Pascagoula Construction Worker Injury Lawyer
Getting medical treatment approved, keeping wage checks coming, and holding a denial at bay while you heal is what most hurt construction workers want from a claim. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles workers’ compensation and related injury cases for people hurt on the job across Mississippi and Louisiana, and a Pascagoula construction worker injury lawyer from our team can take over the insurer’s side of the fight while you focus on recovery. We represent injured workers from Pascagoula and Jackson County along the Gulf Coast and in communities throughout south Mississippi.
Construction injuries around Pascagoula rarely look like a simple fall from a ladder. This is an industrial coastline where crews work on plant turnarounds, pipe and steel fabrication, dock and pier work, and shipyard-adjacent projects, often with a general contractor, several subcontractors, and a staffing agency all sharing one site. That layered arrangement matters, because the question of who your employer is, which insurer owes you benefits, and whether anyone else can be held liable all depend on how the job was set up.
What separates a construction injury claim from a typical office or retail claim is the evidence fight. Insurers expect to hear that a torn shoulder is “old wear,” that a disc herniation is “degenerative,” or that nobody saw the accident. A good construction claim answers those arguments with medical records, coworker statements, daily logs, and a clear picture of the physical demands of the work.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Construction Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm that represents injured workers in Pascagoula, throughout Jackson County, along the Gulf Coast, and across Mississippi and Louisiana. Workers’ compensation is the center of the firm’s practice, our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off, and we have recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking workers can work with our team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case, which matters on construction crews where many workers are more comfortable in Spanish.
The results speak to the kinds of injuries construction work produces. We secured $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, and $385,000 for a project manager with back injuries after he was struck in his work vehicle. We also recovered $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns, a reminder that industrial site injuries can be catastrophic.
The people handling these claims matter too. 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 tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and regularly appears before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, and Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team. Clients consistently describe a team that listened, communicated, and fought the insurance company at every step.
Construction Injuries We Handle for Pascagoula Workers
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lifting, hauling, and awkward positioning produce lumbar and cervical disc herniations on nearly every job type. Insurers often blame degenerative disc disease, so we document how years of physical work or a specific incident caused or worsened the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common among pipefitters, laborers, and equipment operators. Employers sometimes call these old sports injuries, and the medical timeline is what answers that claim.
- Falls From Height and Scaffolding: Scaffold collapses, ladder falls, and falls from structural steel or elevated platforms cause fractures of the feet, ankles, hips, and other bones that may need specialist care and complex surgery.
- Burns and Industrial Catastrophic Injuries: Welding, hot work, and plant environments produce severe burns and crush or amputation injuries, which carry long treatment courses and significant permanent-disability questions.
- Struck-By and Caught-In Accidents: Falling materials, swinging loads, and heavy equipment on crowded sites injure workers who never touched the machinery that hurt them, and these accidents often involve more than one company.
- Work Vehicle Collisions: Superintendents, project managers, and crew drivers hurt in a wreck while traveling between sites may have both a comp claim and a separate claim against the at-fault driver.
- Occupational Illness and Repetitive Trauma: Hearing loss, lung conditions from dust and fumes, and gradual joint damage can qualify when the job caused or aggravated them, even without a single dramatic accident.
What to Do After a Construction Injury in Pascagoula
Report the injury to your employer right away, and in any event within 30 days of the accident. Mississippi law bars a claim when notice is not given on time, so do not wait to see whether the pain improves. Put the report in writing if you can, name the supervisor you told, and keep a copy. Then get medical care and tell the provider plainly that the injury happened at work and exactly how, because the first records created after an accident carry heavy weight later. If the company clinic sends you back to work before you are ready, you are entitled to push for appropriate treatment and a fair evaluation.
Mississippi’s filing clock is separate from the notice requirement. 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. Mississippi comp covers you from your first day on the job, with no waiting period, so a brand-new hire is protected the same as a ten-year veteran. If the employer has five or more employees, coverage is required.
Preserve evidence while it still exists. Photograph the area where you were hurt, the equipment involved, and your injuries. Collect names and phone numbers of coworkers who saw it, and note whether the site belonged to a general contractor or owner who was not your direct employer. Keep every pay stub, because your average weekly wage determines your wage benefits, and keep a simple log of missed work, mileage to appointments, and pharmacy costs. Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster before you understand what is being asked, and do not sign medical releases broader than needed.
Disputed claims in Mississippi are heard by the Commission, which is an administrative body and not a court. A case is first tried before an Administrative Judge at an evidentiary hearing. If either side appeals, the Full Commission reviews the record made before the judge rather than hearing the case fresh, which is why the evidence you build at the first hearing is so important. A final Commission award can then be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and that court may send the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
Contractors, Subcontractors, and Third Parties: Who Pays for a Construction Injury
The workers’ compensation system is no-fault, which means you generally do not have to prove your employer did anything wrong to receive medical care and wage benefits. In exchange, you usually cannot sue your own employer for the injury. Construction sites complicate that picture because of how the work is organized. A subcontractor’s employee hurt on a general contractor’s site may be covered by the subcontractor’s policy, while the general contractor may have its own obligations depending on the contract chain. Sorting out which carrier is responsible is often the first fight, and an incorrect denial from the wrong insurer can burn time while you have no income.
A separate claim may exist when someone other than your employer caused the harm: an equipment manufacturer whose machine failed, an unrelated contractor whose unsafe work created the hazard, a property owner with dangerous premises, or a negligent driver who hit your work truck. Our personal injury attorneys handle these claims in both states, and they coordinate with the comp case so the two do not undermine each other. In Mississippi, a third-party negligence claim generally carries a three-year filing period, and fault is shared under a pure comparative negligence rule, so your recovery is reduced by your own share of blame but not eliminated. These claims can reach damages that comp does not, such as pain and suffering, so identifying them early is worth the effort.
Wage benefits in Mississippi run up to two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum, and temporary and permanent total disability payments cannot extend beyond 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability in most cases is also capped at 450 weeks. Because the weekly maximum is adjusted over time, a higher earner on a pipeline or industrial crew may find the cap, not the wage, controls the check. Medical treatment for the work injury is covered separately and should not depend on how much you earned.
Pascagoula Construction Injury Questions Answered
Do I have to prove my employer was careless to get workers’ compensation?
No. Comp is a no-fault system. You need to show the injury arose out of and in the course of your work, not that anyone was negligent. Fault matters only if you pursue a claim against a third party.
How soon do I have to report a construction injury in Mississippi?
You must report it to your employer within 30 days of the accident. Reporting immediately is far safer, because delay gives the insurer an argument that the injury happened somewhere else.
How long do I have to file my claim?
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. If benefits were paid, the period can run from the last payment, but rely on a lawyer’s review rather than assuming.
Am I covered if I was hired last week?
Yes. Mississippi coverage begins on the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement.
What if the insurer says my back problem is just degeneration?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, benefits may still be owed. Imaging, treating-physician opinions, and a clear history of heavy labor are how that argument is won.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
Both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or disciplined after reporting an injury, tell us so we can review your options.
What if I was working through a staffing agency or as a “1099” subcontractor?
Labels on a paycheck do not settle the question. Misclassification is common in construction, and your actual working relationship, who directed your work, and who controlled your tools and schedule can determine whether you are treated as an employee entitled to coverage. Bring any contracts and pay records to your consultation.
My injury happened on a Louisiana job but I live in Mississippi. Which rules apply?
It depends on where you were hired, where the injury occurred, and where the employer operates. Louisiana generally requires a claim within one year of the accident, which is shorter than Mississippi’s window, so a worker who crosses the state line should get advice quickly rather than assume the longer deadline.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my comp claim is pending?
Group health plans often exclude work injuries, and using one can complicate reimbursement later. If the comp carrier denies treatment, we work to get care authorized, and we can discuss options for covering treatment in the meantime.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer if the injury seems minor?
Not every claim needs one, but injuries that look small can become surgical cases months later. If benefits are denied, delayed, or cut off, or if you are missing work for any length of time, a lawyer can change the outcome. Our fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law, and you owe nothing unless we recover.
Can I also sue someone besides my employer?
Possibly. If an equipment maker, an unrelated contractor, a property owner, or a negligent driver contributed to the accident, a separate injury claim may be available alongside your comp benefits.
Serving Construction Workers in Pascagoula and Across the Gulf Coast
We represent injured construction workers in Pascagoula and throughout Jackson County, and we regularly work with clients from the surrounding Gulf Coast communities and neighboring counties. That includes workers hurt on jobs in nearby Moss Point and Gautier, as well as those in Ocean Springs, Biloxi, Gulfport, and Long Beach, along with other Gulf Coast communities. Many of our clients travel to job sites across the coast and beyond, so we also serve workers from Hattiesburg and the Pine Belt, the Jackson and Madison area, Southaven in north Mississippi, and the Delta.
Because many construction crews move between Mississippi and Louisiana projects, our reach extends across the state line as well. We represent workers hurt in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and communities throughout South Louisiana and north Louisiana. Wherever the injury happened and whichever state’s rules govern the claim, the goal is the same: get the medical care approved, the wage benefits paid, and the insurer’s excuses answered with evidence.
Talk With a Pascagoula Construction Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt on a construction site and the insurer is delaying, denying, or pressing you back to work too soon, speak with a Pascagoula construction injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC before the deadlines narrow. Your consultation is free, there is no fee unless we recover benefits for you, and our phones are answered 24 hours a day. Call us, and let us handle the insurance company while you concentrate on getting well.
