Madison Personal Injury Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured people in Madison, Mississippi, and across the Jackson metro, handling personal injury claims alongside the workers’ compensation cases that have been the center of the firm’s practice. If you were hurt by a negligent driver, an unsafe property, or a careless contractor, a Madison personal injury lawyer can pursue the party who caused the harm while keeping any on-the-job benefits intact.
Madison sits on the Madison County side of the Jackson metro, and the traffic patterns here shape the claims. Interstate 55 and the Highway 51 corridor carry commuters, delivery trucks, and contractors through Madison, Ridgeland, and Canton every day, and construction crews work along the growing commercial strips. Many of the people who call us were hurt while working, which means two separate claims may exist at once: workers’ compensation against the employer’s insurer, and a negligence claim against whoever else caused the crash or fall.
That overlap is what makes this practice area different from an ordinary fender-bender case. A comp claim does not require proving fault, but it pays only a portion of lost wages and does not compensate for pain. A third-party personal injury claim does require proving fault, but it can reach damages that comp never touches. Handled carelessly, one claim can undercut the other.
When a Work Injury Becomes a Personal Injury Case
Workers’ compensation generally bars a lawsuit against your own employer, but it does not shield everyone else. If a driver rear-ends your work truck on I-55, if a subcontractor’s unsafe site causes your fall, or if a property owner ignores a hazard that injures you while you are making a delivery, the person responsible can be held accountable in a separate injury claim.
The two claims have different clocks. In Mississippi, you must report a work injury to your employer within 30 days, and you generally have two years from the injury or the last compensation payment to file a petition with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. A negligence claim not covered by a more specific statute generally must be filed within three years under Mississippi’s catch-all limitation period. Claims against a county or government agency are different: they fall under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, require notice, and carry a one-year limit. A crash involving a county vehicle or a hazard on public property can therefore run out of time much sooner than people expect.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Madison Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC serves injured people throughout Madison, Hinds, and Rankin counties and across Mississippi and South Louisiana. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients, and it works on a no recovery, no fee basis. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and phones are answered 24 hours a day. Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language.
The people behind that work 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 has argued personal injury and insurance cases before state appellate courts. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
Results show what that focus produces: $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 injured when he was struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients describe a team that listened, communicated clearly, and fought the insurance company at every step. For a Madison personal injury attorney, that background means the comp side and the injury side of your case are handled by lawyers who understand how each affects the other.
Injury Claims We See Most Often Around Madison
- Car and Truck Collisions: Crashes on I-55, Highway 51, and the Highland Colony and Old Canton Road corridors, including collisions with tractor-trailers and delivery vans. Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence, so being partly at fault reduces your recovery by your share rather than ending it.
- Work Vehicle Accidents: A driver who hits your company truck or a vehicle you drive on the job creates both a comp claim and a negligence claim against the at-fault driver.
- Premises Liability: Falls in retail centers, restaurants, apartment complexes, and job sites where an owner or contractor knew of a hazard, such as wet floors, broken stairs, or poor lighting, and failed to fix it.
- Construction Site Injuries: Madison County’s building activity brings falls, struck-by incidents, and equipment accidents. When someone other than your employer, such as a general contractor or equipment maker, is responsible, a third-party claim may exist.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Herniated lumbar and cervical discs from crashes and falls, where insurers often point to degenerative changes. Medical evidence tying the injury to the event is what answers that argument.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff and SLAP tears, ACL and meniscus tears that frequently require surgery and long rehabilitation.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial and plant incidents and serious crashes that leave lasting impairment and lifetime care needs.
- Wrongful Death: Claims brought by families after a fatal crash or workplace incident. In Mississippi, a negligence-based wrongful death claim has a three-year window, while one based on an intentional act has one year.
What to Do After an Injury in Madison County
Get medical care first, and tell every provider how the injury happened, including that it happened at work if it did. Records created close to the event carry the most weight, and gaps in treatment give insurers room to argue you were not really hurt. Follow your doctor’s instructions and keep every appointment.
If the injury happened on the job, report it to your employer promptly and in writing. The 30-day reporting deadline is firm, and a late report is one of the easiest ways for a carrier to fight a claim. For a crash, call law enforcement so a report is made, photograph the vehicles, the roadway, and your injuries, and collect names and contact details for witnesses. Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer before talking with a lawyer, and do not sign a release or accept a quick payment until you know what the injury will cost over time.
Injury lawsuits arising in Madison County are filed in the circuit court for the county, while workers’ compensation claims are heard by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, which decides them through an Administrative Judge, with review by the Full Commission on the existing record. Cases that qualify for federal court, such as those involving parties from different states, go to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, whose Northern Division includes Madison County and sits in Jackson. Pay attention to the type of defendant early: if a government body may be involved, notice requirements and the one-year limit apply.
How Fault, Insurance, and Damages Work in Mississippi
Mississippi uses pure comparative negligence. If a jury finds you 20 percent responsible, your award drops by 20 percent; it is not eliminated. Insurers know this and often try to inflate your share of blame through the recorded statement, the police report narrative, or a disputed account of what happened. Evidence gathered early is the best counter.
Recoverable damages in an injury claim include medical expenses, lost income, loss of future earning capacity, and pain and suffering. Compare that with workers’ compensation, which pays medical care plus wage replacement of up to two-thirds of your average weekly wage, within a statutory weekly maximum and a 450-week cap for total disability. Comp does not pay for pain and suffering. When both claims exist, they must be coordinated, because the comp carrier may have a right to be repaid from a third-party recovery. Settling one without considering the other can cost you money or put your benefits at risk.
Mississippi also limits noneconomic damages in certain case types, including most wrongful death cases and medical malpractice claims, though those caps do not apply to economic losses like medical bills and lost wages.
Madison Personal Injury Questions, Answered
How much does it cost to hire a Madison personal injury attorney?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of your case, and fees are collected only if there is a recovery.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Mississippi?
Most negligence claims must be filed within three years of when the cause of action accrued. For latent injuries or diseases, the clock starts when you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, the injury. Medical malpractice is two years, and claims against governmental entities are one year with a notice requirement.
Can I file both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury claim?
Yes, when someone other than your employer caused your injury. Comp pays regardless of fault but is limited; the injury claim requires proof of negligence but can compensate for losses comp does not cover.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Mississippi’s pure comparative negligence rule reduces your recovery by your percentage of fault. You can still recover even if you were mostly responsible, though the award shrinks accordingly.
Do I have to report a work injury even if I plan to sue someone else?
Yes. Report the injury to your employer within 30 days and, if disability benefits are not paid, file with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission within two years of the injury or last payment. Skipping the comp claim does not make the injury claim stronger and can forfeit benefits.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller injury claim?
Often, yes, particularly when an insurer is disputing fault, blaming a pre-existing condition, or offering a quick settlement before you know your long-term treatment needs. Free consultations let you find out before committing.
What happens if the insurance company says my back injury was already there?
A pre-existing condition does not end a claim. If the crash or work incident caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still recover. Medical records, imaging, and your treating doctor’s opinion are what answer this argument.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?
It may, and many people use it so treatment is not delayed. Health plans and comp carriers can have reimbursement rights against a settlement, so those need to be accounted for before the case resolves.
What if a government vehicle or public property caused my injury?
Claims against a county or government agency fall under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, carry a one-year limit, and require formal notice. Because this deadline is much shorter than the standard three years, contact a lawyer quickly.
How long does a personal injury case take?
It depends on the severity of the injury and whether liability is disputed. Cases usually should not settle until you have reached maximum medical improvement, because settling earlier can leave future treatment unpaid. Cases that go to trial take longer than those resolved through negotiation.
Do you handle wrongful death claims?
Yes. The firm represents families in wrongful death cases arising from crashes and other negligence, with a three-year window in Mississippi for negligence-based claims.
Serving Injury Clients Across Madison and the Jackson Metro
Our work for injured people starts in Madison and extends across Madison County, including Ridgeland, Flora, Canton, Gluckstown, and the communities along the Highway 51 and I-55 corridors. We also represent clients in neighboring Hinds County, including Jackson, Clinton, Byram, and Raymond, and in Rankin County, including Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, and Florence.
Beyond the metro, the firm serves injured workers and accident victims across Mississippi, from Hattiesburg and the Gulf Coast to Southaven in the north and the Delta. In Louisiana, we represent clients in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and throughout South Louisiana and north Louisiana. Wherever the injury happened, the same team can handle both the comp claim and the injury claim.
Talk to a Madison Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt in a crash, a fall, or a workplace incident and someone other than your employer may be to blame, a Madison personal injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which claims you have, and tell you which deadlines apply. Call us any hour; consultations are free, and you owe no fee unless we recover for you.
