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Major Workers’ Comp Legislation Sails to Senate
It took just a couple of minutes Wednesday for the House to approve a considerable piece of legislation to stabilize Louisiana’s broken workers’ compensation system.
HB 780 by Rep. Gabe Firment (R-Pollock) passed, 71-24, with nary a question asked or comment made. The measure does two things:
- Strengthens the preliminary determination process, a “safe harbor” pathway that encourages faster resolutions when all parties comply. Over time, technical barriers have allowed this process to be bypassed in favor of costly litigation. By removing those obstacles, the bill helps ensure injured workers receive decisions and benefits sooner—without unnecessary delays or legal expenses.
- Establishes a single, consistent standard for awarding punitive attorney fees, requiring proof of “arbitrary and capricious” conduct in all cases. This aligns existing law, raises the bar for excessive fee claims and discourages litigation driven more by technicalities than merit.
HB 780 now heads to the upper chamber where it is expected to be scheduled in the Senate Labor Committee soon.
LABI has worked tirelessly with stakeholders and Rep. Firment to address the state’s dispute resolution process and lower costs without reducing benefits for injured workers. This is a common-sense step toward making Louisiana’s workers’ compensation system more efficient, predictable and competitive.