Employer Fails to Prove Statute of Limitations Defense to Hearing Loss Claim

A Louisiana appellate court ruled that an employer was not entitled to summary judgment dismissing a worker’s claim for occupational hearing loss as time-barred. Case: Tower v. ConocoPhillips Co., No. 19-81, 11/06/2019, published. Facts and procedural history: Duane Tower worked for the ConocoPhillips Co. at its refinery in Lake Charles for almost 29 years. Ten years after he retired, Tower filed a workers’ compensation claim asserting he had sustained gradual, occupational noise-induced hearing loss from his years at the refinery. Tower claimed entitlement to supplemental earni...