MS SB2576

Establishes that Mississippi's Workers' Compensation Law shall not be presumed to favor either party and shall be fairly applied according to law and evidence, with primary purposes of paying timely disability benefits and reasonable medical expenses for work-related injuries.

Requires claimants with no prior benefits to file medical proof of direct causal connection between work and injury when filing a petition to controvert, with a 60-day deadline if initial filing deadline prevents submission.

Increases maximum awards for serious facial or head disfigurement from $2,000 to $5,000, increases additional rehabilitation compensation from $10 to $25 per week for up to 52 weeks, and increases death benefits (immediate lump-sum from $250 to $1,000 and funeral expenses from $2,000 to $5,000).

Prohibits attorneys from recovering fees based on voluntarily paid temporary or permanent disability benefits, and establishes that if an employee is treated by a physician for six months or longer or undergoes surgery, that physician becomes the employee's selection.

Expands employer drug and alcohol testing rights for work-related injuries with presumption that positive results indicate proximate cause, placing burden on employee to prove drug or alcohol use was not a contributing cause of injury.