Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Attorney

If you’ve been injured at work, you might be facing an uphill battle to receive your Louisiana Workers’ Compensation benefits, which is when a personal injury law firm will come in handy! Injuries at work can be devastating for victims, and not only physically—mental and financial struggles also take their toll. If you’re getting the run-around by your employer’s HR department or the workers’ compensation office, you need a Louisiana workers’ comp attorney who knows the law, the courts, and how to litigate workers’ comp claims.

Every employer in Louisiana is required by law to carry Workers’ Compensation Insurance to pay for medical bills and lost wages for injured employees. However, sometimes those companies will fight against claimants to avoid properly compensating for a disability or injury. In these situations, you’re not just fighting for your health; you’re fighting against an entire bureaucratic machine whose only purpose is to keep from paying you what you deserve.

An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer will be able to help you get the money you need from the system in order to pay your mounting medical bills and other costs before you return to work. Call Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys for a free legal consultation about your options today.

Who Is Covered by Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

According to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Most employees in Louisiana are covered by workers’ comp insurance from the day they start employment. However, there are some exceptions to who’s covered under workers’ comp insurance:

• domestic employees
• most sellers of real estate
• public officials
• uncompensated officers and directors of certain non-profit organizations
• most volunteer workers
• subcontractors and independent contractors, if they’re not involved in their employer’s trade, and if they’re not performing substantial manual labor

If you suspect that your employer doesn’t carry workers’ comp insurance or is not approved to self-insure, you can report the violation to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration (OWCA) Fraud & Compliance section by calling 1-800-201-3362.

Types of Workers’ Compensation Available

Louisiana law allows for four types of workers’ compensation after a workplace injury:

• Temporary Total Disability benefits help you make ends meet while you’re recovering from your work injury and unable to return to work in the interim.
• Temporary Partial Disability applies when your injury isn’t bad enough to completely miss work while you heal, but you’re unable to perform certain job requirements—in these cases, temporary partial disability benefits can make up the difference in your pay.
• Permanent Partial Disability benefits are extended financial support, beyond physical impairment coverage, that may be eligible for you to collect depending on your injury and situation.
• Total and Permanent Disability benefits can help cover your costs if your injury has rendered you completely unable to work for the rest of your life.

Damages That Could Be Covered by Workers’ Compensation

The workers’ compensation insurance carried by Louisiana businesses helps cover most of the costs sustained by their employees when they’re injured on the clock. Your employer’s workers’ comp insurance can help you pay for the following:

• Accidents or injuries that happened on the job
• Lost wages, also known as indemnity benefits
• Disability benefits, if you’re unable to return to work
• Ongoing care, like physical therapy or rehabilitation
• Funeral costs in the tragic event of a death at work
• Illness
• Repetitive stress injuries

When Should I Report My Work Accident?

After you’ve been injured at work, you should notify your employer as soon as possible. If, for whatever reason, you’re not able to report your injury right away, Louisiana law allows 30 days for workers to notify their employers of their work injury.

When Should I File My Workers’ Compensation Claim?

Louisiana law also stipulates that you will have one to three years to file your workers’ compensation claim to pay for your medical treatment. If you don’t file a claim within this time, you may not receive any benefits.

Why You Need a Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

Employers and their insurers are loathe to pay out what they owe for workers’ injuries. Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance is based in part on how many claims they’ve had before, so they won’t want to acknowledge the extent of your injuries. In addition, the insurance company will attempt to settle your case as quickly and cheaply as possible, since they’re concerned about their bottom line.

Only our team of personal injury lawyers at Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys understand what you’re going through and what you need. We know you need more than the minimum offer to properly heal from your injuries and account for all the costs you’ve borne since your work injury. We’re dedicated to our clients, and fight for their rights throughout the claim process, even taking their cases to court if necessary.

If you’re sick of being jerked around by work and insurance, give us a call at 888.501.7888. We’ve seen over $3 Billion through our decades of practice, and we can help you too. In fact, if we don’t win your case, you won’t owe us a dime.