Jackson Truck Accident Lawyer
A wreck involving a commercial truck is rarely one claim against one driver. Behind the cab there may be a trucking company, a freight broker, a loading contractor, and a maintenance shop, and each of them comes with its own insurer and its own lawyers. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles injury cases across Mississippi and Louisiana, and a Jackson truck accident lawyer from our firm can sort out who is responsible while you focus on getting treatment.
Jackson sits where Interstate 55, Interstate 20, and Interstate 220 meet, along with US-49 and Highway 80 running through the metro. Freight moves through this area constantly, and the crashes that result tend to be severe: jackknifes, underride collisions, rear-end impacts at highway speed, and wide-turn sideswipes. Many of our clients were driving for work when they were hit, which means a truck wreck can create both a workers’ compensation claim and a separate injury claim against the at-fault party.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Jackson Truck Accident Case
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured people in Hinds County, Madison, and Rankin County communities, across Mississippi from the Gulf Coast to the Delta and north Mississippi, and throughout Louisiana. Our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience, and we have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Workers’ compensation has been the center of our practice, and our personal injury lawyers handle car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death claims. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and we are paid only if we recover for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish (hablamos español).
That workers’ compensation foundation matters in truck cases. Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe, both partners, have been recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and The National Trial Lawyers. Andrew Rueff has successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict, and Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team. Our firm was also ranked by Best Law Firms for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson.
The results reflect the kinds of injuries truck wrecks cause. We secured $385,000 for a project manager who suffered back injuries when he was struck in his work vehicle, $190,000 for a truck driver who hurt his lower back in a wreck on the job, and $685,000 for a surgical tech and $600,000 for a construction worker, both with serious back injuries. Past results do not guarantee any particular outcome, but they show what we do with spine and orthopedic injuries, which are common after a big-rig collision. Clients regularly describe our team as responsive, professional, and willing to take on the insurance company directly.
Where Truck Crashes Around Jackson Come From and Who Can Be Held Responsible
- Interstate Collisions on I-55, I-20, and I-220: High-speed rear-end crashes, lane-change sideswipes, and chain-reaction wrecks in construction zones and congested stretches near downtown Jackson, where trucks cannot stop as quickly as passenger vehicles.
- Driver Fatigue and Hours-of-Service Violations: Drivers running long hauls on tight delivery schedules can exceed federal limits on driving time. Logbooks and electronic logging data often show whether that happened.
- Improperly Loaded or Overweight Cargo: Shifting freight can cause rollovers and jackknifes. Liability may extend to the shipper or the company that loaded the trailer, not only the driver.
- Maintenance and Equipment Failures: Worn brakes, bald tires, and faulty lighting trace back to the carrier or an outside repair shop, and maintenance records can show a pattern of neglect.
- Delivery and Local Haul Accidents: Box trucks, tankers, and flatbeds working distribution routes through the metro and out toward Madison, Clinton, and Pearl cause crashes on surface streets as well as highways.
- Crashes Involving a Work Vehicle: When the injured person was on the clock, whether driving a truck or struck while in a company vehicle, workers’ compensation benefits may apply alongside a claim against the at-fault driver or company.
- Wrongful Death After a Truck Collision: When a truck crash takes a life, family members may pursue a wrongful death claim against the driver, the carrier, and any other responsible party.
What to Do After a Truck Wreck, and What the Case Looks Like as It Moves Forward
Your first priority is medical care. Truck crash injuries, including disc herniations, fractures, and head trauma, can take hours or days to show their full extent, and a gap in treatment gives the insurer room to argue that you were not hurt badly. If you can, photograph the vehicles, the road, any skid marks, and the truck’s markings, including the company name and DOT number. Get the names of witnesses and the driver’s information, and make sure a police report is filed. Do not give a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer, and do not sign anything they send.
The evidence in a truck case disappears faster than in an ordinary crash. Carriers may overwrite electronic logging and dashcam data on a routine schedule, and a prompt written demand to preserve the truck, its data, driver files, and maintenance records is one of the first things we do. If you were driving for work, tell your employer about the injury within 30 days. That is the Mississippi deadline for reporting a workplace injury, and the notice requirement is the same in Louisiana. A workers’ compensation claim before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission moves on a separate track from the injury claim against the truck’s owner, and we coordinate the two so one does not undercut the other.
Most truck cases begin with an investigation and a demand to the insurer while you treat. Settlement talks usually wait until your doctors have a clear picture of your recovery, because settling early can leave you paying for future care out of pocket. If the insurer refuses a fair offer, we file suit. A case arising from a Jackson crash may be filed in Hinds County Circuit Court, and a case with an out-of-state carrier or a large amount at stake can end up in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, which sits in Jackson. In Mississippi, injury claims that have no other prescribed period generally must be filed within three years of the accident, but claims against a county or other governmental body carry a one-year limit and require formal notice, so do not wait to talk to a lawyer.
How Fault, Your Own Mistakes, and the Workers’ Comp Overlap Affect Your Recovery
Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence. If a jury decides you were partly responsible, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than eliminated. Trucking insurers know this and look for any argument that you braked late, changed lanes carelessly, or were distracted. Louisiana is stricter: for causes of action arising on or after the start of 2026, a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and lesser fault reduces the award proportionally. If your crash happened in Louisiana, the fault fight matters even more, and for injuries in that state, the delay for filing an injury lawsuit is two years from the day the injury occurs.
Where a workers’ compensation claim is involved, the benefits cover medical care and wage replacement without regard to who caused the wreck. Mississippi wage-loss benefits are generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statutory weekly maximum, and temporary and permanent total disability benefits are capped at 450 weeks. Because comp benefits and a third-party recovery interact, the order of settlements and any repayment owed to the comp carrier need careful handling. This is exactly the overlap where a firm built around workers’ compensation earns its keep.
Questions People Ask About Jackson Truck Accident Claims
Do I really need a lawyer after a truck accident?
If you were hurt seriously, yes, it is worth a consultation. Trucking companies and their insurers often send investigators to the scene quickly, and the evidence that proves your case can vanish within weeks. A lawyer can send preservation demands and deal with the insurer so you are not negotiating against professionals on your own.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
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 for you.
How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Mississippi?
Most injury claims without a specific statute must be filed within three years of the accident. Claims against a county or governmental agency carry a one-year limit and require notice under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. Because a government vehicle or road-design issue can change the deadline, it is best to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
Who can be held responsible besides the truck driver?
Depending on the facts, the trucking company, a freight broker, the business that loaded the cargo, a maintenance contractor, or a parts manufacturer may share liability. Identifying every responsible party matters because the driver’s own insurance may not be enough to cover serious injuries.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
In Mississippi, your compensation is reduced by your share of fault but not barred. In Louisiana, a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing for causes of action arising on or after the start of 2026, so the fault analysis there is critical.
I was driving for work when the truck hit me. Do I have a comp claim and an injury claim?
Often, yes. Workers’ compensation pays medical bills and wage benefits regardless of fault, and a separate claim against the at-fault truck driver or company can cover losses comp does not. Report the injury to your employer within 30 days and talk to a lawyer about how the two claims fit together.
What evidence matters most in a trucking case?
Driver logs and electronic logging data, the truck’s maintenance and inspection records, dashcam footage, cargo and loading documents, and the driver’s employment and training file. This is why early preservation demands are so important.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while the claim is pending?
You can generally use your health insurance to get care, and the claim is typically resolved later. Keep records of every bill and payment, since insurers or other payers may seek repayment out of a settlement. Do not skip treatment because of cost concerns without talking to us first.
How long does a truck accident case take?
It depends on the severity of your injuries and whether the insurer will negotiate fairly. Cases usually are not resolved until your doctors know how well you will recover, and cases that go to suit take longer than those that settle after a demand.
What happens if a family member was killed in a truck crash?
Mississippi allows a wrongful death claim, and the general limit for negligence is three years, with a shorter one-year limit for intentional torts. Noneconomic damages are capped at $1,000,000 in most wrongful death cases, and the cap does not apply to economic losses. We can review who qualifies to bring the claim and which deadlines apply.
Do you represent people injured in Louisiana trucking accidents too?
Yes. We represent injured people across both Mississippi and Louisiana. In Louisiana, injury lawsuits for injuries on or after July 1, 2024 generally have a two-year filing period, and wrongful death claims follow a one-year-from-death or two-years-from-injury rule, whichever is longer.
Serving Truck Accident Clients Across Jackson and the Surrounding Region
We represent truck accident victims throughout Jackson and Hinds County, including the Fondren, Belhaven, and Highland Village areas, downtown, and the neighborhoods along I-55 and I-20. We also serve Byram, Terry, Clinton, Raymond, Bolton, Utica, and Edwards in Hinds County, along with Madison, Ridgeland, Flowood, Pearl, Brandon, and Richland in the surrounding metro. Our reach extends across Mississippi to Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast, Southaven and north Mississippi, and the Delta. In Louisiana, we serve New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and communities throughout south and north Louisiana. Wherever the wreck happened, if it involved a commercial truck, we can help you understand your options.
Talk With a Jackson Truck Accident Attorney Today
If a commercial truck hurt you or someone you love, a Jackson truck accident attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened and explain where you stand. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover for you. Call us to talk through your case, and let us start preserving the evidence while you focus on your recovery.
