Jackson Jones Act Lawyer
A deckhand who is hurt on a towboat working the Mississippi River system, or a roughneck injured on an offshore platform, quickly finds that the usual workers’ compensation rules do not govern the claim. Seamen are treated differently under federal maritime law, and that difference changes who can be sued, what must be proven, and which court hears the case. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation and injury firm that represents hurt workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, and it works with people in Jackson, Hinds County, and the surrounding communities who need to know whether they are a seaman or a land-based worker.
If you are searching for a Jackson Jones Act lawyer, the first question is classification, not fault. The Jones Act is a federal statute that lets qualifying maritime employees sue their employers for negligence. State workers’ compensation, by contrast, pays benefits without regard to fault, but within fixed limits. Which system applies depends on what you do for a living, how much of your work is tied to a vessel, and where that vessel operates. Getting that answer wrong early can cost you the claim you actually had.
Who Qualifies as a Seaman and Why Jackson Workers Ask
Jackson is not a seaport, but this is a state with a working river on its western edge, a Gulf Coast to the south, and neighbors to the south and west whose economies run on barges, tugs, offshore rigs, and dredging. Mississippi and Louisiana workers regularly move between land jobs and vessel jobs, and it is common for someone to live in the Jackson area while being assigned to a crew elsewhere. Where you live does not decide whether you are a seaman. Your work does.
Courts generally look at two things. First, whether your duties contribute to the function or mission of a vessel. Second, whether your connection to a vessel or a fleet of vessels is substantial in both duration and nature. A worker who spends a significant share of a work period aboard vessels, or who is assigned to a fleet under common ownership or control, is in a very different position than a shore-side employee who steps onto a boat now and then. A vessel for these purposes is a broad concept and can include barges, tugs, dredges, crew boats, and jack-up or floating drilling units, though it does not include every structure that floats.
This is why a conversation about your job duties matters more than the job title on your paycheck. Two workers with the same title can fall on opposite sides of the line. Our attorneys look at crew assignments, logbooks, pay records, and how time was actually spent before advising which path fits.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Jones Act or Maritime Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including Jackson, Madison, the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Delta, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Free consultations, no fee unless benefits are recovered, advanced case costs, round-the-clock phone answering, and Spanish-speaking service (Hablamos español) are part of how the firm works.
That focus matters on a seaman’s claim because the first and hardest task is often deciding which legal system governs. Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe, 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, which is relevant because a Jones Act negligence claim can be decided by a jury. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
The firm’s results come from the injury categories that most often drive maritime and offshore claims. They include a $685,000 settlement 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. We list these as examples of the firm’s work with serious industrial injuries, and every case turns on its own facts and evidence. Clients who have written about the firm describe a team that listens, communicates, and stays with them through the insurance company’s pushback.
Injuries and Claim Types We See in Maritime and Offshore Work
- Back, neck, and spine injuries: Heavy lifting, pulling line and pipe, and working on moving decks put constant strain on the spine. Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are common, and employers often point to degenerative disc disease as the cause.
- Shoulder and arm injuries: Derrickhands and deckhands who handle large pipe, cable, and rigging tear rotator cuffs and SLAP tears. A comparable shoulder case from the firm’s record involved a derrickhand injured pulling large pipe.
- Knee injuries: Steel decks, ladders, and steep gangways produce meniscus and ligament tears, and the insurer will often call the injury an old sports problem.
- Burns and catastrophic injuries: Rigs, plants, and industrial sites expose workers to fire, steam, and chemical hazards, and these injuries often involve multiple surgeries and long recovery.
- Fractures: Falls on slick decks, crushed hands and feet in mooring or line handling, and hip and ankle breaks may need specialist surgical repair and extended time off.
- Vehicle crashes during work travel: Crew change runs, supply hauls, and trips to a dock can produce collisions, and a negligent third-party driver can create a separate injury claim alongside the workplace claim.
- Occupational illness and exposure: Repeated exposure to fumes, noise, or chemicals aboard a vessel or around a platform can cause conditions that develop over time rather than in one incident.
What to Do After an Injury Where the Job Involves Vessels or Offshore Work
Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as you can, and do not wait to see whether it gets better. Under Mississippi workers’ compensation law, notice must be given within 30 days of the accident, and Louisiana workers’ compensation law also requires notice within 30 days. Maritime claims can carry their own notice and limitation rules, so the safest course is to give notice immediately and talk to a lawyer about which deadline controls your situation. Do not assume the longest deadline is the one that applies.
Get medical care and tell every provider exactly how the injury happened at work. Gaps in treatment and vague histories are what insurers use to argue the injury came from somewhere else. Keep your own copies of anything you receive, including accident reports, photographs of the scene, the names of crew members who saw what happened, and any messages from supervisors. Be careful about recorded statements to an adjuster. Insurers ask questions designed to narrow the claim, and a quick answer given in pain can be read back later.
Understand that the forum depends on the kind of claim. A Mississippi state workers’ compensation claim goes to the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, which handles claims through Administrative Judges and a Full Commission review. A final Commission award can be appealed within 30 days, and appeals are decided on the record built before the Commission. In Louisiana, comp claims go before a workers’ compensation judge at the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, and a judgment can be appealed to the court of appeal within 30 days when seeking to suspend it. A Jones Act claim, by contrast, is a negligence case, and it can be brought in state court or federal court. Federal cases arising in this part of Mississippi are filed in the Southern District of Mississippi, which holds court in Jackson, and appeals go to the Fifth Circuit.
The common mistake is signing something too early. Employers and insurers sometimes offer a quick settlement or a release before the extent of the injury is known. A release signed by a seaman can be difficult to undo, and accepting compensation benefits can complicate a later maritime claim. Talk to an attorney before you sign anything or agree to a recorded statement.
How a Jones Act Case Differs From a Workers’ Compensation Claim
Workers’ compensation is no-fault. You do not have to prove your employer did anything wrong, but benefits are limited to medical care and a portion of lost wages, subject to statutory caps. In Mississippi, the standard wage benefit is up to two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a weekly maximum and a cap of 450 weeks for total disability. Louisiana pays temporary total disability and supplemental earnings benefits under a similar two-thirds structure, with supplemental earnings benefits capped at 520 weeks.
A Jones Act claim works differently. A seaman must show that the employer, or someone for whom the employer is responsible, was negligent, but the burden is lighter than in an ordinary negligence case, and the damages are not tied to a compensation schedule. That can include pain and suffering, future lost earning capacity, and full medical expenses. A seaman may also have separate maritime remedies such as maintenance and cure, which cover living expenses and medical care while recovering, and unseaworthiness claims based on the condition of the vessel or its equipment. These claims are separate in kind, and an attorney should evaluate them together rather than choosing one too early.
Fault can also reduce a recovery. Under Mississippi law, a claimant’s share of fault reduces the award but does not bar it. Louisiana changed its comparative fault rule for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, and a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing under that rule. Maritime law applies its own comparative fault approach, so the answer depends on which body of law controls your claim.
Common Questions About Jones Act and Maritime Injury Claims in Jackson
What is the Jones Act?
It is a federal law that allows qualifying maritime workers, known as seamen, to sue their employers for negligence after a work injury. It replaces workers’ compensation for those workers, who generally cannot use the state comp system as their main remedy.
How do I know if I am a seaman?
Courts generally ask whether your work contributes to a vessel’s function and whether you have a substantial connection to a vessel or fleet in duration and nature. A conversation about your actual assignments is the quickest way to find out, because job titles alone do not settle it.
Can I get workers’ compensation instead of filing a Jones Act claim?
If you are a seaman, the Jones Act is generally your remedy. If you work on land, even in a maritime-related industry, state workers’ compensation is generally what applies. Some workers fall in a gray area, and an attorney can help you avoid choosing the wrong path.
Do I need to prove my employer was at fault?
In a Jones Act case, yes, you need to show negligence, though the standard favors the injured seaman. Workers’ compensation, by contrast, does not require proof of fault.
How long do I have to report a work injury in Mississippi?
Under Mississippi workers’ compensation law, you must report the injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident. A claim generally must be filed with the Commission within two years of the injury, with exceptions where benefits have been paid. Maritime claims can follow different deadlines, so do not rely on these numbers without speaking to a lawyer.
How long do I have in Louisiana?
Report the injury within 30 days, and a formal workers’ compensation claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident. That period can extend to three years from the last payment when benefits have been paid.
What if the insurance company says my back injury was already there?
A pre-existing condition does not end a claim automatically. If work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits, and strong medical evidence is what answers the argument.
Will I pay anything up front to hire your firm?
No. Consultations are free, the firm advances case costs, and you pay a fee only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. In workers’ compensation cases, attorney fees are limited and approved under state law.
Can I be fired for reporting an injury?
Both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from being fired in retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim. If you were let go or disciplined after reporting an injury, tell us so we can review it.
I live in the Jackson area but was hurt on a vessel working out of Louisiana or the Gulf. Where does my case go?
Where you live does not decide it. The type of work, where the injury occurred, and the law that governs the claim all matter. A Jones Act suit can often be filed in state or federal court, and the Southern District of Mississippi holds court in Jackson for counties in this region. For a Louisiana workers’ compensation claim, the worker can generally choose the parish where the injury happened, where the worker lived, or where the employer has its principal place of business.
What if a third party, not my employer, caused the injury?
You may have a separate personal injury claim against that party in addition to your benefits or maritime claim. Examples include a negligent driver, a contractor, or an equipment maker. These claims have their own deadlines, so they should be reviewed early.
Does the firm help Spanish-speaking workers?
Yes. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call through the end of the case.
Serving Jackson and Maritime-Connected Workers Across the Region
We begin with the Jackson area and Hinds County, including Jackson itself, Clinton, Byram, Terry, Raymond, Bolton, Utica, and Edwards, and extend to neighboring Rankin and Madison counties, where we serve workers in Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, Richland, Madison, and Ridgeland. From there, the firm represents injured workers across central Mississippi, the Delta, north Mississippi including Southaven, Hattiesburg and the Pine Belt, and the Gulf Coast communities where marine and offshore industries employ many workers.
Across the state line, the firm represents workers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport, as well as the communities of south and north Louisiana. Because crews and offshore workers often live in one state and are hurt in another, we regularly handle claims that cross state lines and need an attorney who is comfortable in both Mississippi and Louisiana. Whether you are a deckhand, a derrickhand, a welder on a platform, or a land-based worker trying to learn which system covers you, we serve injured workers throughout both states.
Speak With a Jackson Jones Act Attorney Today
If you were hurt working on a vessel, a barge, a rig, or in a role tied to the water, you need an answer to the classification question before the claim takes a wrong turn. A Jackson Jones Act attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your job duties, your injury, and your deadlines, and tell you which path fits. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits or a settlement for you. Call the firm today to talk through what happened.
