Workers Compensation Louisiana
Start here if you have gotten injured at work. The state of Louisiana is not responsible for your workers compensation benefits (your employer’s insurance company is) but they are a mediator of sorts who makes sure you get compensated.
Always important is for you to report any workplace related injury right away to your boss or employer. It needs to be on record so that claims can be processed in a timely manner. Your employer will have to fill out a forms and send them to their insurance company and to the Office of Workers Compensation Commission. To get an idea of what is involved, go here and read through the whole process of getting you compensated.
What Doctor Can You See?
Always double check and get the okay to go to any and all doctors. You might first have to go to a doctor your employer or insurance company specifies. After that, you may be able to go to a doctor of your choice. There is nothing set in stone and sometimes those doctors will disagree on your injury and how to proceed. Then you might have to get a third opinion.
The most important thing is to ALWAYS follow directions and go to the doctor you are told when you are told. Failure to do so could result in you losing some of all of your benefits.
The Role of Louisiana Workforce Commission & OWC
The state of Louisiana and the Office of Workforce Commission in not responsible in any way for paying benefits to you for your workplace injury. That is what the insurance company is for. The OWC is a referee of sorts to make sure employers are buying insurance and to make sure injured employees are getting their benefits. Your payments for any work missed or doctor bills incurred will NOT come from the state.