Jackson & New Orleans Back, Neck & Spine Injury Lawyer
Workers in Jackson and New Orleans who hurt their backs, necks, or spines on the job face a decision within days of the injury: what to tell the employer, which doctor to see, and whether to trust the insurance adjuster who calls offering to “help.” Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, and a Jackson & New Orleans back, neck & spine injury lawyer from our team handles claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off.
Spinal claims are fought differently from most other work injuries. A torn knee shows up cleanly on an MRI, but a herniated disc often appears alongside years of normal wear, and that gives an insurer an opening to call the whole thing degenerative. The worker who lifted pipe, drove a truck, stocked shelves, or stood over an operating table for a decade is then told the job had nothing to do with it. The way that argument gets answered, and how early the right medical records are built, often decides the outcome of the claim.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Spinal Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in Jackson, New Orleans, and communities across Mississippi and south Louisiana, from the Gulf Coast and the Delta to Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport. Workers’ compensation is the center of the firm’s practice. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury attorneys who handle a work injury only when one walks in the door; this firm was built the other way around. Our attorneys bring over 75 combined years of experience, and the firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. We take cases on a no recovery, no fee basis, consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and our phones are answered 24 hours a day. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call.
Back and spine cases are where much of that record was built. The firm secured a $685,000 settlement for a surgical tech with a lower back injury and $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury. A project manager struck in his work vehicle recovered $385,000 for back injuries, and a truck driver hurt in an on-the-job wreck recovered $190,000 for his lower back. Other results include $175,000 for a delivery driver with a lumbar injury, $145,000 for a retail supervisor with a back injury, and several neck injury settlements in the $115,000 to $118,000 range.
The people handling these claims matter. 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 successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict, and Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team. Clients regularly describe the same thing in their reviews: attorneys who listen, explain the process, and stay in the fight with the insurance company at every stage.
Spinal Injuries That Drive Workers’ Compensation Claims
- Lumbar Disc Herniations: The most common spinal claim, often from lifting, bending, or repetitive heavy labor. Warehouse workers, delivery drivers, construction crews, and healthcare staff who move patients are all exposed, and insurers routinely respond by pointing to degenerative disc disease.
- Cervical Disc Injuries and Neck Trauma: Herniated or bulging discs in the neck can send pain, numbness, or weakness into the arms and hands. They arise from falls, overhead work, vehicle collisions, and struck-by incidents on job sites and industrial facilities.
- Vehicle Collision Spinal Injuries: Truck drivers, sales staff, project managers, and anyone driving for work can suffer spinal damage in a crash. These cases may carry both a comp claim and a separate personal injury claim against the at-fault driver.
- Fractures and Spinal Cord Injuries: Falls from scaffolding, ladders, and rigs can fracture vertebrae or damage the spinal cord. These injuries can lead to catastrophic disability benefits and demand careful handling of medical and vocational evidence.
- Aggravation of a Pre-Existing Spine Condition: A prior back problem does not end a claim when work caused, worsened, or accelerated it. The medical question is what the job changed, and that needs a physician willing to say so in writing.
- Cumulative and Repetitive Strain Injuries: Years of vibration, lifting, or awkward posture can wear down a spine without a single dramatic event. These claims depend on documenting the physical demands of the job over time.
- Post-Surgical and Failed Back Cases: Fusions, discectomies, and implanted devices raise disputes over whether the next procedure is approved, who the treating surgeon is, and when the worker has reached maximum improvement.
What to Do After a Spine or Back Injury at Work
Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as you can. Mississippi and Louisiana both require notice within 30 days of the accident, and a missed notice window hands the insurer an easy argument. Say plainly that the injury happened at work, describe what you were doing, and keep a copy. Do not minimize it as “a ttweak” or “sore back.” Early vague statements get quoted back months later when the diagnosis turns serious.
Get medical care and tell every provider that the problem started at work. Spinal claims turn on causation, and the history recorded at the first visit carries weight. Ask your doctor to address work restrictions in writing, and follow them. If an adjuster or a company-selected physician pressures you to return to duty before your treating doctor clears you, do not simply comply, and do not sign recorded statements or medical releases broader than the injury without having someone review them.
The filing deadlines differ by state. In Mississippi, you generally have 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, which hears these claims through Administrative Judges and, on review, the Full Commission in Jackson. In Louisiana, a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, with a possible extension to three years from the last compensation payment if benefits were paid. Claims there go before workers’ compensation judges at the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, and New Orleans has its own district court for these cases. Do not wait for the deadline; evidence and witnesses are strongest early.
Louisiana has a short-fuse procedure that catches many workers off guard. When an insurer denies a recommended treatment such as an injection, surgery, or imaging, the worker has 15 calendar days after receiving written notice to file Form 1009 with the OWC, and the OWC medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide. A further challenge to that decision requires filing Form 1008 within 45 days of the decision’s issuance. Missing these windows can lock in a denial for the very surgery a spine surgeon has recommended.
If a judge rules against you, appeals have their own clocks. In Louisiana, a workers’ compensation judgment goes to the appropriate circuit court of appeal; an appeal that suspends the judgment must be filed within 30 days, and one that does not suspend it within 60. In Mississippi, an appeal from a final Commission award goes to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and the Supreme Court may assign it to the Court of Appeals. The appellate court reviews the existing record; it does not hold a new trial, which is why the evidence built at the hearing level matters so much.
How Insurers Attack Spinal Injury Claims
The degenerative disc argument is the standard play. An MRI shows disc desiccation or bulging at several levels, and the insurer’s doctor attributes everything to age. The response is medical and factual: a treating physician who explains the difference between a spine that was symptom-free and working until an incident and one that was already disabled, combined with a work history showing years of lifting, vibration, or strain. Many workers with imaging abnormalities were doing physical jobs without limits until the injury, and that distinction is the heart of the claim.
Other tactics are just as familiar. Adjusters may argue the accident was not witnessed, that the report came too late, or that the worker is exaggerating. They may send the worker to a one-time examiner who finds full capacity, or cut off wage benefits after a brief return to light duty. Surveillance and social media posts get used to suggest the injury is minor. Workers who keep consistent medical treatment, follow restrictions, and avoid casual statements to the adjuster give the insurer far less to work with.
Wage Benefits, Medical Care, and Settlement in Spine Cases
Workers’ compensation pays reasonable and necessary medical treatment, which for spine injuries can include specialist visits, injections, physical therapy, surgery, and follow-up care. It also replaces part of lost wages. In Mississippi, temporary and permanent total disability benefits run at two-thirds of the average weekly wage, up to a statutory weekly maximum and not beyond 450 weeks, and permanent partial disability payments are likewise capped at 450 weeks. Louisiana pays comparable weekly benefits subject to a maximum set by the date of the accident, and supplemental earnings benefits are available when an injured worker returns at less than 90 percent of pre-injury wages. Those benefits are paid until the worker is released to full duty, earns pre-injury wages, or reaches the 520-week limit, and weeks of temporary total disability count toward that limit.
Settlement decisions in spine cases deserve particular care. A worker who needs a future fusion or ongoing pain management and settles too early can end up paying for that care personally. Evaluating a settlement means weighing the likelihood of future surgery, the worker’s realistic ability to return to the same job, and how medical access is handled after the case closes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Back, Neck, and Spine Injury Claims
Can I get workers’ compensation for a herniated disc?
Yes. A herniated disc is a compensable injury when your work caused it, worsened it, or accelerated an existing condition. The strength of the claim depends on medical evidence connecting the injury to your job duties or a specific incident.
What if the insurance company says my back problem is just degenerative?
That is the most common defense in spine cases and it does not automatically end a claim. If your job aggravated or sped up a degenerative condition, benefits may still be owed. We build the response with treating physician opinions, imaging, and your work history.
How long do I have to report a spine injury to my employer?
In both Mississippi and Louisiana, you should report the injury within 30 days at the latest, and sooner is better. Written notice is the safest approach.
What is the deadline to file a claim in Mississippi?
You generally have 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. Because exceptions and traps exist, speak with an attorney well before that date.
What is the deadline to file in Louisiana?
A formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident. If compensation payments have been made, the deadline may extend to three years from the last payment.
My insurer denied my surgery. What can I do in Louisiana?
You have 15 calendar days from receiving written notice of the denial to file Form 1009 with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration. The medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide, and a further challenge requires Form 1008 within 45 days of the decision. These deadlines are short, so call right away.
Can I choose my own doctor for a spinal injury?
Choice of physician rules and the right to a second opinion differ between Mississippi and Louisiana and depend on the facts. The treating spine specialist’s opinion often carries real weight, so talk to us before agreeing to switch doctors or attend an examination arranged by the insurer.
Can I be fired for filing a claim for a back injury?
Both states protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting your injury, tell us at your consultation so we can review your options.
If a negligent driver injured my neck while I was working, can I sue them too?
Often yes. A comp claim runs against your employer’s insurer, and a separate personal injury claim may lie against the outside party who caused the crash or hazard. The two claims interact, so coordinating them matters. Louisiana’s limitations period for most injury claims arising on or after July 1, 2024 is two years, and Mississippi generally allows three years for negligence claims, though claims against government bodies carry shorter limits and notice requirements.
How much does it cost to hire your firm for a spine injury case?
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 workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
Will I need surgery before I can settle my case?
Not necessarily, but pending surgical recommendations strongly affect settlement value. A case that settles without accounting for a likely future operation can leave you paying for it yourself, so we evaluate the medical picture before discussing numbers.
Serving Spine Injury Clients Across Mississippi and South Louisiana
We represent injured workers throughout the Jackson area, including Madison, and across the Mississippi communities of Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Gulf Coast, and the Delta, as well as north Mississippi. In Louisiana, our team serves workers in New Orleans and across south Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles, and reaches north Louisiana communities such as Shreveport. Spinal injuries come from industrial work, oil field and rig sites, construction, trucking and delivery, healthcare, and warehouse and retail jobs, and the firm represents workers in all of those fields in both states.
Talk With a Jackson & New Orleans Back, Neck & Spine Injury Attorney
A spinal injury changes what work looks like, sometimes permanently, and the claim you build in the first weeks often determines the care and income you have for years afterward. If you are speaking with an insurer, facing a denied surgery, or being pushed back to work too early, a Jackson & New Orleans back, neck & spine injury attorney from our team can review your situation for free and tell you what the evidence supports. Call us any time, day or night, and pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you.
