Olive Branch Car Accident Lawyer
A crash on Goodman Road, Hacks Cross, or the stretch of I-22 and I-269 where commuters and freight traffic collide can leave you with a totaled car, a back you cannot straighten, and an adjuster asking for a recorded statement before you have even seen a specialist. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a Mississippi and Louisiana injury firm that handles car and truck accident claims alongside its workers’ compensation practice, and it represents people hurt in wrecks in Olive Branch, in DeSoto County, and across the rest of the state.
If you are searching for an Olive Branch car accident lawyer, the first thing worth knowing is that your claim will probably be decided by the insurance company’s version of how the crash happened. Mississippi uses pure comparative negligence, which means your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than wiped out. That sounds forgiving, but adjusters know that every point of fault they can assign to you comes straight off the settlement, so the fight over fault begins in the first phone call.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for an Olive Branch Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured people throughout Mississippi and South Louisiana, including Olive Branch and the rest of north Mississippi. 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.
That background matters in a car wreck case because so many serious crashes happen to people who are working: a delivery driver rear-ended on Highway 78, a project manager struck in his work vehicle, a truck driver hurt in a wreck on the job. The firm secured $385,000 for a project manager who suffered back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle, and $190,000 for a truck driver who injured his lower back in a wreck while on the job. Those cases required coordinating a workers’ compensation claim with a claim against the at-fault driver, which is exactly the kind of overlap that trips up lawyers who only handle one side.
Founding partner Rob Lunsford 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. The team also includes Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher. Clients describe the firm as easy to work with and as lawyers who listened and fought the insurance company at every step.
Types of Wrecks and Injuries We See in Olive Branch Cases
- Interstate and Highway Collisions: Olive Branch sits at the junction of heavy commuter traffic toward Memphis and a large volume of tractor-trailers moving through north Mississippi distribution corridors, which produces high-speed rear-end and merging crashes with severe spinal and orthopedic injuries.
- Commercial Truck Accidents: Wrecks involving 18-wheelers and delivery vans raise questions about the driver, the carrier, the loading company, and maintenance records, and each may carry separate insurance coverage.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations are among the most common crash injuries, and insurers routinely blame degenerative disc disease; medical evidence has to show the collision caused or aggravated the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff and SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears often come from bracing against the steering wheel or striking the dashboard, and they frequently need surgery and months of therapy.
- Fractures: Broken ankles, feet, hips, and other bones can require specialists, hardware, and extended time away from work.
- Work-Related Crashes: When you are hurt while driving for your employer, you may have both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury claim against the other driver, and the two must be managed together.
- Wrongful Death: When a crash takes a family member’s life, surviving relatives may bring a claim, and Mississippi sets a three-year period for negligence-based wrongful death claims.
- Claims Involving Government Vehicles: A wreck with a county or other government vehicle falls under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, which requires notice and carries a one-year limit.
What to Do After a Crash in Olive Branch
Get medical attention first, even if you feel mostly fine. Adrenaline hides injuries, and a gap between the crash and your first treatment is something an insurer will use to argue the wreck did not cause your pain. Call the police so a report is made, and be sure the responding officers record the other driver’s insurance information and any witnesses. Photograph the vehicles, the road, skid marks, traffic signals, and your injuries before anything is moved or repaired, and keep every medical record, bill, and pay stub from the days that follow.
Be careful with the other side’s insurer. You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s company, and early statements about how you feel or what happened are routinely used against injury victims later. Do not sign a medical authorization that opens your entire health history, and do not accept a quick settlement before you know the full extent of your injuries. Once you settle, the claim is over, even if surgery turns out to be necessary.
Deadlines matter. Mississippi’s general three-year limit under Miss. Code section 15-1-49 covers most negligence-based car accident lawsuits, though claims against a county or other governmental entity must be brought within one year and require notice under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. If the crash happened while you were working, a separate clock applies: you must report a work injury to your employer within 30 days, and a workers’ compensation claim must be filed with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission within two years. If the wreck happened in Louisiana, a different set of rules applies, including a two-year period for injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2024, and a rule under which a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026. Because a crash can involve more than one of these clocks, an early conversation with a lawyer is the safest way to keep every claim alive.
How Fault and Insurance Shape the Value of Your Claim
Because Mississippi is a pure comparative negligence state under section 11-7-15, a driver who was 20 percent at fault can still recover, with the award reduced by that share. That makes the evidence of what each driver did the real battleground: the police report, vehicle damage patterns, event data from the vehicles, traffic camera footage, and witness accounts. Evidence disappears quickly, which is why prompt investigation matters.
The other major variable is coverage. Many drivers carry minimal liability limits, and a serious injury can exceed them quickly. A thorough claim looks beyond the at-fault driver to employers, trucking companies, vehicle owners, and your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. When the injured person was on the clock, the workers’ compensation carrier may also have a right to be repaid from a third-party recovery, so the order and structure of settlements affect what you actually keep. Coordinating those pieces so that the comp claim and the injury claim work together rather than against each other is a central part of how the firm approaches work-related crashes.
Questions Olive Branch Drivers Ask About Car Accident Claims
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Mississippi?
Most negligence-based injury lawsuits must be filed within three years of the date the cause of action accrued. Claims against a county or other governmental agency have a one-year limit and require notice under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, so a wreck involving a public vehicle needs fast attention.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence, so your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault instead of being barred. You can recover even if you were mostly responsible, though the award shrinks accordingly, which is why insurers push to assign you blame.
Do I have to talk to the other driver’s insurance company?
You are generally not obligated to give the at-fault driver’s insurer a recorded statement. Your own insurer may require cooperation under your policy, but statements to the opposing company can be used to minimize your claim, so speak with a lawyer first.
How much does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, and fees are collected only if there is a recovery.
What should I do if the insurer says my injury was pre-existing?
A pre-existing condition does not end your claim. If the crash caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still recover, and strong medical evidence comparing your condition before and after the wreck is how that argument is answered.
Will my health insurance pay for treatment while my claim is pending?
Often yes, and using it is usually better than going without care. Your health insurer may seek reimbursement from a settlement later, so those liens are accounted for when the claim is resolved.
What if I was hurt in a wreck while driving for work?
You may have two claims: workers’ compensation through your employer’s carrier, and a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver. Report the injury to your employer within 30 days and file with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission within two years, while the injury claim follows its own timeline.
Is the damage to my car part of the injury claim?
Property damage is usually handled as a separate claim from your injury claim, often with a faster timeline. Settling the vehicle claim does not have to close out your injury claim, but be careful about releases you sign.
Can I still bring a claim if the other driver had no insurance?
Possibly. Your own uninsured motorist coverage may apply, and other responsible parties, such as an employer or vehicle owner, may carry coverage. Reviewing every available policy is part of evaluating the case.
What if the crash happened across the line in Tennessee or Louisiana?
The location of the crash can change which state’s deadlines and fault rules apply. Louisiana, for example, now bars a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026. Bring the details to a consultation so the right rules can be identified early.
Does the firm help clients who speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Serving Car Accident Clients From Olive Branch Across DeSoto County and North Mississippi
Our work for injured people starts with Olive Branch and reaches throughout DeSoto County, including Southaven, Hernando, Horn Lake, Walls, Nesbit, and Lewisburg. We also represent clients in neighboring north Mississippi communities such as Byhalia, Holly Springs, Senatobia, and Tunica, along with the Oxford and Tupelo areas. Beyond the Memphis corridor, the firm serves the Delta, Madison, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Gulf Coast, and its work extends into Louisiana, from Shreveport and north Louisiana to Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and New Orleans and the rest of South Louisiana. Whether the wreck happened on a county road near Olive Branch or on an interstate hundreds of miles away, the same team handles the claim.
Talk With an Olive Branch Car Accident Attorney Today
If a collision has left you hurt, behind on bills, or being pushed by an insurance adjuster, speak with an Olive Branch car accident attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover for you. Call today and tell us what happened, and we will explain where your claim stands and what should happen next.
