Louisiana gives injured workers something many states do not: the right to select one treating physician in any field or specialty. It is a single pick, so think about which doctor you trust before you name one.
The clock is the hard part. When the insurer refuses to pay, you file a disputed claim on Form WC-1008 and the law allows one year after the accident to do it. Weekly rates here also follow a September to August year, not the calendar year.
Louisiana benefit amounts for 2026 to 2027
Temporary total disability benefits, paid while you cannot work at all, equal two-thirds of your average weekly wage. For injuries between September 1, 2026 and August 31, 2027, the maximum is $903 a week. The minimum is $241, unless your actual wages were lower than that.
No benefits are paid for the first week after the injury. If the disability lasts two weeks or longer, that first week is covered too.
Louisiana also has supplemental earnings benefits (SEB), a separate weekly benefit. SEB runs for up to 520 weeks and weeks of other indemnity benefits already paid count toward that limit. Indemnity simply means wage replacement.
| Weekly check (temporary total disability) | two-thirds (66 2/3%) of your average weekly wage |
|---|---|
| Weekly cap, injuries from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027 | $903 |
| Weekly minimum, injuries from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027 (actual wages if lower) | $241 |
| Waiting period | first week unpaid unless the disability lasts two weeks or longer |
| Supplemental earnings benefits limit | up to 520 weeks, counting other weekly benefits already paid |
Louisiana filing windows
- Tell your employer: within 30 days of the injury.
- Form WC-1008 disputed claim: within one year of the accident.
- Checks paid and then stopped: within one year of the last weekly payment for temporary total, permanent total or permanent partial benefits. SEB claims get up to three years.
- Medical disputes after the insurer has paid some bills: three years from the last medical payment.
- Appeal a workers' compensation judge's ruling to the circuit court of appeal: within 60 days or 30 days for an appeal that pauses the judgment.
If your Louisiana checks stopped
A stopped check matters for timing. Once weekly payments end, the one-year period runs from the last payment, so a slow reply from the adjuster can eat into your time. Write down the date of your last check and keep the stub or deposit record that shows it.
If the problem is medical care rather than money, the window is different. When the insurer has paid some medical bills, you have three years from the last one it paid.
The Office of Workers' Compensation Administration answers general questions at 800-201-3457. Our guide to workers comp payments that stopped walks through the next steps.
Paying a Louisiana workers comp lawyer
State law says an attorney's fee for an injured worker cannot exceed 20% of the amount recovered. On a $10,000 recovery, that is no more than $2,000. Read more about how attorney fees work in comp cases.
People also ask
Who picks my doctor in Louisiana?
You do. You may select one treating physician in any field or specialty.
How long do I have if the insurer already paid my medical bills?
Three years from the last medical payment to bring a claim for medical benefits.
What is Form WC-1008?
It is the disputed claim form. Filing it is how you formally challenge a denial or a stopped benefit.