Stone County Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If you were hurt on a job in Stone County, you are probably weighing whether to call a lawyer now or wait and see what the insurance adjuster does. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers across Mississippi and Louisiana, including Wiggins and the rest of Stone County, and a good Stone County workers’ compensation lawyer can shape a claim well before the first denial letter ever shows up.
Stone County sits in the Piney Woods of south Mississippi, and the work done here is physical: timber and logging, sawmills, trucking, construction, poultry and food processing, and the industrial and service jobs that feed the Gulf Coast corridor. Those jobs produce the injuries that fill comp files, such as spine and disc injuries from heavy lifting, shoulder tears from repetitive overhead work, crushed or broken feet and ankles, and burns. They are also the injuries insurers most like to blame on age, an old sports injury, or “wear and tear.”
Mississippi claims are not decided by a local court. They go through the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, which runs its own hearing process, and that shapes everything from how you file to how long you wait. What follows is a practical walk through how this works for a Stone County worker.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Stone County Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including Stone County, Harrison County, Forrest County and the rest of the Gulf Coast and south Mississippi, as well as Jackson, Hattiesburg, the Delta and north Mississippi. Most lawyers who take comp cases are personal injury lawyers who handle a work injury only when one walks in. This firm was built the other way around.
The results are on the record. The firm has 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, $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. Those are the kinds of spine, vehicle, and burn injuries that show up in Stone County’s trucking, construction, and industrial work.
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, and Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the team. Clients consistently describe a firm that listened, stayed professional, and fought the insurance company at every step.
The practical side matters too. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of your case, and you pay no fee unless benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, and hablamos espanol, so Spanish-speaking workers can handle the whole case in their own language.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Stone County Workers
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lifting, loading, and operating equipment in timber, trucking, and construction produce lumbar and cervical disc herniations. When the insurer points to degenerative disc disease, the answer is medical evidence showing that the job caused or aggravated the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common among workers who pull, climb, and kneel all day. Employers often call these old sports injuries, so the timeline of your symptoms and your work history become important proof.
- Fractures: Feet, ankles, hips, and other bones break in falls from equipment, trailers, and scaffolds, or when something heavy comes down on a worker. These can require specialists and multiple surgeries, which raises the stakes on medical coverage.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial sites, plants, and oil and gas related work can produce severe burns and life-altering injuries that call for long-term care and a careful look at permanent disability.
- Truck and Vehicle Accidents on the Job: Drivers and delivery workers on U.S. 49 and the highways around Wiggins can be hurt in wrecks while working. That can create a comp claim and a separate claim against the at-fault driver.
- Firefighter and First Responder Claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job are claims we handle for firefighters and other first responders.
- Denied, Delayed, or Terminated Benefits: Insurers argue the accident did not happen at work, blame a pre-existing condition, push workers back before a doctor clears them, or stop paying without warning. Each of these has an answer built from medical records and witness accounts.
What to Do in the Days After a Work Injury in Stone County
Start with the medical care and the notice, in that order. Get treated, and tell the doctor plainly that the injury happened at work and how. Then report the injury to your employer, preferably in writing, as soon as you can. Mississippi gives you 30 days from the accident to give your employer notice, and missing that window can put the whole claim at risk. Do not assume a supervisor mentioning it to someone counts. A short written note with the date, what happened, and what body part you hurt is cheap insurance.
Next, protect the evidence. Write down who saw it, what equipment was involved, and what you were doing. Keep every medical record, work-status note, and pay stub. Take photos of the scene and the injury if you can. If the insurer calls and asks for a recorded statement, you are allowed to talk to a lawyer first, and doing so is usually wise because adjusters ask questions that set up a pre-existing condition argument.
Know the filing deadline too. 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 if payments were made the clock runs from the last payment. Reporting to your employer does not stop that clock, and the insurer paying your medical bills does not either. A lawyer can calendar it so it never becomes a problem.
Claims in Mississippi are heard by Administrative Judges at the Commission, not in a courtroom with a jury. An Administrative Judge’s decision can be reviewed by the Full Commission, which looks at the record already made rather than holding a new trial. From there, a final award can be appealed within 30 days, and those appeals are decided only on the record from the Commission. That is why the evidence you build early, especially medical opinions, matters so much more than anything said later.
How Wage Benefits and Medical Care Work in Mississippi
Mississippi covers you from your first day on the job, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement. If you are temporarily or permanently totally disabled, the benefit is two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum and not to exceed 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability in the “other cases” category is also capped at 450 weeks. The weekly maximum is adjusted over time, so ask about the current figure instead of relying on one you read years ago.
Medical care is the other half. Reasonable and necessary treatment should be paid for, including surgery, therapy, and prescriptions, and the dispute that surfaces most often is whether the insurer will authorize the treatment your doctor recommends. A claim that is “accepted” can still be a fight over the next MRI or the surgery your orthopedist says you need.
Return-to-work is where many workers get caught. Going back before your doctor releases you can hurt both your health and your claim, and a light-duty offer that does not match your restrictions deserves a close look. If you cannot return to the same pay, the amount of lost earning capacity becomes a central issue in what your case is worth.
When Another Party Caused Your Injury
Many Stone County work injuries involve someone other than your employer, such as a driver who hits your work truck, a subcontractor whose unsafe site causes a fall, or a manufacturer of defective equipment. In those cases you may have a personal injury claim alongside your comp benefits. Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence, which reduces a recovery by your share of fault instead of barring it. The general limit for these claims is three years under Mississippi’s catch-all statute, though claims against a county or other government body face a much shorter one-year limit and notice requirements. Coordinating the comp claim and the injury claim matters because a settlement in one can affect the other.
Stone County Workers’ Compensation Questions Answered
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim?
Not every claim requires one, but if your benefits were denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if you will be out of work for a long time, 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 the firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances case costs, and you pay only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report my injury in Mississippi?
You must give your employer notice within 30 days of the accident. Do it in writing if you can, and do it sooner rather than later, since late notice is one of the easiest ways for an insurer to attack a claim.
What is the deadline to file with the Workers’ Compensation Commission?
Generally two years from the date of injury, or from the date of the last compensation payment if benefits were paid. You file a Petition to Controvert with the Commission. Exceptions can apply, so speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Mississippi protects workers from being fired in retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review your options.
What if the insurer says my injury is from a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your work caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Answering this argument with strong medical evidence is a core part of what we do.
Do I get to choose my own doctor?
Medical choice in comp is more restricted than in ordinary health care, and rules about changing physicians can be strict. Talk to us before switching doctors or accepting a doctor chosen by the insurer, because whose opinion carries weight at hearing often decides the case.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is being fought?
Health insurers often refuse to pay for work-related injuries and may seek reimbursement later. Do not skip treatment because of a dispute. Tell your lawyer what has been billed to whom so it can be sorted out as the claim moves forward.
What happens if the insurer denies my claim?
A denial is not the end. Your case can go before an Administrative Judge at the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, then to the Full Commission, and if needed to the Mississippi appellate courts. Many denials are built on a missing medical opinion or a thin accident report, both of which can be fixed.
Can I still get benefits if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system, so your own carelessness usually does not defeat a claim. Fault matters in a separate injury claim against a third party, where Mississippi’s pure comparative negligence rule reduces your recovery by your percentage of fault.
I live in Mississippi but was hurt in Louisiana, or the reverse. Which state’s rules apply?
It depends on where the job is based, where the hire occurred, and where you were hurt. Louisiana, for example, generally requires a formal claim within one year of the accident, which is shorter than Mississippi’s two years. Because the firm handles both states, we can look at which one’s rules give you the best path.
Serving Injured Workers Across Stone County and Beyond
The firm represents injured workers throughout Stone County, from Wiggins and the communities along U.S. 49 to the rural stretches near the De Soto National Forest and the timber and farm country that fills the county. We also work with clients in neighboring Harrison, George, Pearl River, Forrest, and Perry counties, and across the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Madison, Southaven, and the Delta. Our attorneys also represent workers across south Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles, as well as Shreveport and north Louisiana.
Whether you work a sawmill line in Wiggins, drive a log truck out of the county, or commute to a job on the Coast, the same rules govern your claim, and the same insurance playbook is waiting for it.
Talk to a Stone County Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to fight the insurer alone. A Stone County workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review your injury, your deadlines, and what the insurance company has told you, and explain where you stand. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you.
Call us today or send your case details, and we will tell you plainly what we see and what comes next. We help injured workers. That is all we do.
