West Point Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
The most important decision in a Mississippi work injury claim often gets made in the first few days, before anyone has talked to a lawyer: what you tell your employer and your doctor about how you were hurt. Those early statements follow a claim for years. West Point workers’ compensation lawyer searches usually come from people who have already lived that moment, whether they were hurt at a plant, a warehouse, a job site, or behind the wheel, and who are now learning that a covered injury and a paid claim are two different things. Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation law firm that represents injured workers in West Point, Clay County, and communities across Mississippi and South Louisiana.
West Point sits in the Golden Triangle region of northeast Mississippi, where manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, and trucking all feed the local job market. Those environments produce repetitive-motion injuries, crushed and fractured limbs, back and spine damage from lifting, and wrecks on the highways that carry freight through the area. Each type of injury invites its own insurer response, and knowing which arguments are coming is a large part of preparing a claim well.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a West Point Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC serves injured workers in West Point and Clay County, and across Mississippi from the Delta and north Mississippi to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, Madison, and Jackson, as well as Louisiana communities from Baton Rouge to Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Shreveport. Its attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience, and the firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Clients pay nothing up front, the firm advances case costs, consultations are free, and the firm is paid only if it recovers benefits or a settlement. The phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language.
The team is led by Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, who has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe are partners recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and The National Trial Lawyers. Andrew Rueff has successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict and regularly appears before the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, and Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the attorney team. The firm was also ranked by Best Law Firms in 2026 for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson.
The results reflect the injuries that most often cause disputes: a $685,000 settlement for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, and $385,000 for a project manager with back injuries after being struck in his work vehicle. There was also $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Clients describe a team that listens, communicates, and stays in the fight with the insurance company at every stage.
Injury and Claim Types That Come Out of West Point Workplaces
- Back, neck, and spine injuries: Lifting, loading, and repetitive bending in plants and distribution centers cause lumbar and cervical disc herniations. Insurers often blame degenerative disc disease, so the case turns on medical evidence tying the work to the injury or its worsening.
- Shoulder and knee injuries: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common among workers who pull, climb, and kneel. Employers sometimes recast these as old sports injuries, which a documented work history can answer.
- Fractures: Foot, ankle, hip, and other bone injuries from falls, forklifts, and falling objects may require specialists and complex surgical repair, with long stretches away from work.
- Burns and catastrophic injuries: Industrial settings and energy work produce severe burns and life-altering trauma that raise questions about permanent disability and lifetime medical care.
- Truck driver and on-the-road injuries: Drivers and delivery workers hurt in wrecks on the job may have both a comp claim and a separate claim against the at-fault driver.
- Repetitive-use and occupational conditions: Injuries that build over time rather than happening in one moment are often challenged on timing and cause, so early medical documentation matters.
- Firefighter and first responder claims: Hypertension, heart and lung disease, hepatitis, hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and cancer tied to the job are claims the firm handles for those who serve their communities.
- Denied, delayed, and cut-off benefits: Claims fail when carriers dispute that the accident happened at work, blame a pre-existing condition, push a return to work before a doctor clears it, or stop paying without warning.
What to Do in the Days and Weeks After a Work Injury in Clay County
Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as you can. Mississippi requires notice to the employer within 30 days of the accident, and the notice and filing deadlines come from Miss. Code section 71-3-35. Waiting rarely helps, and a delay gives the insurer room to argue the injury happened somewhere else. Say plainly what happened, which body parts hurt, and where it occurred, and keep a copy.
Get medical care and be specific with every provider about how the injury happened. Insurers read those first records closely, and a vague history or a missing body part can become the foundation of a denial. If your employer sends you to a particular clinic, you can still describe everything accurately and ask for copies of your records. Do not downplay symptoms to avoid trouble, and do not return to full duty before a doctor releases you.
Coverage in Mississippi begins on your first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement. The claim itself is decided by the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, not a court. The Commission administers the law and is made up of three people appointed by the Governor with Senate approval. Disputed claims are heard either at an evidentiary hearing before an Administrative Judge or on review by the Full Commission, and Full Commission hearings take place in Jackson. If benefits stop or never start, the usual path is a Petition to Controvert, generally filed within two years of the injury or of the last compensation payment. If no disability benefits were ever paid, the right to benefits can be lost entirely unless a claim is filed with the Commission within those two years.
A few mistakes cost workers dearly. Giving a recorded statement to an adjuster without preparation is one. Signing medical releases broader than necessary is another. Treating a first denial as final is the most damaging, because denials are often reversed once the medical evidence is organized. If someone other than your employer contributed to your injury, such as a negligent driver or a contractor with an unsafe site, you may have a separate personal injury claim, and the two claims should be coordinated rather than allowed to interfere with each other.
How Benefits Are Calculated and Where Disputes Arise
Mississippi workers’ compensation pays for reasonable and necessary medical treatment and replaces part of lost wages. Temporary and permanent total disability benefits are generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a statutory weekly maximum that the Legislature sets and adjusts over time, and they cannot run longer than 450 weeks. Permanent partial disability benefits are likewise capped at 450 weeks in the cases not covered by a specific schedule. These limits make the accuracy of your average weekly wage calculation and your disability rating matter more than most workers realize, since a small error compounds over hundreds of weeks.
The disputes that most often reach a hearing involve three questions. Was the injury work-related, which is where pre-existing condition arguments surface. What is the extent of the disability, which depends on medical opinions and on how your restrictions fit the jobs you can realistically perform. And are you being sent back to work too early or into work you cannot do. A pre-existing condition does not automatically end a claim. If your job caused, worsened, or sped up the condition, benefits may still be owed.
When a hearing result goes against you, the process continues. An appeal from an Administrative Judge goes to the Full Commission, which reviews the record already made rather than holding a new trial. A final Commission award can then be appealed within 30 days, under the statute, to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which may assign the case to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Appellate review is confined to the record built before the Commission, which is why the evidence gathered at the earlier stages decides so much.
West Point Workers’ Compensation Questions Injured Workers Ask
Do I need a lawyer for a West Point workers’ comp claim?
Not every claim requires one. If your benefits have been denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or if your injury will keep you 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 Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of your case, and it is paid only if it recovers benefits or a settlement. Attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are also limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report my injury in Mississippi?
You must report the injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident. Report it right away and in writing, because delay gives the insurer an argument and makes the details harder to prove.
What is the deadline to file a claim?
Generally two years from the date of injury or from the last compensation payment, by filing a Petition to Controvert with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. If no disability benefits were ever paid, the claim must be filed within two years or the right can be lost. Exceptions exist, so speak with an attorney early.
Am I covered if I was hurt on my first day?
Yes. Mississippi coverage begins on the first day of employment, with no waiting period and no minimum earnings requirement, provided your employer is subject to the law.
Can I be fired for filing a 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 your attorney during the consultation so your options can be reviewed.
What if my employer says my back problem is just degeneration?
Insurers raise this argument constantly. If your work caused the injury, worsened an underlying condition, or accelerated it, you may still qualify. Treating physician opinions, imaging, and a clear work history are what answer the argument.
Can the insurance company make me see their doctor?
Carriers often steer workers toward doctors they favor, and an opinion from a physician chosen by the insurer can be used against you. You have rights regarding your choice of treating physician, and an attorney can explain how those apply to your situation before you commit to a provider.
If I was partly at fault for the accident, can I still collect?
Workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system, so your own carelessness does not by itself defeat a claim. Fault matters in a separate injury claim against a third party, where Mississippi’s pure comparative negligence rule reduces recovery by your share of fault rather than barring it.
What if I was hurt by someone who does not work for my employer?
You may have a personal injury claim against that person in addition to your comp benefits. Examples include a negligent driver who hits your work vehicle or a contractor whose unsafe site causes a fall. The firm handles both, so the claims work together.
Will I lose my benefits if I cannot return to my old job?
Not automatically. Disability is evaluated based on your restrictions and your ability to earn, and permanent restrictions can support ongoing wage-loss benefits within the statutory limits. Settlements and ratings should be reviewed carefully before you accept any offer.
Do you handle Spanish-speaking clients?
Yes. Hablamos espanol, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Representing Injured Workers in West Point and Throughout the Region
The firm represents injured workers in West Point and across Clay County, including the surrounding communities of the Golden Triangle. Neighboring Lowndes County, with Columbus, and Oktibbeha County, with Starkville, are within the north Mississippi region the firm serves, as are Tupelo, Aberdeen, Corinth, Oxford, and Southaven. The firm also reaches the Delta, Jackson, Madison, Hattiesburg, and the Gulf Coast, along with workers in Louisiana communities from Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles to Shreveport and New Orleans.
Whether your injury happened at a manufacturing plant, on a construction site, in a warehouse, or on the road hauling freight, the same core questions apply: whether your claim has been properly reported and filed, whether your medical care is being paid, and whether your wage benefits reflect what the law entitles you to receive.
Speak With a West Point Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
If you have been hurt on the job and the insurance company is questioning your claim, delaying your care, or has stopped paying, talk with a West Point workers’ compensation attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe. Call the firm to schedule a free consultation. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, you owe nothing unless benefits or a settlement are recovered, and the firm handles injured workers’ claims and nothing else.
