Shreveport Workers' Compensation Lawyer

Our workers compensation questions page covers the most common issues injured workers face.

A Louisiana workers compensation claim is an administrative process before the Office of Workers Compensation, not a civil suit in the First Judicial District Court. The two tracks have different rules, different deadlines, and different decision-makers. Morris & Dewett has handled these cases across Northwest Louisiana for over two decades.

Coverage and Eligibility in Caddo Parish

Workers Compensation

A no-fault insurance system that provides medical benefits and wage replacement to employees injured on the job, regardless of who caused the accident. Louisiana’s system is governed by La. R.S. 23:1021 et seq.

Louisiana’s system covers most private sector employees in Caddo Parish under La. R.S. 23:1021 et seq.. Coverage is mandatory. Under La. R.S. 23:1168, operating without workers compensation insurance is a criminal offense in Louisiana.

Most workers in Shreveport are covered: healthcare workers at the Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport and Willis-Knighton systems, oilfield and industrial workers, warehouse and logistics employees, retail and hospitality workers, and employees across most private industries. Independent contractors are generally excluded, but that classification is often wrong. Courts examine who actually controls the work, not just what the contract says.

The borrowed servant and statutory employer doctrines create additional coverage questions for subcontractors on job sites. When a worker is loaned to another employer or hired through a staffing arrangement, more than one employer may carry liability. These situations require specific analysis to identify which employer owes benefits.

Morris & Dewett has handled workers compensation cases alongside third-party tort claims in Northwest Louisiana for over two decades.

Our Shreveport Office

509 Milam St
Shreveport, LA 71101

318-708-9279

Open 24/7 for injured Shreveport residents

Get directions →

Common Work Injuries Covered by Louisiana Workers Compensation

Louisiana workers compensation covers injuries arising out of and in the course of employment. The system does not require proof of employer fault. It covers a wide range of injury types across the industries present in Caddo Parish.

Falls from heights remain one of the leading causes of fatal workplace injuries. Construction workers, industrial maintenance workers, and anyone working on scaffolding, ladders, or elevated platforms face this risk regularly. Overexertion and repetitive stress injuries are common in healthcare settings, warehouse and logistics work, and manufacturing. Back and spine injuries from lifting and repetitive strain cross every industry.

Struck-by accidents occur when a worker is hit by a falling object or moving equipment. Construction sites and industrial corridors see these regularly. Occupational illness and chemical exposure affect workers in manufacturing and energy-sector environments. Slips and falls on wet or cluttered floors happen in retail, healthcare, and food service settings throughout the parish.

If you were injured at work and treated at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport or a Willis-Knighton facility, document your treatment carefully. Your medical records from the initial visit are evidence. They establish when the injury occurred and what was reported. Gaps between the injury and first treatment create disputes. Seek treatment promptly.

A construction fall involves different evidence than a repetitive stress injury or an occupational illness, and the investigation differs accordingly. Morris & Dewett evaluates whether a third-party claim exists alongside workers comp, because the type of injury often determines which parties beyond your employer may be liable.

Benefits Under Louisiana Workers Compensation

La. R.S. 23:1203 provides medical benefits for all necessary treatment without a dollar cap. Your employer or their insurer controls the selection of your initial treating physician. Treatment outside the approved physician requires authorization, which is a common source of disputes.

TTD

Temporary Total Disability. A Louisiana workers compensation benefit paying 66.67% of your average weekly wage when a work injury leaves you completely unable to work. Governed by La. R.S. 23:1221(1).

AWW

Average Weekly Wage. Calculated from your wages for the 26 weeks before the injury. It is the base number used to calculate TTD, SEB, and death benefit payments.

SEB

Supplemental Earnings Benefits. A Louisiana workers compensation benefit paying 66.67% of the difference between your pre-injury average weekly wage and your post-injury earning capacity. Governed by La. R.S. 23:1221(3).

Indemnity benefits replace lost wages. TTD pays 66.67% of your AWW when you cannot work at all. If you can work but cannot earn what you earned before, SEB pays 66.67% of the wage gap. Permanent Total Disability applies when the injury permanently prevents any substantial gainful employment. Death benefits pay 32.5% of the deceased worker’s AWW to a surviving spouse, with additional percentages for dependent children.

Medical benefits continue until you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI), the point at which your condition has stabilized and further treatment is not expected to improve it. MMI is a medical determination, and it frequently drives benefit disputes: insurers press to declare MMI early so they can move you off active treatment and recalculate indemnity. Vocational rehabilitation is available when an injured worker cannot return to their prior occupation. Insurers sometimes use rehabilitation evaluations to justify early termination of benefits.

La. R.S. 23:1201 requires the employer or insurer to begin payments within 30 days of written notice of injury. Arbitrary denial or delay triggers a penalty of 12% of the unpaid or underpaid benefits, plus reasonable attorney fees. When insurers delay or deny claims without justification, La. R.S. 23:1201 gives you a remedy.

The 12% penalty requires proving the denial was arbitrary and capricious. Morris & Dewett reviews every file for penalty eligibility from the first payment delay.

Representative Results

← →

$409 Million Wrongful Death

A tragic case where an impaired driver of a commercial vehicle ran a red light, then collided with our client, causing serious bodily injury to the mother and the loss of life of her daughter.

$49 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

An impaired driver of a stolen vehicle driving the wrong way collided with our client head-on, resulting in brain injury and multiple broken bones.

$32.2 Million Industrial / Workplace

Failure to maintain proper safety protocols led to an explosion at an industrial plant causing a series of catastrophic injuries from broken bones, burns, spinal injury, and mental anguish.

$31.5 Million Industrial / Workplace

Brain and spinal injuries followed an oil-field company failing to maintain equipment and provide a safe work site.

$17.2 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

Client was struck head-on by a disconnected load of an 18-wheeler that crossed the median causing broken bones and amputation.

$13 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

On the interstate, an 18-wheeler failed to yield right of way then made an unsafe lane change causing the accident which resulted in major bone breaks, damaged organs, and ultimately a leg amputation.

$12.1 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

A commercial vehicle failed to stop at a red light subsequently crashing into our client causing serious brain injury and permanent loss of function.

$7 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

When the other vehicle struck our client, the result was a major hemorrhage and a stroke.

$7 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

An 18-wheeler cut across traffic on an illegal left turn and hit our client, who suffered neck and back injuries.

$6.2 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

A fatigued commercial-vehicle driver fell asleep at the wheel and rear-ended our client, leaving our client with severe neck and back injuries.

$5 Million Wrongful Death

A hydraulic line exploded at a job site, taking the life of our client's loved one.

$4 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

Our client's vehicle was struck by the at-fault vehicle, resulting in neck and back injuries.

$3.2 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

While our client was stopped, the at-fault driver rear-ended our client's vehicle and set it on fire, leaving our client seriously hurt.

$3.1 Million Wrongful Death

An 18-wheeler caused a fatal collision that took the life of our client's loved one.

$3 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

A commercial vehicle struck and killed our client's loved one, who was on foot.

$3 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

Out on the highway, the at-fault driver hit our client.

$2.9 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

Our client was rear-ended by the other driver and seriously injured.

$2.8 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

On the highway, an unsecured load came off an 18-wheeler and struck our client's vehicle, causing orthopedic injuries.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes; each case is decided on its own facts. See our full case results.

The Claims Process in Caddo Parish

Report your injury in writing to your employer within 30 days. La. R.S. 23:1294 requires written notice. Oral reports can preserve rights but create disputes about what was said and when. Written notice eliminates that ambiguity. Keep a copy.

Gather your documentation before your claim is filed. You will need an incident report from your employer, all medical records documenting treatment, wage records for the 26 weeks before the injury, and witness contact information. Your employer’s insurer will ask for this material. Having it organized prevents delays.

Once your employer receives written notice, they have 30 days to begin benefit payments. If they dispute the claim or fail to pay, you file a Disputed Claim for Compensation (Form 1008) with the Louisiana Office of Workers Compensation (OWC). The OWC district office that serves Caddo Parish is located in Shreveport. This is the central point that separates a comp claim from a civil suit: the OWC, not the First Judicial District Court, decides the claim.

The First Judicial District Court listed above is the venue for civil litigation in Caddo Parish, including a third-party tort claim arising from a work injury. It is not where your workers compensation claim is decided. Keep the two tracks separate as you organize your case.

The prescriptive period for a workers compensation claim in Louisiana is one year from the date of injury or the date of the last benefit payment, under La. R.S. 23:1209. This deadline is separate from the prescriptive period for a third-party personal injury tort claim. If you have both a workers comp claim and a potential third-party claim, both deadlines matter and they run independently.

Missing either deadline is a permanent loss of rights. Morris & Dewett calendars both from day one.

How Does Louisiana Workers Compensation Handle Disputed Claims?

A denied, delayed, or disputed workers compensation claim is handled by the Louisiana Office of Workers Compensation. Filing Form 1008 opens the formal dispute process. Mediators attempt resolution before a formal hearing. Mediation is non-binding, so if it fails, the case proceeds to a hearing.

Workers compensation judges decide disputed claims. There are no juries in workers compensation disputes in Louisiana. The judge hears evidence from both sides and rules on benefit entitlement, the adequacy of treatment, and whether penalties apply. Under La. R.S. 23:1201, if the judge finds the denial was arbitrary, the insurer pays 12% of the unpaid benefits plus attorney fees.

The most common dispute involves an independent medical examination. The insurer hires a physician to evaluate you. That physician frequently recommends an earlier return to work, or an earlier MMI date, than your treating physician. The examination report becomes the insurer’s basis for reducing or terminating benefits. You can request a second medical opinion and dispute the findings. Form 1009 initiates a medical treatment dispute.

La. R.S. 23:1361 prohibits your employer from discharging or retaliating against you for filing a workers compensation claim. If you were fired, demoted, or had hours cut after filing, you may have a separate retaliation claim. Document every adverse employment action with dates, who said what, and any written communications.

Morris & Dewett represents workers before the OWC and handles hearings before workers compensation judges.

Your Shreveport Injury Attorneys

Founding partners Trey Morris and Justin Dewett lead every Shreveport injury case Morris & Dewett takes.

• 

  Trey Morris

  Founding Partner

• 

  Justin Dewett

  Founding Partner

Third-Party Tort Claims for Shreveport Workers

Exclusive Remedy

The legal rule under La. R.S. 23:1032 that bars an injured employee from suing their direct employer in civil court. Workers compensation is the only remedy against the employer who carries coverage.

Under La. R.S. 23:1032, workers compensation is your only remedy against your direct employer. You cannot sue your employer in civil court for a covered workplace injury, with narrow exceptions.

Third-party claims are different. If anyone other than your direct employer contributed to your injury, a civil lawsuit may exist alongside your workers comp claim. This is where the First Judicial District Court comes in. Third parties include general contractors, equipment manufacturers, property owners, negligent drivers on a work errand, and co-workers acting outside the scope of employment. A third-party claim can recover damages that workers compensation does not cover: pain and suffering, full wage loss, and non-economic damages.

When a non-employer caused the injury, the report documenting the incident matters. If a negligent driver struck you while you were working, or an outside party caused a crash on a Caddo Parish road during a work errand, a police or sheriff report establishes that the incident occurred and identifies who responded. That report is a starting point for the third-party claim, separate from the incident report you file with your employer for workers comp.

Borrowed Servant

A doctrine where a worker provided by one employer to work under another employer’s control may be considered the employee of the borrowing employer for workers comp purposes. The analysis turns on who directed the work.

Statutory Employer

Under La. R.S. 23:1061, a general contractor who hires subcontractors to perform work that is part of the contractor’s trade or business becomes the statutory employer of the subcontractor’s employees. The statutory employer may claim workers comp immunity from civil suit but is also obligated to ensure coverage.

The Borrowed Servant doctrine applies when a worker is furnished to work under another company’s supervision. The general contractor may become the borrowed servant’s employer for liability purposes. The Statutory Employer doctrine can work in either direction: a general contractor may claim immunity from your civil suit, or may be obligated to provide coverage if the subcontractor did not.

If you receive a third-party tort settlement, your workers compensation carrier has a lien under La. R.S. 23:1101. The carrier must be reimbursed for benefits paid from any third-party recovery. Lien negotiations are part of resolving the third-party claim and affect how much you ultimately receive.

Many firms handle only workers comp and refer third-party cases out; others handle only personal injury and miss the workers comp implications. Morris & Dewett handles personal injury claims in Shreveport alongside workers compensation, so the third-party analysis happens in-house.

What clients say

• ★★★★★

  I hired Morris and Dewett back in November of 2025.

  They helped me get through my hard times of being off work, stress, and worry. Anytime I had a question I could call and they always had an answer. Very nice and professtional people. Thank you Morris and Dewett for making this an easy process for me and my family.

  Jjonathan ChandlerShreveport Office · Jun. 27, 2026
• ★★★★★

  Wonderful experience with Morris and DeWitt, everyone was articulate and punctual, and open to all my questions about the process.

  My case couldn't have been handled by a better team! Caity Nerren, Jessica Christian, and Meghan Nolen were all fantastic and helped every step of the way. Thanks again for all of your hard work.

  TTaylor ThorneShreveport Office · Jun. 20, 2026
• ★★★★★

  Caity, Coleman, and Brooke worked hard to get our case settled in a timely manner!

  I highly recommend Morris & Dewett for any personal injury claims!

  DDena GinnShreveport Office · Jun. 5, 2026
• ★★★★★

  I am very appreciative for the services they have provided me with, very nice and welcoming staff and they take care of you every possible way.

  They are the way to go !

  RRhodel RigginsShreveport Office · May 29, 2026
• ★★★★★

  Morris and Dewett and their team of attorneys and staff go above and beyond.

  They always were there to support me and answer all my questions after a shoulder injury that included multiple surgeries. They are caring and compassionate and that goes a long way! Highly recommended!

  CCarolyn LawsonMinden Office · Jun. 26, 2026
• ★★★★★

  Thanks Morris and Dewett for the excellent work you have done on my behalf.

  I want to personally thank Sarah for her kindness.

  LLydell ScottCovington Office · Jun. 18, 2026

Reviews reflect individual client experiences. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

What Are the Most Common Workers Compensation Disputes in Caddo Parish?

Independent contractor misclassification is the first dispute to anticipate. Employers routinely classify workers as independent contractors to avoid paying workers compensation insurance premiums. Louisiana courts do not accept the label at face value. The test is actual control: who directed the work, who provided the tools, who set the hours. If you were told you were an independent contractor but your employer controlled how and when you worked, that classification may be wrong.

Disputed causation is the second most common problem. The insurer argues the injury happened before you started this job, or away from work, or that the work activity did not cause the condition. Medical records from before and after the injury date are the central evidence. Treating physician opinions matter. Examining physicians hired by the insurer frequently find pre-existing conditions or non-occupational causes.

Physician disputes under La. R.S. 23:1121 restrict the employee’s right to change treating physicians. The employer initially controls physician selection. If the approved physician is not providing appropriate treatment or is producing reports favorable to the insurer, changing physicians requires either employer consent or an OWC ruling. Knowing how to navigate this restriction is part of managing the claim.

Return-to-work pressure is another common dispute. Employers offer modified duty positions with the goal of ending your TTD benefits. Those positions may not actually accommodate your physical restrictions. If the offered position exceeds your restrictions, you may continue to receive benefits. Document your restrictions in writing from your treating physician and get the job description for any offered position in writing before accepting.

Retaliation happens. If your employer fires you, cuts your hours, changes your shift, or demotes you after you file a claim, La. R.S. 23:1361 gives you a claim. Keep records. Note dates, names, and the exact sequence of events. Verbal warnings or new disciplinary actions that started after you filed are relevant evidence.

When the insurer’s physician recommends a return to work that the treating physician has not cleared, Morris & Dewett challenges those findings with treating physician responses, functional capacity evaluations, and OWC motions.