Because exceptions are fact-specific, do not wait.
Can I sue someone besides my employer after a crane accident?
Often, yes. Workers’ comp generally limits claims against your own employer, but equipment manufacturers, rental companies, subcontractors, and property owners can face negligence or product liability suits. Those claims can add compensation for pain and suffering that comp does not provide.
What if my employer says I was not trained to use the forklift?
Lack of training or certification is usually a problem for the employer, not a reason to deny your claim. Employers are responsible for who operates equipment on their sites. Do not assume an insurer’s denial based on this argument is correct.
The insurance company says my back injury is degenerative. Is my claim over?
No. A pre-existing condition does not end a claim when work caused, worsened, or accelerated it. Strong medical opinions linking the accident to your current symptoms are the key to winning this argument.
Will workers’ comp pay for surgery after a crush injury?
Comp covers reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the injury, including surgery, therapy, and follow-up care. Insurers sometimes delay or contest approvals, which is another reason to involve a lawyer early.
What if a coworker was driving the forklift that hit me?
You can generally still claim comp. Suing a coworker personally is typically barred in this setting, but the equipment owner, manufacturer, or a separate contractor may be a viable target for a third-party claim.
Can I be fired for filing a comp claim after an equipment accident?
Mississippi and Louisiana both protect workers from retaliation for filing a claim. If you were terminated or disciplined after reporting the injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review your options.
What if the accident killed a family member?
Death benefits may be available through workers’ compensation, and a wrongful death claim may exist against a negligent third party. Mississippi generally allows three years for negligence-based wrongful death claims and one year for intentional torts, and claims against government entities carry shorter limits. Speak with a lawyer quickly.
What if the accident happened across the state line in Louisiana?
Louisiana has its own rules. Notice is due within 30 days, a claim generally must be filed within one year, and cases are heard by workers’ compensation judges at the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration. Our firm handles claims in both states.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance case costs, 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.
Serving Forklift and Crane Injury Clients Across Hattiesburg and the Pine Belt
We represent injured workers in Hattiesburg and throughout Forrest County, along with neighboring communities in Lamar County such as Purvis and Lumberton. Our clients come from the warehouses, plants, and job sites that surround the Hattiesburg area, and from nearby Petal, Sumrall, Oak Grove, and Bay Springs. We also serve workers in the wider South Mississippi region, including the Gulf Coast.
Beyond the Pine Belt, we handle claims statewide, from Jackson and Madison to Southaven, north Mississippi, and the Delta. In Louisiana, we serve injured workers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and communities throughout South Louisiana and north Louisiana. Wherever a forklift or crane injury happened, the same deadlines and the same insurer tactics are likely to follow.
Talk With a Hattiesburg Forklift Accident Attorney Today
If a forklift or crane has injured you or taken someone in your family, a Hattiesburg crane accident attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain what benefits and claims are open to you, and deal with the employer and insurer while you 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 your claim. We help injured workers. That is all we do.
