If you have experienced symptoms from working in a moldy work environment, you might think you are entitled to recover from your employer. However, navigating the Workers’ Compensation system can be challenging partly because of the distinct and often complicated vocabulary in the statutes. This case involves defining an occupational…
Statutory employer immunity is critical in determining liability and compensation for workplace injuries in workers’ compensation. The following case is an example where the court had to decide whether the defendant was entitled to statutory employer immunity under the dual contract theory provided for in La.R.S. 23:1061(A)(2). We will examine…
When an individual sustains an injury while on the job, the anticipation of receiving workers’ compensation to tide them over during their recovery is natural. Regrettably, situations arise where companies are unwilling to shoulder this responsibility. The scenario becomes more intricate when a parent company distances itself from its subsidiary’s…
Louisiana’s Workers’ Compensation fund exists to pay employees injured at work. Payment can be used for medical care and lost wages. When parties sign a settlement agreement on payment terms, an employee may assume payment is imminent. In a recent case from Rapides Parish, an employee discovered some conditions in…
Injury in the workplace can usually be avoided with proper safety measures in place. Safety measures, however, become hard to enforce when minors and adults work in conjunction. This was the case for Austin Griggs, an illegally employed minor injured in a forklift accident while working. Bounce N’ Around Inflatables,…
Unfortunately, accidents in the workplace are not uncommon. What happens, however, if you unknowingly signed an agreement making your employer immune from a liability claim? The following Lafourche Parish case outlines this predicament. In September 2013, Neville Patterson signed multiple documents with Raceland Raw Sugar, LLC (RRS) and Raceland Equipment…
Settling a lawsuit can have many far-reaching effects. Not only will it result in the dismissal of your lawsuit, but it could also affect things such as your social security benefits. Therefore, it is important that you consult with an attorney and carefully consider if a settlement is in your…
Being injured at work is never what you want to deal with. What’s worse is dealing with multiple independent medical examiners making opinions on your medical state. In the following case, the Louisiana Court of Appeal First Circuit addresses whether a medical examiner’s determination of maximum medical improvement is closely…
Suppose you are considering settling a lawsuit related to injuries on the job. In that case, it is essential to understand how a potential settlement of a related claim could affect your workers’ compensation benefits. What happens to your workers’ compensation benefits if you settle a related lawsuit without written…
The process of filing insurance claims can be time-consuming, demanding careful attention from all parties involved. In a recent ruling by the First Circuit Court of Appeal in Louisiana, the importance of timely and exhaustive pursuit of administrative remedies before seeking judicial review in insurance payment disputes was underscored. The…