If you were injured on the job in Baton Rouge, the Louisiana workers’ compensation system could provide you with financial benefits. Louisiana law requires most employers to provide this insurance coverage to all employees.
If you’re struggling with your workers’ compensation claim, a Baton Rouge workers’ compensation lawyer can help you challenge a denial, file an appeal, or take the first step of filing it. We also help clients pursue damages in personal injury cases if a negligent third party caused their workplace accident.
What Injuries Does Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Cover?
Under Louisiana law, almost any injury or illness resulting from your job or work may qualify for workers’ compensation insurance coverage. If you suffered any of the following injuries, one of our Baton Rouge personal injury attorneys can help you get benefits:
Traumatic Injuries
Benefits should cover traumatic injuries during a single event, such as a broken leg from a fall. Work comp may also cover psychological injuries from withstanding sudden stress at work. Mental conditions may be more challenging to prove than physical injuries.
Chronic Injuries
Injuries that develop slowly and cause ongoing concerns, known as chronic injuries, may also qualify for work comp. You may have a chronic injury if you have ongoing pain in your back, knees, or other body parts.
Some of the most common chronic injuries are joint injuries and overuse injuries when you repeatedly do the same action.
Work-Related Illnesses
Regardless of what your job is, you could suffer an illness. This often occurs because of something you were exposed to at work. For instance, exposure to dangerous chemicals throughout your career could lead to respiratory issues later in life.
Work comp insurance can cover the abovementioned injuries, and our Baton Rouge team can review the details of your accident to confirm if you qualify.
Injuries Not Covered by Workers’ Compensation
There are exceptions to workers’ compensation coverage. Your employer and insurance company may try to claim that your work accident was one of the following exceptions to avoid paying out:
- You intentionally caused the accident
- The accident occurred because of horseplay
- You were drunk or intoxicated
Our Baton Rouge workers’ compensation attorney can help you challenge a denial of your benefits or take other steps to secure compensation if the insurer denies your workplace injury claim.
Laborde Earles injury was great for me they took care of me very fast and professional. If for any reason I need legal help they will be who I use.
ClientHow Long Do You Have to File for a Work Comp Claim in Louisiana?
According to CC Art. 3492, you have one year to file a personal injury lawsuit for your work injury in Louisiana. This rule may have exceptions, but the time you have to file could be shorter than a year, such as when you’re filing against a government agency.
Meeting with one of our Baton Rouge attorneys can clarify how long you have to file your claim.
I thank God for Digger & David. I don’t know what we would have done if it hadn’t have been for them.
Rick Smith | ClientBenefits You Can Receive After You’re Injured at Work
When you suffer injuries in East Baton Rouge Parish, you could qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. In Louisiana, workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. You may be eligible for benefits no matter how your workplace injuries occur.
If you’re injured on the job, workers’ compensation pays for:
- Two-thirds of the average wages you earned before the injury.
- Accident-related medical expenses.
However, insurers can unfairly deny some employees the compensation they qualify for. Your employer or insurance company may try to contest your claim. Alternatively, they could offer you a settlement that does not reflect the benefits you should receive.
If this happens to you, our team will review your case for free today. We can help you secure benefits or a fair settlement based on the details of what happened to you, your lost income, and your medical bills.
The reassurance from Digger and his staff gave me that renewed hope that it’s going to be okay down the road.
ClientSeeking Damages From a Liable Third Party in a Personal Injury Suit
While you cannot usually sue your employer for a job-site injury, you may have a case against someone else. If a third party was liable for your work accident, you could file a personal injury lawsuit against them in addition to your work comp claim.
Liable third parties could include:
- The manufacturer of a defective power tool that failed while you were working
- A driver who caused a car accident while you were operating a delivery vehicle
- A fall injury that occurred on a third-party site during a visit to work
What Damages Can You Recover for a Work-Related Injury?
In a Baton Rouge personal injury lawsuit, recoverable damages can be financial or non-financial. Our team of work comp attorneys in Baton Rouge can help you recover the following damages:
- Accident-related lost wages not covered by workers’ compensation
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Rehabilitation services
They treated us like no other people would. Whenever we needed something they were there for us. I put my trust in them and I don’t regret it.
ClientHow Can Our Work Comp Lawyers Help With Your Baton Rouge Claim?
While you focus on recovering from your injuries, our workers’ compensation team can handle your claim. This can allow you to focus on the treatment for your condition.
A few ways our team can help with your claim include:
- Collecting evidence that your accident occurred at work
- Documenting the full extent of your injuries
- Filing your workers’ compensation claim
- Helping you appeal a disputed claim
- Negotiating for a settlement
Once we gather evidence of your damages, we can calculate a value for your losses. We’ll estimate the total value of your damages and use this figure in settlement negotiations. Depending on the nature of your case, you may receive a lump-sum settlement or periodic payments for your workers’ compensation benefits.
You can learn more about our track record of recovering verdicts and settlements for our clients and the services we can provide for you when you meet with us. In addition to fighting to secure the benefits you deserve, you can count on us to:
- Answer questions surrounding your claim.
- Determine if you can pursue a potential personal injury lawsuit.
- Handle all case communications in your case.
- Complete all necessary paperwork.
- Meet all applicable deadlines.
Injured Seamen and the Jones Act
In some cases, workers living in Baton Rouge may not qualify for workers’ compensation under Louisiana law. This law does not cover marine workers, such as fishermen, oil rig workers, industrial sailors, or seamen. Instead, the Jones Act offers protection to maritime workers injured on the job.
Baton Rouge is on the Mississippi River and less than 60 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Some workers in East Baton Rouge Parish may work on the water or in other industries under the Jones Act instead of the state’s workers’ compensation laws. The Jones Act offers benefits similar to workers’ compensation for seamen injured at work in open water.
If you are an injured maritime worker, one of our Baton Rouge maritime injury attorneys can help you file a Jones Act claim.
Contact Us to Start Your Baton Rouge Work Comp Case Today
If you were injured on the job in Baton Rouge, our team from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers is here to help. If you live in East Baton Rouge Parish or another city in Louisiana, we can help you at one of our nearby offices.
For a free case consultation with a Baton Rouge workers comp attorney, call today. We handle workers’ compensation and personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis with no upfront payments required.
