Lake Charles Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Workers’ compensation laws are supposed to protect workers in the event of an on-the-job injury. They provide reimbursement for some medical expenses and a portion of your missed time from work. Almost all employers in Louisiana are required to carry workers’ compensation coverage for their employees. If they don’t, the employer will need to self-insure to make sure they can cover work-related injuries, accidents, and diseases that occur on the job.
Despite these long-standing laws, insurance companies still look for loopholes to deny coverage or make you jump through hoops before they agree to extend benefits. The last thing you should be dealing with after an injury on the job is the added stress related to filing a claim. This situation is where a Lake Charles workers’ compensation lawyer can help. At Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe, PLLC, we only handle workers’ compensation claims. We can help you fight for medical care and other benefits you are entitled to under Louisiana law.
Workplace Injuries
Louisiana’s workers’ compensation laws will cover injuries that arise from your employment, which can include conditions like occupational diseases that develop over time rather than from a one-time traumatic accident. The following types of injuries are some of the most common types of workers’ compensation claims we represent clients for.
Back, Neck & Spine Injury
Back, neck, and spine injuries can occur in a traumatic accident or over time due to repetitive motion. Workers’ compensation adjusters will look for any way to deny these claims, claiming your injuries occurred somewhere else or were pre-existing conditions. However, pre-existing conditions aggravated by your work could be eligible for benefits in some cases. Examples of work-related neck and back injuries include herniated discs, vertebral fractures, lower back strain, and pinched nerves.
First Responder Injuries
People like firefighters and other first responders face hazardous conditions that can lead to numerous problems. First responder injuries can lead to high blood pressure, posttraumatic stress disorder, exposure to bloodborne pathogens and carcinogens, and hearing loss. Immediate hazards, like falling debris or dangers on the ground, can lead to one-time traumatic injuries. For example, a firefighter running into a warehouse gets struck by a falling beam and is subsequently injured.
Bone Fractures
Breaking a bone while on the job is relatively common. These are serious injuries that require extensive orthopaedic surgery. Foot and ankle fractures are especially common bone fractures we see in Louisiana workers’ compensation cases. These injuries can result from falling objects that land on a worker’s foot, falling from a ladder, tripping while running in an emergency (first responder), forklift or other machine-related accidents, etc.
Shoulder & Knee Injuries
Shoulder and knee injuries can occur in traumatic events or due to repetitive motion as well. Torn rotator cuffs, ACLs, and menisci are common in workers’ compensation claims. These injuries also represent a significant number of denials for benefits. Insurance companies will say these injuries are degenerative and therefore not work-related.
Contact a Lake Charles Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
When you have a workers’ comp adjuster blocking every avenue of recovery and alleging your injuries or illness are not connected to your job, you need any legal advice on your side. Our Lake Charles workers’ compensation lawyers can protect your rights and help you fight for any benefits you’re entitled to. To learn more about how our law firm can help, contact Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe, PLLC today at 504-788-2994 to schedule an initial consultation.
