Workers Compensation and LHWCA Claims
If loud noise on the job hurt your hearing, you may be entitled to workers compensation benefits in Louisiana. ACI Hearing Center provides the diagnostic audiogram, medical-legal report, and impairment rating your claim needs. All four of our providers are Doctors of Audiology.
Louisiana law is clear about occupational hearing loss. In Arrant v. Graphic Packaging International, the Louisiana Supreme Court confirmed that noise-induced hearing loss is a covered occupational disease under the Louisiana Workers Compensation Act. That means medical treatment, hearing aids, and wage benefits can be part of your claim.
But the claim only works if your hearing loss is properly documented. Under Louisiana Admin Code Title 40 section I-3325, a hearing aid for a compensable claim must be prescribed by an ENT physician or a physician holding a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology. That is a formal credential from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and every Doctor of Audiology at ACI Hearing Center meets that standard.
An audiogram from a general clinic or an over-the-counter hearing test is not enough. Louisiana workers compensation adjusters, carriers, and administrative law judges expect a full audiologic workup from a licensed provider, with objective test data, threshold measurements, speech recognition scores, and a written report tying the pattern of loss to occupational noise exposure.
Lafayette and the Acadiana region have a heavy noise-exposure workforce. We regularly document hearing loss for workers from:
Important. This page is not legal advice. ACI Hearing Center is an audiology practice, not a law firm. For legal representation, consult a Louisiana workers compensation attorney.
If your workers compensation claim has been accepted, the audiogram, evaluation, and medical-legal report are covered under Louisiana Admin Code Title 40 section I-3325. ACI Hearing Center bills the carrier or self-insured employer directly using CPT codes for comprehensive audiometry (92557), tympanometry (92567), acoustic reflexes (92568), speech-in-noise testing when performed, and otoacoustic emissions when clinically indicated.
If your claim is disputed, denied, or if you are requesting an Independent Medical Examination as a second opinion, we can provide a personal-pay quote before your visit. Call 337-223-9448 or email aci@acihearing.com for current fee information.
Yes. Louisiana law treats occupational noise-induced hearing loss as a covered occupational disease under the Louisiana Workers Compensation Act. The Louisiana Supreme Court confirmed this in Arrant v. Graphic Packaging International. If your hearing loss is work related, you may be entitled to medical treatment, hearing aids, and indemnity benefits under LA R.S. 23:1031.1.
Under Louisiana workers compensation, an employee with documented occupational hearing loss may receive coverage for audiometric examinations and hearing aids, up to 100 weeks of compensation for permanent hearing loss at 66 and two-thirds percent of wages, and up to 104 weeks of Supplemental Earnings Benefits if the loss prevents earning 90 percent of pre-injury wages. Federal longshore and shipyard workers on the Gulf Coast may qualify for benefits under the LHWCA instead.
The prescriptive period is one year, but the one-year clock does not start until three conditions are met: the hearing loss has manifested, you are disabled by it, and you know or have reason to know it is job related. Because these conditions can be met years after the noise exposure ended, many claims stay viable long after leaving the job.
Under Louisiana Admin Code Title 40 section I-3325, hearing aids for compensable claims must be prescribed by either an ENT or a physician possessing a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCCA). All four Doctors of Audiology at ACI Hearing Center meet the CCCA standard. Audiometric examinations are a covered expense whether performed by a physician or an audiologist.
The Louisiana Office of Workers Compensation District 4 handles workers compensation disputes for Lafayette and the surrounding parishes. It is located at 556 Jefferson Street on the first floor in Lafayette, Louisiana, 70501. The phone number is 337-262-1057. Judge Sharon Morrow presides over District 4, with Dianne Mayo as mediator.
If your claim is accepted by your employer or its workers compensation carrier, the audiogram, evaluation, and medical-legal report are covered under Louisiana Admin Code Title 40 section I-3325. If the claim is disputed or if you are pursuing a personal-pay Independent Medical Examination, ACI Hearing Center will provide a quote in advance. Call 337-223-9448 for current fee information.
For most Louisiana workers compensation claims, the employer or its insurer may designate the treating provider, though the injured worker generally has the right to a second opinion. Federal longshore and shipyard workers covered by the LHWCA have the right to choose their own audiologist under the Fifth Circuit ruling in Huntington Ingalls v. Director OWCP (2023). ACI Hearing Center is available for both first-choice evaluations and second opinions.
Call ACI Hearing Center at 337-223-9448 to schedule a workers compensation hearing evaluation. Same-week appointments are often available. We serve Lafayette, Broussard, Youngsville, Carencro, Scott, Crowley, and all of Acadiana.