Each employer in Louisiana is legally required to ensure that its employees are provided workers' compensation coverage in the event of a workplace injury.  An employer cannot require an employee to pay for her own workers' compensation policy.  Neither can an employer classify an employee as an "independent contractor" for purposes of avoiding workers' compensation responsibilities.  If your employer is not a...

For many years, the workers' compensation claims of Louisiana state employees were handled by the Louisiana Office of Risk Management, a state agency.  Under the Jindal administration, Louisiana's risk management was privatized in 2010. In late 2015, the contract for handling workers' compensation claims of state employees was awarded to Sedgwick Claims Management Services, a Tennessee-based company.  This contract is und...

Often, injured workers contact our office and ask whether they need an attorney to help them with their workers' compensation claim. Sometimes, the injured worker believes they are getting all benefits they are entitled. However, this is rarely the case. There are many benefits that are owed to an injured worker, and often the insurance company will not tell you what those benefits are. This is where we come in.  We have the know...

Short Answer:  Probably not! If your treating physician indicates that you are unable to work, then the insurance company owes you indemnity benefits. Typically, they will calculate this benefit based upon your wages during the four weeks before the accident. This calculation is called your average weekly wage.  The insurer must then multiply your average weekly wage by 2/3 to determine your corresponding compensation rate. T...