The law relating to injuries sustained by Lake Charles, Louisiana, dock workers or those working offshore in the vast water boundaries of Louisiana is fairly just. It provides for compensation to workers who have suffered serious offshore injuries, to those who have suffered disabilities resulting from such serious injuries and also to the families of those killed by these accidents.
The law also provides for compensation from the day the disability occurred if the injury resulting from a workplace accident culminates into a disability spanning more than 14 days. If the disability is less than 14 days, then workers compensation does not provide payment for the disability for the first three days.
Various types of disabilities are categorized, and the law enumerates the compensation benefit allowed for each category. For instance, “permanent total disability” provides compensation that is two-thirds percent of average weekly wages, which is to be paid to the employee during the period of time during which the employee suffers this disability. It also addresses how a disability is to be adjudged as a total disability and states that the loss of certain limbs and body parts, the eyes or a combination of any two identified body parts shall constitute total disability.
Likewise, the statute provides for compensation for injuries categorized as “temporary total disabilities” or “permanent partial disabilities.” Compensation for death resulting from such accidents is identified as a “death benefit” in the act.
Under the death benefit provision, compensation for funeral expenses is provided as a one-time payment of $3,000. A surviving spouse is provided half of the average earned wages of the deceased due to status as a widow or widower. Additional compensation is also provided for any dependent children, if the case warrants this additional benefit.
Source: DOL.gov, “Divison of Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation,” Accessed on Sept. 12, 2014
