Starkville Head & Brain Injury Lawyer
A head or brain injury claim is won or lost on whether the medical record shows what actually happened to your brain and whether the insurance carrier is forced to pay for the care it will take to recover. Starkville head and brain injury lawyer representation from Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is built around that goal. The firm handles workers’ compensation and personal injury claims for people hurt in Starkville, across Oktibbeha County, and throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, and it works to secure medical treatment, wage benefits, and settlements for people whose injuries have changed how they think, work, and live.
Head injuries are some of the most disputed claims an insurer sees. A concussion does not show up on an X-ray. A mild traumatic brain injury can look normal on a first CT scan while the worker is struggling with memory gaps, headaches, light sensitivity, and mood changes. Adjusters know this, and they lean on it.
Starkville gives rise to these claims in a few predictable ways: construction crews on campus and commercial projects, workers at manufacturing and distribution sites around the area, drivers on Highway 82 and Highway 12, and employees who fall from ladders, scaffolding, and loading docks. Each of those starts a different kind of claim, and the right path depends on who was responsible.
How Head and Brain Injury Claims Usually Unfold
The first days set the tone. The injured worker is treated, often in an emergency room, and the initial records may say only “head contusion” or “concussion, resolved.” Those words get quoted back months later.
Weeks in, symptoms that were not obvious at first start to surface. Concentration fades. Sleep falls apart. Dizziness makes driving or climbing impossible. This is the point where many claims begin to stall, because the carrier sees a short initial diagnosis and a worker who keeps reporting problems.
Then comes the pushback. The insurer may send the worker to a doctor it selects, argue the symptoms are unrelated to the accident, or push for a return to full duty before a treating physician is comfortable with it. Neuropsychological testing, specialist referrals, and consistent treatment notes become the evidence that answers those moves.
The final stage is resolution: continued benefits, a hearing, or a negotiated settlement that accounts for lasting limitations. A claim that is settled before the full picture of the injury is known can leave a worker paying for future care out of pocket.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Brain Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers and accident victims in Starkville, throughout Oktibbeha County and the rest of north Mississippi, in the Delta, on the Gulf Coast, and across Louisiana. Most attorneys who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury only when one happens to come through the door. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for its clients, takes cases on a no recovery, no fee basis, advances the costs of the case, offers free consultations, and answers its phones 24 hours a day. Hablamos español.
The people behind that work matter in a brain injury case. 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, which matters when a third-party claim has to be taken in front of a jury. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team.
The results reflect serious injuries: a $685,000 settlement 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 his work vehicle was struck, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Those outcomes involve the same fight a head injury claim requires, proving with medical evidence that a work event caused lasting harm. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, communicates, and stands up to the insurance company.
Types of Head and Brain Injury Claims We Handle
- Concussions and Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries: Struck-by incidents, falls from ladders and lifts, and collisions can leave a worker with memory problems, headaches, and balance trouble even when early imaging looks clean. Insurers often call these resolved too soon.
- Falls From Height: Roofing, scaffolding, and structural steel work around Starkville and the surrounding area put workers at risk of head impact injuries that carry long recovery periods and can end a construction career.
- Vehicle Collisions on the Job: Delivery drivers, truck drivers, and employees running errands in a work vehicle can suffer head trauma on roads like Highway 82. These cases can support both a comp claim and a third-party claim against the at-fault driver.
- Struck-By and Falling Object Injuries: Dropped tools, swinging loads, and collapsing materials at industrial and construction sites cause direct blows to the head, sometimes despite hard hats.
- Post-Traumatic Stress and Cognitive Changes: Brain injuries frequently bring anxiety, irritability, depression, and trouble concentrating. These effects are part of the injury and belong in the claim.
- Catastrophic Injuries: Severe trauma, burns, and multi-system injuries on industrial job sites and rigs can involve intensive care, long rehabilitation, and permanent limitation.
- Wrongful Death: When a head injury is fatal, surviving family members may have workers’ compensation death benefits and a separate wrongful death claim against a negligent third party.
- Third-Party Liability Claims: A negligent contractor, property owner, or driver may be responsible in addition to the employer, opening the door to damages that comp does not provide.
What to Do After a Head Injury at Work in Starkville
Get medical care first, and be specific with the provider. Say you hit your head, say you lost consciousness or felt dazed even briefly, and describe every symptom, including ones that seem minor like ringing in the ears or trouble finding words. Vague first records create problems later.
Report the injury to your employer right away. Mississippi requires that the employer be told within 30 days of the accident, and Louisiana sets the same 30-day notice window. Give the report in writing if you can and keep a copy. Waiting because you hoped the headaches would pass is one of the most common ways a good claim gets complicated.
Mississippi workers’ compensation covers you from your first day on the job, with no waiting period. Claims are heard by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, an administrative body rather than a court. If benefits are not paid, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a petition with the Commission, and that clock can be tied to the last compensation payment. If you were hurt in Louisiana, a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, with an extension possible when payments have been made.
Keep a symptom diary. Note headaches, dizziness, memory lapses, sleep trouble, and anything you can no longer do at work or at home. Ask a family member or coworker who has noticed changes to write down what they see; brain injury patients often underreport their own deficits. Follow every referral, from neurology to neuropsychological testing, and do not skip appointments, because gaps in treatment are exactly what carriers point to.
Be careful with the insurance adjuster. Recorded statements, broad medical releases, and casual conversations about your health history can be used to argue the problem was already there. Do not agree to a return-to-work date your own treating doctor has not approved. If a third party caused the accident, such as a driver or a contractor other than your employer, preserve photos, witness names, and any incident report, because that second claim runs on separate deadlines. Call the firm before you sign anything.
Proving a Brain Injury When the Scan Looks Normal
Brain injuries are proven through a pattern, not a single test. The pattern includes the mechanism of injury, the first complaints recorded at the emergency room, the consistency of symptoms over time, neurological exams, and neuropsychological testing that measures memory, attention, and processing speed against expected norms. Imaging can help, but a clear CT does not mean the brain is uninjured.
Carriers commonly respond with a pre-existing condition argument, blaming migraines, prior concussions, anxiety, or age-related decline. A pre-existing condition does not end a claim if work caused, worsened, or accelerated the problem. The job is to show through treating-physician opinions what changed after the accident and why.
Wage benefits matter just as much as medical care. In Mississippi, temporary and permanent total disability benefits are generally two-thirds of average weekly wage up to a statutory maximum, with a cap of 450 weeks. In Louisiana, workers who return at reduced earnings may qualify for supplemental earnings benefits, which can run up to 520 weeks. A worker who cannot concentrate well enough to do the old job, but can do something lighter, still has rights under both systems.
When a Denial or Dispute Needs to Be Appealed
In Mississippi, a case that goes badly before an Administrative Judge can be reviewed by the Full Commission, which examines the existing record rather than holding a new trial. A final Commission award can then be appealed within 30 days, and the Mississippi Supreme Court may assign the case to the Court of Appeals. Because appeals rest on the record already made, the evidence built early, including medical testimony, decides what a higher court can consider.
In Louisiana, a denied medical treatment request goes through a utilization review dispute, with 15 calendar days to file after written notice of the denial. Judgments from a workers’ compensation judge can be appealed to the court of appeal, with a 30-day window for a suspensive appeal. Deadlines like these are short and unforgiving, which is a strong reason to have counsel involved before a denial arrives.
Head and Brain Injury FAQ for Starkville Workers
Do I need a lawyer for a head injury workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim needs one, but brain injuries are different from most. If benefits are denied, delayed, or cut off, or if symptoms keep you out of work, an attorney can make a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and lawyers protecting its interests, and you should have someone protecting yours.
How much does it cost to hire Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of your case, and fees are collected only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a head injury at work?
Report it to your employer right away, and within 30 days at the latest in both Mississippi and Louisiana. Late notice is one of the easiest ways for a carrier to challenge a claim.
How long do I have to file a claim?
In Mississippi, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file with the Workers’ Compensation Commission. In Louisiana, a formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident, with exceptions when benefits have been paid. Speak with an attorney early rather than relying on exceptions.
What if my symptoms did not appear until days or weeks after the accident?
Delayed symptoms are common with concussions and other brain injuries. The key is documenting the accident promptly, telling your doctor about the head impact, and getting treated as soon as symptoms emerge so the medical record links them to the work event.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
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 your attorney during your consultation so the situation can be reviewed.
What if the insurer says my headaches and memory problems were pre-existing?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically defeat a claim. If your job caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, you may still qualify for benefits. Treating-physician opinions and before-and-after records are how that argument is answered.
Will the insurance company make me see its doctor?
Carriers often request an independent medical examination. Those doctors are chosen and paid by the insurer, and their opinions can be disputed. Do not attend one without talking to your attorney about what to expect and how to prepare.
Can I bring a personal injury claim in addition to workers’ compensation?
Possibly. If someone other than your employer caused the accident, such as a negligent driver, a contractor, or a property owner, you may have a separate injury claim against them. The firm coordinates the comp claim and the injury claim so one does not undercut the other.
What if my injury was partly my own fault?
Workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system, so your own mistake usually does not defeat comp benefits. In a separate Mississippi injury claim against a third party, recovery is reduced by your share of fault rather than barred. Louisiana’s rules for fault in injury cases have changed recently, so the date of the accident matters.
Does the firm handle cases for Spanish-speaking clients?
Yes. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
What if the head injury was fatal?
Family members may be entitled to workers’ compensation death benefits and may also have a wrongful death claim against a third party. In Mississippi, wrongful death negligence claims generally carry a three-year limit, while claims against a county or government agency carry a one-year limit and notice requirements. Louisiana wrongful death claims are generally limited to the longer of one year from death or two years from the injury.
Serving Head and Brain Injury Clients Across Oktibbeha County and Beyond
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers and accident victims from Starkville and the rest of Oktibbeha County, including Sturgis and the communities around Mississippi State University. In neighboring areas, the firm helps clients in Columbus, West Point, and Louisville, and across north Mississippi toward Tupelo, Oxford, and Southaven.
The firm’s work reaches the rest of Mississippi as well: Jackson and Madison, Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast, and the Delta. In Louisiana, the team serves clients throughout South Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles, as well as Shreveport and north Louisiana. Whether a worker was hurt on a construction site, in a plant, on a rig, or behind the wheel of a work truck, the firm brings the same focus on proving the injury and securing the care and benefits that follow.
Talk to a Starkville Brain Injury Attorney Today
A head injury can take months to reveal its full effect, and the insurer is already building its version of the story. Speaking with a Starkville brain injury attorney early lets you document the injury properly, meet the notice and filing deadlines, and push back when benefits are denied or care is cut off.
Call Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC to schedule a free consultation. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, there is no fee unless benefits or a settlement are recovered, and Spanish-speaking clients are welcome. We help injured workers. That is all we do.
