Waveland Personal Injury Lawyer
Waveland sits in Hancock County on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and an injury claim here is shaped by things inland towns never think about: tourism and casino work, shrimp boats and dock labor, storm-recovery construction, and a steady stream of trucks and commuters on Highway 90 and Interstate 10. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles personal injury and workers’ compensation claims for injured people across Hancock County and the rest of Mississippi and Louisiana, and a Waveland personal injury lawyer from our team can sort out which kind of claim you actually have.
That sorting matters more than most people expect. A Waveland resident hurt in a wreck while driving for an employer may have two claims at once: a workers’ compensation claim against the employer’s insurer and a liability claim against the other driver. A person hurt at a rental property or a business may have only the latter. The two systems run on different deadlines, in different forums, under different rules about fault, and a decision made early in one can affect the other.
If you were hurt because of someone else’s carelessness, the choices in front of you in the first weeks, what to tell an adjuster, whether to sign anything, when to report, which doctor to see, tend to decide how strong the claim ends up being.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Gulf Coast Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured people throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, including Hancock County and the Gulf Coast communities around Waveland. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and you owe no fee unless we recover for you. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish with clients from the first call through the end of the case.
That focus is useful when a work injury and an injury claim overlap. Our personal injury lawyers handle car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death, and we make sure a comp claim and a liability claim work together instead of against each other. The results reflect the kind of injuries we see: 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 with back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns.
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. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team. Clients describe attorneys who listened, answered questions, and stood up to the insurance company, and that is the standard we hold ourselves to.
Injury Situations We See Along the Hancock County Coast
- Car and Truck Collisions: Highway 90 along the beachfront, Interstate 10 near the Hancock County interchanges, and the local roads feeding Waveland carry commuters, tourists, delivery vehicles, and tractor-trailers. Crashes involving commercial trucks often add a second defendant, the trucking company, and a second set of insurance policies.
- Injuries While Driving for Work: A delivery driver, sales rep, or project manager hit in a company vehicle may qualify for comp benefits and also have a claim against the at-fault driver. Our $385,000 result for a project manager struck in his work vehicle is an example of that overlap.
- Premises Liability: Slip and fall injuries at restaurants, hotels, stores, rental properties, and marinas can support a claim when the owner knew or should have known about a hazard such as wet floors, broken stairs, or poor lighting.
- Construction and Storm-Recovery Work: Rebuilding on the coast means roofers, ironworkers, and laborers on elevated and unfinished sites. Falls and equipment injuries are covered by comp against the employer, with a possible separate claim against a negligent contractor or equipment owner.
- Burns and Industrial Injuries: Plants, rigs, and industrial sites along the Gulf region produce burns and crush injuries. Catastrophic injuries like these usually mean long treatment and lasting limits on work, which raises the value of getting every benefit and claim right.
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Disc herniations are among the most common serious injuries from both crashes and heavy labor. Insurers often point to degenerative changes, so medical evidence tying the injury to the event is central.
- Shoulder, Knee, and Fracture Injuries: Rotator cuff tears, meniscus tears, and broken ankles or hips frequently need surgery and months of rehabilitation, and insurers sometimes label them old injuries.
- Wrongful Death: When a fatal crash or workplace incident takes a family member, survivors may have claims for the loss, and in some work deaths both comp death benefits and a liability action may be available.
What to Do in the Days After an Injury in Waveland
Start with medical care, and do it the same day if you can. Gulf Coast residents commonly go to an emergency room or urgent care first, and what you tell the provider about how the injury happened becomes part of the record the insurer will read later. Describe the event accurately and mention every body part that hurts, even if one seems minor. Gaps in treatment, or symptoms that first appear in records weeks later, are what adjusters use to argue the injury came from somewhere else.
If the injury happened at work, report it to your employer promptly. In Mississippi, notice is due within 30 days of the accident, and a claim is generally barred unless benefits are paid or a petition is filed with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission within two years of the injury. Those rules are found in Miss. Code section 71-3-35. The Commission, not a court, hears these claims, first before an Administrative Judge and then on review before the Full Commission, with appeals going to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which often assigns the case to the Court of Appeals. If you live in Waveland but were hurt on a job in Louisiana, that state’s rules apply instead: 30 days to report and generally one year to file a formal claim.
For a crash or fall caused by someone else, get a police or incident report, photograph the scene, vehicles, and your injuries, collect names of witnesses, and keep every medical bill and pay stub. The general Mississippi deadline for most negligence-based injury suits is three years from when the claim accrued, and a latent injury may run from the date it was or should have been discovered. Claims against a county or other governmental body are much shorter: one year, and they require notice under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. If a city or county road, building, or vehicle played a part in your injury, treat that deadline as urgent.
The biggest mistake we see is giving a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer before understanding what is at stake. Adjusters are friendly and quick, and an offhand comment such as “I’m fine” or a guess about speed can be quoted back later. The second is signing a medical release that opens your entire history instead of the relevant records. The third is accepting an early settlement before you know whether you will need surgery. Once a release is signed, the claim is over, however the injury turns out.
How Fault Is Weighed When More Than One Person Shares Blame
Mississippi follows pure comparative negligence. If a jury finds you partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than eliminated. That is why insurers work so hard to shift blame onto the injured person, saying you were speeding, distracted, or should have seen the hazard. Even a modest fault finding changes the value of the claim.
Louisiana is different and has recently become harsher. For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and below that threshold the award is reduced proportionally. Louisiana also now allows two years to sue for most injury claims arising on or after July 1, 2024, replacing the old one-year period.
When a work injury and a third-party claim exist together, the comp insurer usually has a right to be repaid from what you recover from the third party. Handled carelessly, a settlement of one claim can shrink or complicate the other. Coordinating them is one of the main reasons to have a single firm looking at the whole picture.
Waveland Injury Claim Questions Answered
How much does it cost to hire a Waveland injury attorney?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement. In workers’ compensation matters, attorney fees are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to file an injury claim in Mississippi?
For most negligence claims the general limit is three years from when the claim accrued. Claims against a county or governmental agency must be brought within one year and require notice under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. Medical malpractice has its own two-year period.
What if I was hurt at work and by someone else, such as a negligent driver?
You may have both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury claim. They run on separate deadlines and in separate forums, and the comp insurer may have a right to reimbursement from your third-party recovery, so the two should be planned together.
Do I need a lawyer if the other driver’s insurance company seems cooperative?
Cooperation early often fades once the adjuster has your statement and your medical records. If your injuries needed more than a quick visit, or fault is disputed, having an attorney review the file before you commit to anything is wise.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
In Mississippi your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, not eliminated. In Louisiana, for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, being 51 percent or more at fault bars recovery entirely, so the place of the accident can change the outcome.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller injury claim?
Often a free consultation will tell you. If you were hurt only briefly and the insurer is paying fairly, you may not need one. If treatment is dragging on, benefits are being questioned, or you are being pushed to settle quickly, representation can change the result.
Will my health insurance pay for treatment while my claim is pending?
You can use it, and many people do so that treatment is not delayed. Be aware that your health plan or a comp carrier may seek reimbursement from a settlement, so keep records of everything paid.
What if my employer says I cannot file because I was partly responsible for my injury?
Workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system, so being partly responsible does not by itself defeat a claim. Mississippi covers workers from the first day of employment, with no waiting period.
Can I be fired for filing a claim after getting hurt?
Both Mississippi and Louisiana protect workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us so we can review your options.
Does a pre-existing condition ruin an injury claim?
No. If the accident or your job caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still recover. Insurers raise this argument constantly with back and joint injuries, and strong medical evidence is how it is answered.
How long will my case take?
It depends on how long you need treatment and whether liability is disputed. Settling before you reach maximum medical improvement is risky, because the true cost of the injury may not be known yet.
My family member died in a crash near Waveland. What deadlines apply?
In Mississippi, wrongful death claims based on negligence generally have a three-year limit and intentional torts one year. Noneconomic damages in most wrongful death cases are capped by statute, though the cap does not apply to economic losses. Call us promptly so a deadline does not slip while the family is grieving.
Serving Hancock County and Gulf Coast Injury Clients
We represent injured people in Waveland and throughout Hancock County, including Bay St. Louis, Diamondhead, Kiln, Pass Christian’s neighboring communities, and the stretches of Highway 90 and Interstate 10 that connect them. Across the Gulf Coast, our team also helps clients in Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, and Pascagoula, and in nearby areas that include Long Beach and Picayune.
Beyond the coast, we handle claims in Hattiesburg, Jackson, Madison, Southaven, and the Delta, and for clients across north Mississippi. Because Waveland sits close to the Louisiana line, we also represent injured people in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and throughout South Louisiana and north Louisiana. Whether you were hurt on a job site, in a collision, or on someone else’s property, our injury law firm serves clients across both states.
Talk With a Waveland Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt in Waveland or anywhere along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, a Waveland personal injury attorney from Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which claims you have, and tell you what the deadlines mean for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover for you.
Call us to schedule a consultation. If your injury also happened on the job, tell us that at the start, so your comp claim and your injury claim can be handled as one plan from day one.
