Judge Errs in Dismissing Self-Represented Worker's Claim With Prejudice

A Louisiana appellate court overturned the dismissal of a self-represented worker’s claim, finding that the Office of Workers’ Compensation judge had failed to follow the proper procedure before dismissing with prejudice. Case: Casimier v. Audubon Nature Institute Inc., No. 2025-CA-0765, 05/19/2026, published. Facts: Idell S. Casimier worked for the Audubon Nature Institute. She allegedly collapsed and sustained injuries while at work in November 2018. Procedural history: Casimier filed a workers’ compensation claim, acting as her own attorney. During a pretrial conferenc...