West Point Personal Injury Lawyer
West Point sits in Clay County, and a lot of the people who live here earn a living through plants, trucking, and manufacturing, which means a serious injury often has two stories: what happened at work and what someone else did to cause it. Whether you were hurt on a job site, on U.S. Highway 45 Alternate, or in a parking lot after a shift, you have decisions to make about who to hold responsible and how to keep your income and medical care intact. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC handles injury claims for people in West Point and across Mississippi and Louisiana, and a West Point personal injury lawyer at our firm can sort out which claims you have and in what order to pursue them.
The first thing to know is that “personal injury” is not one claim. If you were hurt while working, you almost certainly have a workers’ compensation claim against your employer’s insurer, and that claim does not depend on anyone being at fault. If a third party also contributed, such as a driver who hit your work truck, a contractor with an unsafe site, or a property owner who ignored a hazard, you may have a separate injury claim on top of it. The two claims affect each other, and mishandling one can hurt the other.
The second thing to know is that the clocks are short. Mississippi gives you 30 days to report a work injury to your employer, and different deadlines govern the other claims. Waiting to see if the pain goes away is the most common way people lose leverage before they ever talk to a lawyer.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a West Point Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a law firm built around injured workers. We represent clients throughout Mississippi, including Clay County and West Point, and across South Louisiana. Most lawyers who take comp cases are general personal injury lawyers who see one when it walks in. We work the other way around, and we also represent injured people in car and truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death cases so a comp claim and an injury claim can be coordinated instead of colliding.
The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements. Results relevant to the kinds of injuries people in this area suffer include $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. Clients consistently describe a team that listens, stays in contact, and goes toe to toe with the insurance company.
Our founding partner Rob Lunsford has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Partners Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe 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. Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team. You pay nothing up front, consultations are free, we advance the costs of your case, and we are paid only if we recover for you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we speak Spanish.
Common Injury Claims We Handle for West Point Workers and Residents
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Herniated lumbar and cervical discs are among the most common and most disputed injuries. Insurers routinely blame degenerative disc disease, so the medical evidence has to show how lifting, repetitive labor, or a single incident caused or worsened the condition.
- Truck and Vehicle Collisions: Clay County has heavy commercial traffic moving through U.S. Highway 45 Alternate and the state routes around West Point. A driver hurt on the clock in a collision may have both a comp claim and a claim against the at-fault driver.
- Manufacturing and Plant Injuries: Crush injuries, falls from equipment, and repetitive-motion injuries are typical where heavy machinery runs. Comp covers the worker, and a defective machine or outside contractor can open a separate claim.
- Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears often need surgery and long recovery, and employers sometimes call them old sports injuries.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, and hips can require specialists and complex repair, with lost wages stretching across months.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Industrial settings and oil field work produce severe burns and life-altering injuries that call for long-term medical and wage planning.
- Premises Liability: A fall caused by a spill, broken stairs, or poor lighting at a store, apartment, or business can support a claim against the property owner.
- Wrongful Death: When a workplace or highway accident takes a life, surviving family members may have comp death benefits and a separate wrongful death claim.
What to Do in the Days After an Injury Near West Point
Get medical care first, and tell the provider exactly how the injury happened and that it occurred at work if it did. Records created that day are the strongest evidence you will have. Follow the treatment plan and keep every appointment, because gaps in care are the first thing an adjuster points to.
Next, report the injury to your employer, in writing if you can, and keep a copy. Mississippi requires notice within 30 days of the accident. If a collision was involved, file a police report and photograph the vehicles, the road, and your injuries. Write down the names of any witnesses before memories fade.
Be careful with recorded statements. An insurer’s adjuster will call quickly and sound friendly, and a casual answer about your back “feeling fine yesterday” can be quoted back to you for months. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer, and it is smart to speak with a lawyer first.
Workers’ compensation claims in Mississippi are not heard in an ordinary courtroom. They go before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, and disputed claims are heard by an Administrative Judge, with review available before the Full Commission. If you were denied or paid late, your claim generally must be filed with the Commission within two years of the injury or the last compensation payment. A final Commission award can be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court within 30 days, and that court may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
A third-party injury suit works differently. In Mississippi, a negligence claim not covered by a special rule generally must be filed within three years of when it arose. Claims against a county or other government body carry a one-year limit and require formal notice under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, which catches many people off guard after a crash involving a government vehicle or a hazard on public property.
How a Work Injury Claim and an Injury Lawsuit Fit Together
Workers’ compensation pays medical treatment and wage benefits regardless of fault. The wage benefit is up to two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a weekly maximum set by law and a time limit of 450 weeks for total disability. You are covered from your first day on the job, with no waiting period.
What comp does not pay is pain, suffering, or full lost earning capacity. A third-party claim can. If a negligent driver or a contractor caused your injury, that claim is where non-economic damages come in, and Mississippi applies pure comparative negligence, which means your recovery is reduced by your share of fault rather than eliminated.
The complication is that the comp insurer may have a right to be reimbursed from what you recover from the third party. Settling one claim without thinking through the other can leave money on the table or create a dispute you did not expect. Coordinating both claims is where having one firm handle comp and injury work pays off.
Frequently Asked Questions About West Point Injury Claims
Do I need a lawyer after an injury in West Point?
Not every claim requires one, but if benefits are denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if you will be out of work for a long time, a lawyer can change the outcome. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys working for it, and you should have someone working for you.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of your case, and we are paid only if we recover benefits or a settlement. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a work injury in Mississippi?
You must notify your employer within 30 days of the accident. Report it right away and in writing whenever possible, since delay gives the insurer an argument.
What is the deadline to file a workers’ compensation claim?
Generally two years from the date of injury or from the last compensation payment, with a petition filed at the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. Exceptions can apply, so do not rely on the outer limit.
What if my injury was partly my fault?
Workers’ compensation does not depend on fault, so carelessness on your part usually does not defeat a comp claim. In a third-party injury case, Mississippi’s pure comparative negligence rule reduces your recovery by your percentage of fault but does not bar it.
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
Mississippi protects workers from 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 look at your options.
What if the insurer says my injury is a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your work caused, worsened, or accelerated the condition, you may still be entitled to benefits. Answering this argument with strong medical evidence is a core part of what we do.
Can I sue my employer in addition to getting comp benefits?
Generally, workers’ compensation is the exclusive remedy against your employer. The separate lawsuit is usually against someone else, such as a negligent driver, equipment maker, or outside contractor.
Will my health insurance pay while my claim is pending?
If the injury is work related, the comp insurer is supposed to pay for treatment, and health plans often resist covering work injuries. If comp is denied, talk to us before assuming either way, because how bills get paid can affect your claim.
How long does a claim take?
It depends on how serious the injury is and whether the insurer disputes it. Claims usually stay open until you reach maximum medical improvement, because settling before you know your long-term condition can shortchange you. Disputed claims that go to a hearing take longer than accepted ones.
Is a small injury claim worth a lawyer?
Often yes, if the insurer is denying treatment or pushing you back to work before your doctor clears you. A free consultation will tell you whether the claim is worth pursuing and what your options are.
What if a government vehicle or property caused my injury?
Claims against a county or other government entity in Mississippi have a one-year limit and require notice under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. Contact a lawyer quickly, because this deadline is far shorter than the general rule.
Serving Injured Workers and Accident Victims Across Clay County and Beyond
We represent injured people in West Point and throughout Clay County, including the communities around Palmer, Pheba, Montpelier, Abbott, and Siloam. Neighboring Lowndes County, home to Columbus, Caledonia, and Artesia, and Oktibbeha County, with Starkville and the Mississippi State area, are close by, as are Monroe County and Aberdeen, Webster County, and Choctaw County. Our work reaches across north Mississippi and the Delta, down through Madison, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Gulf Coast, and up to Southaven.
The firm also serves South Louisiana and north Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport. Whether your injury happened on a plant floor, a highway, an oil site, or a construction project, we handle both the workers’ compensation claim and any injury claim against a third party.
Talk to a West Point Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt at work or in an accident, you do not have to deal with the insurance company by yourself. A West Point personal injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which claims you may have, and tell you what deadlines apply to you. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover for you. Call us today to talk through your case.
