Hurt at work in Mississippi? Deadlines, weekly benefit and how to file
Tell your employer within 30 days (the date of the injury). File your claim within 2 years.
Temporary total disability (TTD) benefits can pay two-thirds of your gross (before-tax) wages, up to $654.63 a week in 2026.
Your employer's insurer, not the state, usually decides first. If they deny or delay, the free help listed here can explain your options.
In Mississippi, temporary disability pays part of your lost wages while you are under a doctor's care and unable to work or earn full pay because of a work injury. Your employer or its insurance company pays the benefits, not the Commission; disputes are decided by an administrative judge of the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission.
Checked against official sources: October 31, 2026.
Deadlines are strict. If you are near one, call the state agency or free help today.
Free tools for Mississippi
Free tools that run in your browser. Nothing you enter is saved or sent until you download, copy or print a document.
Deadline helper
Benefit estimate calculator
This estimate uses the rule in Mississippi's data: a share of your average weekly wage, up to the state maximum.
Written notice to your employer
A letter that tells your employer, in writing, that you were hurt or made sick by your work.
Claim checklist: what to gather and do
A printable list of papers to keep and steps to take.
Deadlines in Mississippi
- Tell your employer
- 30 days
- File your claim
- 2 years
- Waiting period
Wage loss benefits are not paid for the first 5 days of disability unless your disability lasts at least 14 days.
Weekly benefit in Mississippi
- What it pays
- Two-thirds of your gross (before-tax) wages
- Maximum
- $654.63 a week in 2026
- Minimum
- $25 a week in 2026
- Minimum rule
The minimum for total disability is $25 a week.
- Applies to
- Injuries on or after January 1, 2026
Law: Miss. Code Ann. 71-3-13, 71-3-17(b), 71-3-31
Source: mwcc.ms.gov
Who is your doctor in Mississippi?
- Who chooses
- You choose
You have the right to choose one physician or other medical provider to treat you. You are not limited to a medical doctor; for example, you may choose a chiropractor.
Your chosen provider may refer you once to another specialist without approval from the employer or insurer. Any other change of doctor or additional referral must be approved in advance by the employer or its insurance company, or by the Commission. A doctor who has treated you for 6 months or who performed surgery on you is considered your choice of physician even if you did not choose in writing.
Law: Miss. Code Ann. 71-3-15
Source: mwcc.ms.gov
Who is covered in Mississippi
- Size of employer
All employers with 5 or more employees regularly employed must provide workers' compensation insurance or be approved by the Commission to self-insure. Employers with fewer than 5 employees may provide coverage voluntarily.
- Not covered
- Employers with fewer than 5 regular employees (unless they choose to provide coverage)
- Domestic workers and farm labor, unless the employer provides coverage voluntarily
- Employees of non-profit fraternal, charitable, religious or cultural organizations, unless coverage is provided voluntarily
- Independent contractors (but employees of subcontractors get special protection)
- Federal employees and certain transportation and maritime workers covered by federal law
- Contractors
Independent contractors are ordinarily not covered, but employees of a subcontractor are protected: if the subcontractor has no coverage, the general contractor can be responsible for workers' compensation.
- If your employer has no insurance
If your employer was required to have coverage and did not, you may choose either to claim benefits under the workers' compensation law or to sue the employer in court; in that lawsuit the employer loses certain defenses.
Law: Miss. Code Ann. 71-3-5, 71-3-7, 71-3-9, 71-3-75
Source: mwcc.ms.gov
If your claim is denied or delayed in Mississippi
- First step
First contact the employer or insurance company representative handling your claim. If that does not solve the problem, call the Commission at 601-987-4200 and ask for a Claims Representative, who may be able to help.
Lawyers' fees and other benefits in Mississippi
You are not required to hire an attorney. While your claim is pending before the Commission, an attorney may not keep more than 25% of the total compensation paid to you; if the claim is appealed to a court, up to 33 1/3% may be set aside for attorney fees. Fees must be approved by the Commission.
Besides medical care (including mileage to the doctor) and temporary disability, Mississippi pays temporary partial disability, permanent partial and permanent total disability, serious facial or head disfigurement benefits, vocational rehabilitation referrals, and death benefits (up to 450 weeks to dependents, up to $5,000 funeral expenses and a $1,000 lump sum to the surviving spouse).
Free help in Mississippi
State agency
Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission (MWCC)
- Phone
- 601-987-4200
- Address
- 301 N. Lamar St., Jackson, MS 39201 (mail: P.O. Box 5300, Jackson, MS 39296-5300)
Free help
Good to know in Mississippi
- All benefits are paid by the employer or its insurance company, not by the Commission (MWCC, Workers Compensation Facts).
- A medical provider may not bill you for any amount for treatment covered by workers' compensation (MWCC, Workers Compensation Facts).
- Coverage begins the first day of employment; there is no waiting period or minimum earnings requirement (MWCC, Workers Compensation Facts).
Changes in 2024–2026
The weekly maximum rose to $654.63 for injuries on or after January 1, 2026. The Commission's mileage reimbursement rate is 72.5 cents a mile from January 1, 2026.
Law: 450-week total $294,583.50
Questions about workers' comp in Mississippi
How long do I have to tell my employer about a work injury in Mississippi?
Tell your supervisor, or the person your employer has named to receive injury reports, immediately. The law requires that your employer, or an officer, manager or designated representative, actually receives notice within 30 days after the injury.
How long do I have to file a workers' comp claim in Mississippi?
If your employer or its insurance company pays disability benefits, the 2-year limit does not apply.
How much does workers' comp pay in Mississippi?
Temporary total disability (TTD) benefits can pay two-thirds of your gross (before-tax) wages, up to $654.63 a week in 2026.
Can I choose my own doctor for a work injury in Mississippi?
You have the right to choose one physician or other medical provider to treat you. You are not limited to a medical doctor; for example, you may choose a chiropractor.
What if my workers' comp claim is denied in Mississippi?
First contact the employer or insurance company representative handling your claim. If that does not solve the problem, call the Commission at 601-987-4200 and ask for a Claims Representative, who may be able to help.
Not about a work injury?
Not about a work injury? Unpaid wages → Wage Claim Map · Hurt in a car crash → Accident Claim Map · A medical bill → Medical Bill Map · Unemployment benefits → Unemployment Claim Map · Other problems → robinclaim.com
Nearby states
Sources
- MWCC: Workers Compensation Facts
- MWCC: Maximum Benefit & Mileage Rates
- MWCC: Frequently Asked Questions
- Workers' Compensation Claims Guide (Mississippi Workers' Compensation Educational Association, 2016; posted by MWCC under Laws and Claims)
- Mississippi Legislature, 2000 H.B. 630
- The Mississippi Bar: Pro Bono Legal Resources
- MWCC General and Procedural Rules
- MWCC Petition to Controvert