Hernando Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in Hernando and throughout DeSoto County, from the warehouses and distribution centers along the Interstate 55 and Interstate 69 corridors to the construction sites and trucking operations that keep north Mississippi moving. The firm handles workers’ compensation claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off, and it serves injured people across Mississippi and South Louisiana.
If you are searching for a Hernando workers’ compensation lawyer, you are probably in one of two situations. Either you got hurt at work and you are not sure what happens next, or the insurance carrier has already told you something you do not agree with: the injury was not work-related, it was a pre-existing condition, or your doctor’s restrictions no longer matter. A claim in Mississippi does not go to a county courtroom. It goes before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, and the way you document the first few weeks often decides how the rest of the case goes.
Hernando sits in the heart of one of the busiest logistics regions in the state, and that shapes the kinds of injuries we see: forklift and loading dock accidents, repetitive lifting that wrecks a lower back, falls from trailers, and wrecks involving company vehicles on the interstates. Those cases look different from a single dramatic accident, and insurers know how to exploit that difference.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Work Injury Claim in DeSoto County
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that serves injured workers in Hernando, the rest of DeSoto County, and communities across Mississippi and Louisiana. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle one when it happens to walk in. Workers’ compensation is the center of this firm’s practice. Our attorneys bring over 75 combined years of experience to claims, and 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 we recover benefits for you. Attorney fees in comp cases are also limited and approved under state law. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish (hablamos español), which matters in a region where so many warehouse and construction crews are bilingual.
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 represents 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 that come out of physical jobs. 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 he was struck in his work vehicle. Smaller and mid-sized recoveries matter just as much to the people who receive them, including settlements for a delivery driver with a lumbar injury, a truck driver with a meniscus tear, and a diesel mechanic with a SLAP tear. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, explains the process, and stands up to the insurance company on their behalf.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Hernando Workplaces
- Back, neck, and spine injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are common among warehouse pickers, dock workers, and drivers. Insurers often point to degenerative disc disease, and we answer with medical evidence showing how repetitive physical work or a single incident caused or worsened the condition.
- Shoulder and knee injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears often follow overhead lifting, awkward pallet handling, or a slip on a loading dock. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, and that argument has to be met with imaging and treating-physician opinions.
- Truck and delivery driver accidents: Drivers hauling freight through the Interstate 55 and Interstate 69 corridors can be hurt in crashes while on the clock. These cases may support both a comp claim and a separate claim against the at-fault driver.
- Fractures: Feet, ankles, hips, and other bones broken in falls from trailers, ladders, or scaffolding can require specialists and complex surgical repair, with long stretches away from work.
- Burns and catastrophic injuries: Industrial settings, plants, and job sites can produce severe burns and life-altering trauma that call for lifetime medical planning, not a quick settlement.
- Repetitive stress and occupational conditions: Injuries that develop over months of lifting, gripping, or standing are compensable, but they are easier for a carrier to dispute because there is no single moment of injury to point to.
- Firefighter and first responder claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job can all give rise to claims.
- Third-party injury claims: When a negligent driver, contractor, or equipment maker is responsible, a personal injury claim may exist alongside your comp benefits, and the two have to be coordinated.
What to Do in the First Days After a Hernando Work Injury
Start with the clock. In Mississippi you must report the injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident, and the sooner the better, in writing if you can. Do not wait to see whether the pain goes away. Insurers use delay as proof that the injury was not serious or did not happen at work. Ask for the name of the carrier and keep a copy of anything you sign.
Get medical care and be specific with every provider about how and where you were hurt. A vague note in a chart that says “back pain” with no mention of work gives the adjuster something to use later. Follow your doctor’s restrictions even if a supervisor pressures you to push through. Returning to full duty before you are cleared is one of the most common ways workers end up reinjured and then accused of having a separate problem.
The filing deadline is separate from the reporting deadline. Mississippi law generally gives you two years from the date of injury, or from the last compensation payment, to file a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Missing it can bar your claim, which is why a denial should never be left sitting. Mississippi covers workers from their first day on the job, with no waiting period, so a new hire is not out of luck.
If the carrier denies the claim, the case is heard by an Administrative Judge at the Commission, and a decision can be reviewed by the Full Commission, which examines the record made at the hearing rather than holding a new trial. A final Commission award can then be appealed within 30 days, and the Mississippi Supreme Court may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Because appeals are decided on the existing record, the evidence you build at the first hearing is the evidence you live with. That is the strongest reason to involve a lawyer before the hearing, not after.
Finally, keep your own file: photos of the scene, names of coworkers who saw what happened, pay stubs, a list of every provider you see, and a log of missed work. Avoid giving a recorded statement to the carrier until you have talked with a Hernando workers’ comp attorney, because those statements are routinely used to narrow what counts as work-related.
How Mississippi Wage Benefits Work and Where Carriers Cut Corners
For total disability, temporary or permanent, Mississippi pays two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum set by the Legislature, for as long as 450 weeks. Partial disability payments are capped at 450 weeks as well. Those weekly figures are adjusted over time, so ask about the current rate rather than relying on an old number. Medical care related to the injury is covered in addition to wage benefits.
Most disputes in Hernando-area claims fall into a few patterns. The carrier may deny that the injury happened at work, especially when no one saw it. It may argue that a pre-existing condition, not the job, is to blame, even though a job that worsened or accelerated a condition can still be compensable. It may stop checks without warning, delay approval of surgery or an MRI, or steer you to a doctor who releases you early. Each of these has a counter, and each counter depends on medical evidence and witness testimony gathered early.
Permanent impairment is where settlement value is really determined. After you reach maximum medical improvement, the question becomes how much of your earning capacity you have lost, and whether you can return to the job you had. A warehouse worker who can no longer lift or stand for a full shift is in a very different position from an office employee with the same diagnosis, and a lawyer who understands that difference will value the claim accordingly.
Common Questions About Hernando Workers’ Compensation Claims
Do I need a workers’ compensation lawyer in Hernando?
Not every claim requires one, but if your benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if you will be out of work for a long time, a lawyer can make a major difference. The carrier has adjusters and attorneys protecting its side, and you should have someone protecting yours.
How much does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and you owe a fee 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. Do it right away and in writing if possible, because the 30-day window is a ceiling, not a target.
How long do I have to file a claim in Mississippi?
Generally two years from the date of injury or the last compensation payment. The filing is a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. If no benefits were ever paid, the two-year period is firm.
Am I covered if I was just hired?
Yes. Mississippi workers’ compensation coverage begins on the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement.
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 disciplined after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review what happened.
What if the carrier says my injury is from a pre-existing condition?
That argument does not automatically defeat a claim. If your work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, benefits may still be owed. Winning this issue usually depends on clear medical opinions tying the job to the change in your condition.
Will I get a hearing in a courtroom?
Not at first. Comp claims are heard by an Administrative Judge at the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, which is an administrative agency rather than a court. Court review comes only on appeal.
My injury happened while driving a company vehicle on the interstate. Is that only a comp claim?
Not necessarily. If another driver caused the crash, you may have a personal injury claim against that driver in addition to your comp benefits. The two claims interact, and handling them together keeps one from undermining the other.
My employer is in Louisiana but I live near Hernando. Which state’s rules apply?
It depends on where the job is based and where the injury occurred. Louisiana requires notice within 30 days and generally a filed claim within one year of the accident, which is shorter than Mississippi’s period. Because the deadlines differ, anyone working across the state line should get advice quickly. The firm handles claims in both states.
Can I get workers’ comp while a personal injury claim is pending?
Yes. Your comp medical care and wage benefits generally continue while a claim against a third party moves forward. The carrier may have reimbursement rights from a third-party recovery, which is one reason to coordinate both claims.
What if I have trouble communicating in English?
Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case, so nothing gets lost between you and your attorney.
Serving Injured Workers Across Hernando and DeSoto County
Our work for injured workers starts in Hernando and extends across DeSoto County, including Southaven, Olive Branch, Horn Lake, Walls, Nesbit, and Lake Cormorant. We also help workers in neighboring north Mississippi communities and across the state, from Jackson and Madison to Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast, and the Delta. Many of the people we represent commute into the Memphis area for work, and we help them sort out which rules apply when a job and a home sit on different sides of a state line.
The firm’s reach goes beyond Mississippi. We represent injured workers throughout South Louisiana and the rest of the state, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport. Whether you were hurt in a distribution center near Hernando, on a job site in north Mississippi, or on a work trip elsewhere in either state, we can talk through your claim.
Talk With a Hernando Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job and the carrier is denying, delaying, or shrinking your benefits, a Hernando workers’ compensation attorney from Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened and tell you where you stand. Call us any time, day or night. Consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. We help injured workers, and that is all we do.
