Pearl Forklift & Crane Accident Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers in Pearl, in Rankin County, and across Mississippi and Louisiana, handling workers’ compensation claims that have been denied, delayed, or cut off. When the injury came from a forklift tipping, a pallet load shifting, or a crane dropping a suspended load, the firm builds the claim around how heavy equipment actually fails and who answers for it.
A Pearl forklift and crane accident lawyer deals with injuries that are rarely minor. A forklift weighs several thousand pounds before it carries a load. A crane moves loads that can crush, pin, or strike a worker in an instant. The result is often crushed limbs, fractures, spinal injuries, and head trauma, followed by months or years of treatment and time away from work.
Pearl sits on the east side of the Jackson metro, with warehouses, distribution operations, and industrial and construction sites that depend on lift equipment every shift. Mississippi workers’ compensation covers a covered employee from the first day on the job, with no waiting period, so a new hire hurt in week one is generally in the same position as a twenty-year veteran.
Why Heavy Equipment Injuries Get Fought Harder Than Most
The severity of a forklift or crane injury raises the value of the claim, and insurers respond accordingly. Expect questions about whether the operator was certified, whether you were following procedure, whether you were somewhere you should not have been, and whether your back or shoulder was already worn down before the accident. Each of these is an attempt to shrink or deny benefits.
Mississippi’s compensation system is no-fault. Whether you or a coworker made a mistake generally does not decide whether the claim is covered. The questions that matter are whether the injury arose out of and in the course of your work, and what medical care and wage benefits follow. Insurers still try to turn ordinary workplace errors into reasons to deny, and that is where a documented, well-built claim earns its keep.
Why Injured Pearl Workers Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm serving Pearl, Rankin County, Jackson, Madison, the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Delta, and communities throughout Mississippi and South Louisiana. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients.
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 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. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the team.
The results reflect the kind of injuries heavy equipment causes: $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. The firm also secured $195,000 for a derrickhand with complex shoulder injuries from pulling large pipes. Clients describe attorneys who listen, answer questions, and fight the insurance company at every step. The firm works on a no recovery, no fee basis, offers free consultations, advances the costs of the case, answers phones around the clock, and speaks Spanish (hablamos español).
Common Forklift and Crane Injury Scenarios
- Forklift Tip-Overs: Sharp turns, uneven pavement, raised forks, and overloaded pallets can roll a forklift onto its operator. Crush injuries to the legs, pelvis, and torso are common, as are spinal fractures.
- Pedestrian Strikes in Warehouses: Workers on foot are hit or pinned against racking and dock walls by lift trucks backing up or turning blind. Foot, ankle, and hip fractures often require specialist surgical repair.
- Falling Loads and Pallets: Improperly stacked or secured freight slides off forks or racking and lands on the worker below. Head, neck, and shoulder injuries follow, and insurers often blame the worker for standing in the wrong place.
- Crane Load Drops and Swings: Rigging failures, signal miscommunication, and overloaded lifts send suspended material into workers on construction and industrial sites. These are frequently the most catastrophic claims.
- Boom and Outrigger Failures: A crane set on soft ground or without properly extended outriggers can collapse or tip, endangering the operator, riggers, and anyone nearby.
- Falls From Forks, Platforms, and Lifts: Workers raised on pallets or man-baskets without proper fall protection suffer back, hip, and wrist injuries. The employer may call it an unauthorized use of equipment.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Even without a dramatic crash, repeated jolts from rough-riding equipment can herniate discs. When the insurer blames degenerative disc disease, medical evidence tying the injury to the work is the answer.
What to Do After a Forklift or Crane Accident in Pearl
Get medical care first, and tell every provider exactly how the injury happened, including the equipment involved. Vague histories like “hurt my back at work” give an insurer room to argue later about cause. If your employer directs you to a particular clinic, you can still tell the doctors everything and keep copies of every record and work restriction.
Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as you can. Mississippi requires notice within 30 days of the accident, and a written report with a date removes any later dispute about whether you gave it. Ask for a copy or take a photo of what you submit. Louisiana workers hurt on the job have the same 30-day reporting window.
The claim itself has its own clock. In Mississippi, if no disability benefits have been paid within two years of the injury, the right to benefits can be lost unless a claim is filed with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission within that period. The petition to controvert is the filing that starts a contested case. For Louisiana injuries, a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, and that period can extend to three years from the last payment if compensation has been paid. These dates are why waiting to see how things go is a costly mistake.
Preserve what you can. Photograph the equipment, the load, and the area if you are able, and write down the names of coworkers who saw it happen. Note the make of the machine, whether it had been serviced, and who was operating it. Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster before you have spoken with a lawyer, and do not sign anything that releases the insurer from future responsibility.
If the carrier denies the claim or stops paying, a Mississippi case is heard by the Commission rather than a court, first before an Administrative Judge at an evidentiary hearing. An appeal to the Full Commission is a review of the existing record, not a new trial, so the evidence has to be built correctly the first time. 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.
Wage Benefits and Medical Care After a Heavy Equipment Injury
Under Mississippi law, temporary and permanent total disability benefits are paid at two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statutory weekly maximum and generally not beyond 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability in many cases is also capped at 450 weeks of payments. Medical treatment that is reasonable and necessary is covered, including surgery, therapy, and prescriptions.
Louisiana pays wage replacement while you cannot work, and supplemental earnings benefits are available when you return to work but cannot earn at least 90 percent of your pre-injury wages. Those benefits equal two-thirds of the difference between your old wages and what you earn or are able to earn, and they can run up to 520 weeks. The weekly maximum and minimum are fixed by the date of the accident and are updated each year.
When Someone Other Than Your Employer Is Responsible
Workers’ compensation often does not tell the whole story in a forklift or crane case. A defective brake, a faulty load sensor, or a failed hydraulic component may point to the equipment manufacturer. A crane owner or rental company may have skipped maintenance. A general contractor or a separate subcontractor on a shared site may have created the hazard that injured you. A negligent driver may have struck you while you were working.
Because compensation is no-fault, it usually bars suing your own employer, but it does not stop a claim against these outside parties. A third-party injury claim can recover damages that compensation does not, such as pain and suffering. In Mississippi, fault is shared under pure comparative negligence, so your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than eliminated. Louisiana has moved to a rule that bars recovery for a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault, for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, with fault below that threshold reducing the award. The firm’s personal injury lawyers coordinate the comp claim and any outside claim so one does not undermine the other.
Questions About Forklift and Crane Accident Claims
Can I get workers’ compensation if I was operating the forklift incorrectly?
Generally yes. Mississippi workers’ compensation does not turn on who was careless, so an operator error does not by itself defeat a claim. Insurers may still raise it, which is why the facts need to be documented carefully.
How long do I have to report a forklift or crane injury?
Report it to your employer within 30 days of the accident, in both Mississippi and Louisiana. Do it in writing and keep proof.
How long do I have to file the claim in Mississippi?
You generally have two years from the date of injury to file with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, unless disability benefits have already been paid. The statute governing notice and limitations is Miss. Code section 71-3-35, and the safest course is to file early.
What if my injury happened on a Louisiana job site?
The firm handles Louisiana claims too. A formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, and cases go before the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, with appeals to the Louisiana courts of appeal.
Will workers’ compensation pay for my surgery?
It covers reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the injury, including surgery and rehabilitation. When an insurer refuses a recommended procedure, the denial can be challenged. In Louisiana, a denial of treatment can be disputed by filing Form 1009 within 15 calendar days of written notice.
The insurer says my back problem was already there. Is my claim over?
No. If the accident caused, worsened, or accelerated a pre-existing condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Strong medical opinions tying the equipment accident to your current condition are the core of that fight.
Can I sue the forklift manufacturer or the crane company?
Possibly. A defective machine or negligent third party can give rise to a separate injury claim alongside your comp benefits. Mississippi’s general three-year period under section 15-1-49 can apply, while Louisiana’s period for injuries on or after July 1, 2024 is two years. Because the rules differ, get advice early.
Can my employer fire me for filing after a forklift accident?
Both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from retaliation for filing a compensation claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting the injury, tell your attorney during the consultation.
What if my employer says it has fewer than five employees?
Mississippi requires coverage for employers with five or more employees. Smaller employers fall outside that requirement, but your situation may still involve other responsible parties, so an early review is worth it.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer if the insurer is paying my medical bills?
Often yes, particularly with a serious injury. Insurers can cut off benefits or push you back to work before your doctor clears you. A lawyer helps protect your wage benefits and any settlement, and the firm is paid only if benefits or a settlement are recovered, with fees limited and approved under state law.
What happens if a forklift or crane accident killed my family member?
Death benefits may be available through workers’ compensation, and an outside party’s negligence may support a wrongful death claim. Mississippi generally allows three years for negligence-based wrongful death. Louisiana allows the longer of one year from death or two years from the injury. Speak with an attorney quickly so no deadline is lost.
Serving Pearl and Rankin County Injured Workers Across the Region
The firm represents injured workers from Pearl and neighboring Rankin County communities such as Brandon, Flowood, Richland, and Florence, and across the Jackson metro, including Jackson, Clinton, Byram, and Madison. Warehouse and distribution workers, equipment operators, riggers, and construction crews in these areas are among the people who rely on this kind of representation.
Beyond the metro, the firm serves clients in Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast, Southaven and north Mississippi, and the Delta. In Louisiana, it represents workers hurt in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and throughout South Louisiana and north Louisiana, including those whose claims must be heard by an Office of Workers’ Compensation district court.
Talk With a Pearl Forklift and Crane Accident Attorney
If you were hurt by a forklift, a crane, or the load either one was carrying, a Pearl forklift and crane accident attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your situation at no cost. Phones are answered around the clock, consultations are free, and you owe no fee unless the firm recovers benefits or a settlement for you. Call today and tell the team what happened, and they will start work on the medical care and wage benefits the law entitles you to.
