Jackson Head & Brain Injury Lawyer
A head injury on the job in Hinds County rarely stays a head injury case for long. A concussion that looks minor at the scene can turn into months of headaches, memory gaps, and trouble holding a full shift, and the insurance adjuster handling the claim is usually the first to suggest that you are fine. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, and our attorneys handle claims involving head trauma and brain injuries for people hurt on construction sites, in plants, on the road, and in hospitals and warehouses around Jackson.
If you are searching for a Jackson head and brain injury lawyer, you are probably in one of two places. Either you were hurt at work and the claim is being questioned, or you were hurt in a wreck or a fall and you are trying to work out whether comp, a lawsuit, or both apply. Brain injuries make both paths harder because the damage often does not show up on a first scan, the symptoms are easy to dismiss, and the person living with them is not always the best judge of how much they have changed. The sections below cover how these claims actually work in Mississippi, where they tend to go wrong, and what to do now.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Head or Brain Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC serves injured workers in Jackson, Madison, and Hinds County, across the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and the Delta, and throughout South Louisiana. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle a work injury only when one walks in the door; we built the firm the other way around. Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off, and we have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish.
Rob Lunsford, our 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 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, and Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the team.
The results matter here because serious head and spine injuries often travel together. We 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 after being struck in his work vehicle. Those cases turned on medical evidence and on answering the insurer’s explanation for why the worker was not as hurt as claimed, which is the same fight a brain injury claim usually involves. Our clients regularly describe a team that listens, stays in contact, and goes toe to toe with the insurance company.
Where Head and Brain Injuries Happen to Workers Around Jackson
- Falls from ladders, scaffolds, and roofs: Construction and renovation work across the Jackson metro, from Madison and Ridgeland to downtown projects, produces falls where the head strikes concrete, steel, or a lower level. Even with a hard hat, the impact can cause concussion, skull fracture, or bleeding in the brain.
- Struck-by incidents: A dropped tool, a swinging load, a falling pipe, or a shifting pallet can hit a worker in the head. Plants, distribution centers, and industrial sites see these regularly, and the resulting injuries may include both a visible wound and a less visible traumatic brain injury.
- Work vehicle wrecks: Truck drivers, delivery drivers, and field employees travel I-55, I-20, and the Highway 80 and State Street corridors. A crash can cause a head strike against the window, wheel, or pillar even when the worker walks away from the scene. If another driver caused it, a separate injury claim may exist alongside comp.
- Industrial and oilfield accidents: Explosions, equipment failures, and falls on rigs and in plants can cause blast or impact injuries. Burns and head trauma sometimes occur in the same event, which complicates both treatment and the way the claim is documented.
- Healthcare and caregiving assaults: Nurses, aides, and other staff at Jackson-area hospitals and care facilities can be struck by combative patients. A blow to the head in that setting is still a work injury, and the claim should say exactly how it happened.
- Slips on wet or cluttered floors: Warehouses, kitchens, loading docks, and retail floors produce falls where the back of the head hits the ground. These are the cases insurers are most tempted to call minor.
- First responder exposure: Firefighters and other first responders can suffer head injuries at fire scenes, collapses, and roadway incidents, and may also face job-related conditions that develop over time.
What to Do After a Head Injury at Work in Jackson
Start with medical care, and be specific with every provider about how the injury happened and what you are experiencing. Concussion symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, light sensitivity, confusion, irritability, and trouble concentrating can be delayed. If you were seen once and sent home, and the symptoms are getting worse or not going away, go back. A record that shows you reported symptoms early is far stronger than one that shows a gap.
Report the injury to your employer, in writing if you can. In Mississippi, you must give notice within 30 days of the accident, and that deadline is not a suggestion. Ask a coworker or supervisor who saw what happened to write down what they saw, and keep your own notes about symptoms, missed work, and any problems at home or on the job. A spouse or family member is often the first to notice personality changes, memory problems, or mood shifts, and their observations can become useful evidence.
The claim itself is filed with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, which is an administrative body and not a court. You generally have two years from the date of injury, or from the last compensation payment, to file a Petition to Controvert. Do not wait that long. Coverage begins on your first day of employment, there is no waiting period, and the sooner the claim is on file, the harder it is for the insurer to run out the clock on a dispute. If benefits are denied, the case goes before an Administrative Judge at an evidentiary hearing. A party who disagrees with that decision can ask the Full Commission to review it, and the Full Commission works from the record already made, so the evidence you put in at the first hearing is the evidence that counts. From there, a final award can be appealed within thirty days to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which often assigns the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
A few common mistakes hurt brain injury claims. Workers return to full duty before a doctor has cleared them. They tell the adjuster they are “doing okay” in a recorded statement. They skip follow-up visits because they feel foggy and overwhelmed. They accept the company doctor’s first opinion without asking whether a neurologist or neuropsychologist should be involved. Talk to a lawyer before you give any recorded statement, and before you agree to a return-to-work plan you do not feel ready for.
How Insurers Fight Brain Injury Claims
The carrier’s playbook on head injuries is predictable. The first move is to say the accident did not happen the way you describe, or did not happen at work. The second is to point to a pre-existing condition: prior concussions from sports, migraines, depression, anxiety, or ordinary aging. The third is to argue that a normal CT or MRI means there is nothing wrong. A normal scan does not rule out a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury, and treating physicians, neurologists, and neuropsychological testing are what usually fill that gap.
A pre-existing condition does not end a comp claim. If your work caused the injury, worsened it, or accelerated it, benefits may still be owed. Building that case takes records from before and after the injury, testimony about what you could do before and cannot do now, and medical opinions that explain the difference. Our attorneys build that evidence from the start rather than waiting for the insurer to raise the issue.
Benefits in Mississippi include reasonable and necessary medical care and wage replacement. Temporary and permanent total disability pay up to two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum and a cap of 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability is generally limited to 450 weeks as well. Head injuries often mean a long recovery, so how a case is valued, and whether a settlement fairly accounts for future medical needs, matters a great deal. A brain injury that affects your ability to concentrate, supervise, drive, or work at height may reduce your earning capacity in ways a simple impairment rating does not capture.
When a Head Injury Also Supports a Separate Injury Lawsuit
Workers’ compensation generally limits what you can recover from your employer, but it does not shield everyone else. If a negligent driver hit your work vehicle, a subcontractor left an unsafe site, or a defective product failed, you may have a personal injury claim against that third party in addition to your comp benefits. That claim can address pain and suffering and other losses that comp does not. The two claims must be handled together so that a settlement in one does not damage the other. Our firm represents injured people in car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death cases, and we coordinate those claims with the comp case.
Deadlines differ. Most Mississippi injury lawsuits that do not have a shorter period of their own must be filed within three years, and a latent injury may be measured from when it was or should have been discovered. Claims against a county or other government body face a one-year limit and notice requirements. Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence, so being partly at fault reduces a recovery rather than eliminating it. Because these periods run on separate clocks from your comp deadlines, it is worth sorting out early which claims you have.
Jackson Head and Brain Injury Questions Answered
Is a concussion covered by workers’ compensation in Mississippi?
Yes, if it resulted from your work. Medical treatment, including specialist visits and testing, and wage benefits while you cannot work are available when the injury arose out of and in the course of employment. The challenge is usually proving the extent of the injury, not whether concussions can qualify.
How long do I have to report a head injury to my employer?
You must give your employer notice within 30 days of the accident. Do it in writing when possible and keep a copy. Waiting can give the insurer an argument that your claim is barred.
How long do I have to file the claim in Mississippi?
Generally two years from the date of injury or the last compensation payment, by filing a Petition to Controvert with the Workers’ Compensation Commission. Exceptions can apply when benefits were already paid, so speak with an attorney as soon as you can.
Do I need a lawyer for a brain injury claim?
Not every claim needs one, but head injuries are among the claims where it helps most. The symptoms are subjective, the medical proof is specialized, and insurers often dispute causation. If benefits have been denied, delayed, or cut off, or you expect a long absence from work, you should talk to a lawyer.
What 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. Comp attorney fees are limited and approved under state law.
Can the insurance company say my symptoms are from an old injury?
They can try. A prior concussion or condition does not automatically defeat a claim. If work caused, worsened, or sped up the problem, you may still be entitled to benefits, and medical evidence comparing your condition before and after is how that argument is won.
My CT scan was normal. Does that hurt my claim?
It does not end it. Mild traumatic brain injuries often do not appear on standard imaging. Neurological evaluation, neuropsychological testing, and consistent treatment records carry real weight in these cases.
Can I choose my own doctor after a work head injury?
Mississippi has rules about selecting and changing treating physicians, and the details can affect your care and your claim. Before you settle on a provider or agree to see only the one the insurer picks, ask an attorney how the rules apply to you, especially if a neurologist is needed.
What if my head injury was caused by a coworker or a driver who is not my employer?
You may have a comp claim and a separate injury claim against the responsible third party. The two should be coordinated so that benefits and recoveries do not conflict.
What happens if my injury left me unable to return to my old job?
Wage benefits and, depending on the facts, permanent disability benefits may apply. Cognitive and balance problems can disqualify a worker from heights, driving, or machinery even when other physical injuries are modest, and how that loss is measured and documented affects the value of the claim.
Can my employer fire me for filing a claim?
Mississippi protects workers from being fired in retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us so we can review your options.
Do you handle head injury cases outside Jackson?
Yes. We represent injured workers statewide in Mississippi and Louisiana, and we can work with Spanish-speaking clients in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Serving Head and Brain Injury Clients Across Hinds County and Beyond
Our work for injured workers starts in Jackson and Hinds County. We represent clients throughout the First Judicial District, including Jackson, Byram, Clinton, and Terry, and those in the Second Judicial District communities of Raymond, Bolton, Utica, and Edwards. We also serve workers in neighboring Madison County, including Madison and Ridgeland, and in Rankin County, including Brandon, Pearl, and Flowood, along with the broader Jackson metro.
Beyond the capital area, our team represents injured workers across the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven and north Mississippi, and the Delta. Claims there follow the same Workers’ Compensation Commission process, and we handle them wherever the injury occurred. We also represent workers across South Louisiana and throughout that state, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport, as well as north Louisiana.
Talk to a Jackson Brain Injury Attorney Today
If you hit your head at work and things have not felt right since, or you are watching a family member struggle after a workplace accident, talk to a Jackson head and brain injury attorney before the insurance company defines your claim for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC today, or send us your case details, and let us tell you where your claim stands and what to do next.
