New Orleans Workers Compensation Lawyer Near You
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How Does Workers Comp Work in Louisiana?
If you are hurt on the job in Louisiana, unable to work due to the injury and if your injury is covered by Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Act, your employer and its workers’ compensation insurer are obligated to pay indemnity benefits, necessary and reasonable related medical bills, travel expenses and vocational rehabilitation benefits. In the event of death, benefits are payable to your survivors. Before settling your Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Claim, you should be familiar with the various types of benefits owed and issues specific to workers compensation settlements.
Workers compensation payments are made regardless of fault on the part of the employer or employee. In exchange for the benefits, the employee generally waives the right to sue his or her employer in tort for pain and suffering damages. After a work related injury and perhaps a vistit to the hospital emergency room, the first thing an injured worker will need to do is to figure out who the employer’s workers compensation insurer.
Who Are a Few Louisiana Workers Compensation Insurers?
After an accident, an employer often refuses to provide the injured employee with the name of its insurer in an attempt to try to discourage the employee from making a claim. If this is the case, get a Louisiana workers’ compensation lawyer. Action on your part—a letter to the employer or filling a disputed claim—may be required to determine who the insurance carrier is. Popular insurance companies include: Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation (LWCC), CNA, AIG, Liberty Mutual, Travelers, Sea Bright Insurance Co., The Hartford, and Chartis. If you decide you do not want to get a lawyer in involved at this stage of the claim, you can also try to determine who the insurer is by clicking onto “Workers Compensation Coverage Verification” in the lower left hand corner of this Louisiana Department of Labor page.
What Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits Are You Eligible For?
Below are the types of Louisiana Workers Compensation benefits you may be eligible for:
Indemnity Benefits for Lost Wages
Indemnity benefits are typically two-thirds of your average weekly wage. Indemnity benefits include temporary total disability, supplemental earnings benefits, permanent partial disability and permanent total disability. The maximum indemnity payment someone injured between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020 is $688.00. That’s right, even if you are earning $1,000,000 in wages per year, when injured, the most you will receive in weekly indemnity under the Louisiana Workers Compensation Act is the maximum amount. The State of Louisiana Weekly Compensation Benefits Limits are revised annually for the coming year of injuries.
Medical Benefits
Accident related medical bills are paid by the employer and its workers’ compensation insurer. The workers’ compensation insurer’s approval is required for treatment beyond $750 unless the care is provided under emergency conditions.
Choice of Physician
The injured employee has the right to choose one treating physician in any field or specialty. The employer or insurance carrier’s permission is required to change treating physicians within the same field or specialty after the employee’s initial choice. An emergency room physician is not considered the choice of the employee.