Pascagoula Back & Spine Injury Lawyer
A back injury at a Pascagoula job site rarely looks like a single dramatic moment on paper; more often it is a herniated disc that an insurance adjuster tries to relabel as ordinary wear and tear. Pascagoula back and spine injury lawyer representation matters because Mississippi comp carriers lean hard on the argument that degenerative changes, not the job, caused the problem. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles workers’ compensation and related injury claims for hurt workers in Pascagoula, Jackson County, and across Mississippi and Louisiana, and spinal injuries are among the cases we handle most.
Pascagoula’s economy is built on heavy, physical work: shipbuilding and fabrication, refinery and petrochemical operations, marine and offshore support, and port and industrial labor. Those jobs involve lifting, welding in awkward positions, climbing, hauling, and long hours on hard surfaces. Spines take the punishment. A worker can feel a sharp pull in the lower back while dragging equipment, or notice leg numbness and radiating pain that builds over weeks. Either one can be a compensable injury under Mississippi law, and how the first weeks are handled often decides whether benefits flow or stall.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Spinal Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that serves injured workers in Pascagoula and Jackson County, along the Gulf Coast, and throughout Mississippi and South Louisiana. 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 for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson. Andrew Rueff, Keaton Belk, and Erin Heimlicher round out a team that also includes attorneys who have tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict.
Back and spine cases are where that focus shows. We have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients, including $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, and $385,000 for a project manager who suffered back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle. Clients describe a team that listens, communicates, and stays in the fight with the insurance company. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of your case, you pay no fee unless we recover for you, our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish (hablamos espanol).
Spinal Injuries We See in Pascagoula Workplaces
- Lumbar Disc Herniations: The classic lifting injury in shipyards, warehouses, and fabrication shops. Carriers often point to degenerative disc disease; we answer with imaging, treating-physician opinions, and the worker’s physical job history showing the work caused or aggravated the condition.
- Cervical Spine and Neck Injuries: Overhead welding, crane and rigging work, and falls can injure the neck and send pain or numbness into the arms. These often lead to injections or fusion surgery that the insurer may contest.
- Fractures of the Vertebrae: Falls from scaffolding, ladders, vessel decks, and elevated work platforms can crush or fracture vertebrae, requiring specialists and long recovery periods.
- Cumulative Trauma and Gradual Onset Back Pain: Years of bending, kneeling, and carrying can wear a worker down without one identifiable accident. Mississippi law still allows recovery when work activity caused or worsened the condition, though proving the connection takes careful medical evidence.
- Vehicle and Equipment Accidents: Workers struck in company trucks, or injured by forklifts and other heavy equipment around port and industrial sites, often have both a comp claim and a separate third-party claim against a negligent driver or contractor.
- Post-Surgical Complications and Failed Back Surgery: When a first operation does not resolve the pain, additional treatment and a longer period of disability follow, and carriers frequently push back on authorizing more care.
- Aggravation of a Prior Back Condition: A worker with an old injury can still recover when a job incident made the condition worse or brought on new symptoms.
What to Do After a Back or Spine Injury at Work
Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as you can. Mississippi requires notice within 30 days of the accident, and Louisiana uses the same 30-day notice period for workers hurt there. Do not wait for the pain to settle or assume a supervisor’s verbal acknowledgment is enough. Say plainly what happened, where, and which body parts hurt, and keep a copy. Then get medical care and tell every provider the injury happened at work, so the records connect your spine problem to the job from the first visit rather than leaving room for a later “it started at home” argument.
The filing deadline is separate from the notice deadline. In Mississippi, if no disability benefits have been paid, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, and the two years can also run from the last compensation payment. The Commission, not a court, administers these claims; cases are heard by an Administrative Judge, and the Full Commission reviews decisions on the existing record rather than starting a new trial. A final Commission award can be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and that court may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. A Pascagoula worker should treat these dates as hard stops, not guidelines.
Several mistakes cause trouble in spinal cases. Workers return to heavy duty before a surgeon clears them, then reinjure themselves and give the carrier an excuse to say the new problem is unrelated. They also skip follow-up appointments, downplay symptoms during a recorded statement, or sign medical releases broad enough to let an adjuster dig through their entire history. Before giving a recorded statement or agreeing to an independent medical exam, talk to a Pascagoula workers’ compensation attorney. Keep a simple log of your symptoms, missed work, and mileage to medical appointments, and save every denial letter and benefit notice you receive.
Keep in mind that Mississippi covers workers from their first day on the job, and wage replacement is generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statutory maximum that is adjusted periodically. Temporary and permanent total disability benefits can run for up to 450 weeks, and permanent partial disability payments in most cases are also capped at 450 weeks. If a third party, such as a negligent outside driver or a contractor with an unsafe site, contributed to your injury, you may also have a separate injury claim, which has its own filing period.
How Insurers Fight Spinal Injury Claims
Spine cases are expensive, which makes them contested. Surgery, injections, long-term therapy, and extended wage loss add up, so carriers look for ways to shrink or deny them. The most common move is the pre-existing condition argument. An MRI showing disc bulges or degeneration is nearly universal in workers who have done physical labor for years, and adjusters seize on it. The law does not require a perfect back before you were hurt; if the job caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, benefits are still owed. Winning that point usually takes a treating surgeon willing to explain, in clear terms, why the work event changed the clinical picture.
Other tactics include disputing that a specific incident happened, questioning the delay between the accident and the first medical visit, having a carrier-selected doctor opine that you can return to work, and cutting off payments without warning. A real part of an attorney’s work here is building the record that blocks each argument: gathering coworker statements, securing the employer’s incident report, obtaining prior medical records before the carrier can spin them, preparing the treating physician’s testimony, and handling hearings before the Administrative Judge. When permanent impairment is at issue, the vocational picture also matters; a worker who can no longer do heavy labor may have lost far more earning capacity than an impairment rating alone suggests, and presenting that evidence can change the value of a settlement.
If you worked a job on the Louisiana side of the line, the rules differ. A Louisiana claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, and disputes over medical treatment have short deadlines, including 15 calendar days to challenge a treatment denial. Our attorneys handle claims in both states, so we can sort out which law applies to your injury.
Common Questions About Back and Spine Injury Claims
Can I get workers’ compensation for a herniated disc from lifting at work?
Yes. A herniated disc caused or aggravated by work activity can be compensable. You need to report it, get treatment, and have medical evidence connecting the injury to what you did on the job.
What if the insurance company says my back problem is just degenerative?
That argument is common but not conclusive. If your work caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. The strength of your treating doctor’s opinion usually decides the issue.
How long do I have to report a back injury in Mississippi?
You must give your employer notice within 30 days of the accident. Report sooner and do it in writing so there is a record.
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, by filing a Petition to Controvert. Exceptions can apply, so do not rely on the outer limit.
Will workers’ comp pay for back surgery?
Reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the work injury is covered, including surgery. Carriers often resist authorizing it, which is one reason these claims end up contested.
How much will I receive in weekly benefits?
Wage-loss benefits are generally up to two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory maximum that is adjusted periodically. Your actual amount depends on your wages and your disability status.
Can I choose my own doctor?
Mississippi law gives you some say in your treating physician, but the rules about choice and changing doctors are technical, and getting it wrong can cause problems. Talk to us before switching providers or agreeing to a carrier-selected doctor.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system, so your own carelessness typically does not defeat a claim. Fault matters more in a separate third-party injury case, where Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence and reduces recovery by your share of fault.
Can I be fired for filing a claim over a back injury?
Both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting your injury, tell us during your consultation.
Do I have a second claim if a contractor or driver caused my injury?
Possibly. When someone other than your employer contributed to the accident, you may have a personal injury claim alongside your comp benefits, and we coordinate the two so they do not work against each other.
What happens if my claim is denied and I appeal?
You can request a hearing before an Administrative Judge, then seek review by the Full Commission, which examines the record made at the hearing. A final award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days. Building a strong record at the first hearing is critical.
Can I settle my back injury claim?
Many claims resolve through settlement, but the timing and amount depend on your medical status, impairment, and future treatment needs. Settling too early, before you know whether you need surgery, can leave you without coverage for care you later require.
Serving Back Injury Clients Across Pascagoula and the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Our work for injured workers starts in Pascagoula and Jackson County and reaches the surrounding communities, including Gautier, Moss Point, Ocean Springs, Escatawpa, and Vancleave. We also represent workers along the broader Gulf Coast, from Gulfport, Biloxi, Long Beach, Pass Christian, and Bay St. Louis, and further inland in Hattiesburg and the Pine Belt. Our reach extends across Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to Southaven in the north and the Delta, and across South Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles, as well as north Louisiana communities like Shreveport. Whether you were hurt in a shipyard, a refinery, on a vessel, or on a construction site, we handle spinal injury claims throughout our service area.
Talk to a Pascagoula Spine Injury Attorney Today
If a back or spine injury has left you in pain, out of work, or fighting an insurance company over care, a Pascagoula spine injury attorney from Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your situation and explain where you stand. Consultations are free, our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call us to talk through what happened and what comes next.
