Southeast Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Protects Rights of Injured Workers

Dedicated Covington advocate helps clients obtain the benefits they deserve

When you’ve been hurt on the job and are unable to work, the experience can be frustrating and frightening. You’re hit with extra bills for medical expenses at a time when your income is reduced or entirely gone. Fortunately the Law Office of Gregory Reardon, LLC in Covington is ready to help. Since 1987, I have helped injured workers in Southeast Louisiana receive the benefits they are entitled to from their employers. To ensure your medical expenses and lost wages are compensated under state workers’ comp laws, I will work tirelessly to protect your rights to recover the payments you deserve.

Experienced attorney assists with Louisiana workers’ compensation claims

The Louisiana workers’ compensation system is supposed to provide benefits to enable you to focus on recovery, but claims are complicated and subject to frequent denials by insurance companies. If you fulfill all requirements as early in the process as possible, you increase your chances for a satisfactory and speedy resolution of your claim.

One of the most important requirements is to provide proper written notice to your employer within 30 days of the injury, including information about where and how it occurred. From this information, your employer will file a First Report of Injury with the company’s workers’ compensation insurer. The insurance company will notify the Louisiana Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration (OWCA) and conduct an investigation to determine whether it believes you are entitled to benefits. I will guide you through all stages of the proceedings, including assisting in getting medical procedures approved through Medical Guidelines.

Tireless legal advocate helps injured workers recover lost wages and other benefits

The Louisiana Workforce Commission specifies employees who’ve sustained injuries or illnesses related to their jobs are entitled to workers’ comp benefits for:

• Medical care — If an injury, illness or condition caused by repetitive stress injuries or dangerous conditions is found to qualify, injured employees may receive benefits to cover the cost of medical care including doctor’s bills, prescriptions, and costs such as transportation. I will work to get approval for all necessary medical procedures and treatments.
• Disability compensation — Louisiana provides three types of benefits to cover the wages lost by injured workers. Temporary disability benefits equal two-thirds of an employee’s average weekly wage. These benefits are paid until the employee is fit to return to work or until maximum medical recovery is reached. Supplemental earnings benefits provide additional income assistance to employees who are able to return to work but in a position paying a lower salary. Permanent total disability benefits are payable to those found to be unable to perform any type of employment.
• Rehabilitation — Workers’ compensation is designed to facilitate employees’ recovery by providing not only for necessary physical therapy but also for vocational rehabilitation to train them for different work if they are unable to perform their previous jobs.
• Death benefits — In the event that a work-related illness or injury results in death, benefits are payable to the survivors of the employee.

I will use my experience and knowledge to press for the full amount of benefits you are entitled to, in a timely fashion.

Skilled attorney understands how to appeal a workers’ compensation decision

It is no secret that insurance companies want to keep their costs low. So it is common for a workers’ comp insurer to deny an employee’s claim, but there are several avenues available for appeal. In most cases, the employee is advised to file a Form LWC-WC-1008, Disputed Claim for Compensation, or Form LWC-WC-1009, Disputed Claim for Medical Treatment, which initiates an administrative law proceeding with an administrative judge for the worker’s district. (The District 6 office is in Covington.) I understand what’s at stake when you’re injured and can’t work, so I will make full use of the appeals process, through mediation or a request for a formal hearing. If a claim is denied on appeal, I can continue to fight on your behalf by filing with the Circuit Court of Appeal.

Contact a Southeast Louisiana workers’ compensation attorney for a free consultation

Employers and insurance companies use accomplished legal teams to contest workers’ compensation claims, so you deserve to have the same professional advocate fighting for you. At the Law Office of Gregory Reardon, LLC, I draw on more than 30 years of practice helping people throughout Southeast Louisiana to get the workers’ comp benefits they deserve. For a free consultation, contact my Covington office online or by calling 985-626-6155.