Judge Errs in Reinstating Self-Represented Worker's Case

A Louisiana appellate court ruled that a judge could not reinstate a self-represented worker’s claim based solely upon a letter requesting relief from a prior order of dismissal. Case: Johnson v. State, No. 19-853, 05/06/2020, published. Facts and procedural history: Lawrence Johnson worked for the Louisiana Office of Tourism. In May 2017, he filed a workers’ compensation claim asserting he had suffered an ischemic stroke while getting a ladder out of a storage closet. The state filed its answer in July 2017. In October 2017, the state sent interrogatories and requests for the p...