The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WRCI), an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, recently completed a new study providing several important statistics on workers’ compensation claims in Louisiana.  Highlights from the study include:

• Cost per claim in Louisiana flat from 2011 to 2013 following five years of five percent annual growth

• Louisiana’s cost per claim in all components, indemnity, medical, and expenses, were higher than in most of the 17 states in surveyed

• Average duration of temporary disability in Louisiana was eight to 15 weeks longer than in other states with a wage-loss benefit system

• Medical costs per Louisiana claim were among the highest of the states studied, including higher than typical prices for non-hospital services

• Louisiana’s average wage for injured workers grew more in Louisiana than in other states

• Number of visits per claim for hospital and non-hospital services in Louisiana declined in 2011 and 2012

The study’s authors note the recent stability in claims costs despite growth in construction-related jobs with higher wages.  The authors attribute this stability to the implementation of treatment guidelines in 2011.