Lamar County Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Workers in Lamar County who get hurt on the job often find that the first decision is not whether to see a doctor but whether to trust the paperwork the employer hands over. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers in Lamar County, Purvis, Lumberton, Sumrall, and the surrounding communities across Mississippi and South Louisiana. If you need a Lamar County workers’ compensation lawyer, the choices you make in the first few weeks, including what you tell the adjuster, which doctor you see, and when you report the injury, tend to shape the entire claim.
Lamar County sits in the Hattiesburg metro area, and its injured workers come from a wide mix of jobs: logging and timber operations, poultry and food processing, distribution warehouses and trucking along the interstate corridor, construction crews, hospital and nursing home staff, and university and school employees. These jobs share a pattern. The injuries are often physical and cumulative, and insurers frequently respond by pointing to a worker’s age, past injuries, or degenerative changes on an MRI rather than the work that caused the problem.
Mississippi workers’ compensation is an administrative system. Your claim is not heard by a jury in a county courtroom. It is handled through the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, which is why it matters to have a lawyer who works in that system every day and knows how the Commission’s Administrative Judges evaluate medical proof.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Lamar County Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including Lamar County and the Hattiesburg area. Most attorneys who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury only when one happens to come through the door. This firm was built the other way around. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients, works on a no recovery, no fee basis, offers free consultations, advances the costs of the case, answers its phones 24 hours a day, and serves Spanish-speaking clients in their own language.
The people behind that record matter. 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 successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and regularly appears before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
The results show what this focus produces on serious injuries: $685,000 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 with back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, answers questions, and stands up to the insurance company at every stage. For a Lamar County worker, the practical value is a Lamar County workers’ comp attorney who does not need to learn the Mississippi system on your case.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Lamar County Workplaces
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are common among warehouse, timber, poultry plant, and trucking workers. Insurers often blame degenerative disc disease, so the claim turns on medical evidence showing that the work caused or aggravated the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears occur from lifting, pulling, climbing, and repetitive overhead work. Employers sometimes recast them as old sports injuries, which requires a clear medical record tying the tear to a work event or to years of physical labor.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, hips, and other bones from falls, equipment, and vehicle incidents may require specialists and complex surgical repair, with long recoveries that make wage benefits critical.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial sites, plants, and oil and gas operations produce severe burns and life-altering injuries that call for lifetime medical planning, not a quick closure of the file.
- Truck Driver and Delivery Driver Injuries: Drivers hurt in a wreck on the job may have both a comp claim and a separate claim against the at-fault driver or another third party.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job require careful proof of exposure and causation.
- Healthcare Worker Injuries: Nurses and aides hurt lifting or transferring patients often develop back and shoulder injuries that insurers try to attribute to everyday wear.
- Denied or Cut-Off Claims: Benefits stopped without warning, treatment refused, or a push back to work before a doctor clears you all call for a petition before the Commission.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Lamar County
Start by getting medical care and telling your supervisor what happened, in writing if you can. Mississippi requires you to report the injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident, and waiting that long is a risk you do not need to take. Report it as soon as you can, describe it accurately, and make sure the description includes every body part that hurts, because a shoulder complaint left off the first report becomes a point of attack later. Keep your own copy of anything you sign or send, and write down the names of any coworkers who saw the incident.
Coverage in Mississippi begins on the first day of employment, with no waiting period. Wage replacement for total disability is generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statutory weekly maximum, and for total disability the benefit period cannot exceed 450 weeks. That ceiling is the same for most permanent partial disability cases. The statutory maximum changes over time, so ask an attorney what applies to your injury date rather than relying on a number you find online.
The deadline that catches people is the filing deadline. If no disability payments have been made within two years of the injury, the right to benefits is barred unless a claim has been filed with the Commission during that period. The filing is a Petition to Controvert, and it generally must be made within two years of the injury or the last compensation payment. Do not assume that an adjuster who is paying some bills or being friendly has protected your rights. Payments can stop, and the clock is not paused by good manners.
Your claim is decided by an Administrative Judge at the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission in an evidentiary hearing. If either side appeals, the Full Commission reviews the record created before the judge. It is not a new trial, which means the medical records, testimony, and work history gathered at the first hearing are essentially the whole case. A final award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and that court may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Because appeals are decided on the record, the work done early in the case matters more than anything said later.
Common mistakes are predictable. Workers give recorded statements before talking to a lawyer, minimize symptoms to seem tough, skip follow-up appointments, or return to full duty because a supervisor asked them to. Social media posts and offhand comments to coworkers get used against injured workers more often than they expect. Call us before you sign a settlement or a medical release, and before you agree to a statement.
How Insurers Contest Claims and What a Comp Attorney Actually Does
Carriers rely on a familiar set of arguments: the accident did not happen at work, the injury comes from a pre-existing condition, the worker can return to work before the doctor says so, or benefits end without notice. A pre-existing condition does not end a claim if the job caused, worsened, or accelerated it, and answering that argument with strong medical evidence is the center of many cases we handle.
In practice, that work looks like this. Our attorneys gather the medical records and push treating physicians for clear opinions on causation and restrictions, because a vague note helps no one. We document the physical demands of the job so the Commission sees what the worker actually did each day. We identify witnesses, preserve incident reports, challenge unfair independent medical examinations, and press for authorized treatment, including surgery the carrier is slow-walking. When a claim is denied, we file the petition, prepare the worker to testify, cross-examine the insurer’s doctors, and try the case before the Administrative Judge. When the facts support it, we negotiate a settlement that accounts for future medical needs and lost earning capacity rather than a figure that only reflects what the insurer wants to pay.
Some Lamar County injuries also involve someone other than the employer, such as a negligent driver who hits a work vehicle or a contractor whose unsafe site causes a fall. A third-party claim can sit alongside the comp claim, and the two have to be coordinated so that one does not undermine the other. The firm handles both, including car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death cases.
Questions Lamar County Workers Ask About Comp Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim in Lamar County?
Not every claim requires one. If benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, an attorney can make a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers protecting its interests, and you should have someone protecting yours.
How much does it cost to hire Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of your case, and fees are collected only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are also limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report my injury?
In Mississippi, you must report the injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident. Report it immediately and in writing if possible.
How long do I have to file a claim with the Commission?
Generally two years from the date of injury or from the last compensation payment. If no disability benefits were paid and no claim was filed within two years of the injury, the right to benefits is barred.
Is my employer required to carry workers’ compensation coverage?
In Mississippi, employers with five or more employees must provide coverage, and an employee is covered from the first day on the job with no waiting period or minimum earnings requirement.
What wage benefits can I receive while I cannot work?
Temporary and permanent total disability benefits are generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum and a limit of 450 weeks. Partial disability is calculated differently and generally cannot be paid beyond 450 weeks either.
Can the insurance company blame my injury on a pre-existing condition?
They can try, and they often do. If your work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. The outcome depends on the medical evidence, which is why early treatment records and clear physician opinions matter.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation 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 during your consultation so we can review your options.
What happens if my claim is denied and I want to appeal?
A denial is the beginning of the dispute, not the end. The claim goes before an Administrative Judge at the Commission. If you lose there, you can seek review by the Full Commission, which examines the record from the first hearing. A final award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days.
My injury happened gradually from years of lifting or repetitive work. Is that covered?
It can be. Cumulative injuries to the back, shoulders, knees, and hands are a routine part of comp practice, and the claim depends on medical proof that the job caused or aggravated the condition. Reporting symptoms early and seeing a doctor who understands your job duties makes a significant difference.
Will I be able to see my own doctor?
Medical care in a comp claim is subject to rules about who selects and authorizes treatment, and getting this wrong can cost you coverage for the visit. Talk to an attorney before switching providers or scheduling surgery so the care is authorized and the bills are paid.
I was hurt in a wreck while driving for work. Do I have two claims?
Possibly. You can have a comp claim against your employer’s carrier and a separate injury claim against the at-fault driver. The two need to be handled together so that benefits, reimbursement rights, and settlement terms do not conflict.
Do you speak Spanish?
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 Injured Workers Across Lamar County and the Hattiesburg Area
Our work for Lamar County clients begins in Purvis, the county seat, and extends to Lumberton, Sumrall, Oak Grove, Baxterville, and the rural communities in between where timber, farming, and small manufacturing supply a steady share of the injury claims. We also represent workers from the Hattiesburg side of the county, where hospitals, distribution centers, and the university draw employees from across the region. Neighboring Forrest County, including Hattiesburg, Petal, and Brooklyn, is part of the same labor market, so many of our clients live in one county and work in another. We serve workers throughout Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to the Gulf Coast, Southaven, and the Delta, and in Louisiana from New Orleans and Baton Rouge to Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport.
Talk to a Lamar County Workers’ Comp Attorney
If you were hurt on the job in Lamar County, a call to a Lamar County workers’ comp attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you owe no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call us to talk through your injury, your deadlines, and what the insurer is likely to do next. We help injured workers. That is all we do.
