Court Upholds Assessment of Penalties and Fees for Employer's Unreasonable Claim Contest

A Louisiana appellate court upheld an award of benefits to a worker for a head injury, and it upheld an assessment of penalties against his employer for unreasonably contesting his claim. Case: Vaughn v. Dis-Tran Steel, No. WCA 17-689, 02/07/2018, published. Facts and procedural history: Jewel Vaughn III filed a workers’ compensation claim alleging he had suffered a concussion in 2015 while working for Dis-Tran Steel. Dis-Tran admitted that Vaughn was involved in an accident at work, but it denied that he had suffered a compensable injury. Dis-Tran also alleged that Vaughn was no...