Louisiana Injuries Dictionary

Legal and insurance terms explained plainly

Insurance companies and defense lawyers often point to small, routine tasks - getting dressed, making coffee, driving a short distance, or walking into a store - to argue that...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-29

assistive device

Insurance companies and defense lawyers often point to a cane, walker, brace, wheelchair, hearing aid, or other aid and argue that a person is "managing fine" or had problems...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-24

attendant care

You may see it in a discharge note, insurance letter, or case file as "attendant care recommended," "home attendant services," or "caregiver assistance 4 hours daily." That...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-01

disability rating

The part that trips people up most is that a disability rating is not the same thing as being "disabled" in everyday life. It is usually a medical or legal percentage that...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-26

driver's license suspension

A temporary loss of legal driving privileges, usually ordered by a state agency or court because of a traffic offense, unpaid obligation, failure to meet licensing rules, or...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

functional capacity evaluation

You may see it in a doctor's note, a workers' comp letter, or a case file as "FCE recommended," "schedule an FCE," or "return-to-work status pending FCE." That usually means a...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-29

impairment rating

Think of a dented car after a crash: it may still run, but not like it did before. An impairment rating works the same way for a human body. It is a medical percentage that...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-02

international driving permit

Think of it like a passport for your driver's license: it does not replace the real thing, but it helps officials in another country read and recognize what you already have....

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

learner's permit restrictions

Rules attached to a beginner driver's permit limit when, where, and with whom that person may drive until full driving privileges are earned. Common restrictions include...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

license compact agreement

You just got a letter that says an out-of-state ticket or suspension is being reported back to your home state. A license compact agreement is an arrangement between states to...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

license reinstatement hearing

People often confuse a license reinstatement hearing with a traffic court date. A traffic court hearing decides whether you committed a driving offense and what penalties...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

life care plan

Like a house repair estimate that maps out every job, material, and future maintenance cost after serious storm damage, a life care plan lays out the care, equipment, services,...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-02

loss of parental guidance

People often mix this up with loss of support or loss of consortium, but they are not the same. Loss of parental guidance means a child has been deprived of a parent's...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-22

pain management program

What trips people up most is that this is not just a prescription plan for pain pills. A pain management program is a coordinated course of treatment meant to reduce pain,...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-02

permanent impairment

A finding of lasting physical or mental loss can directly change settlement value, eligibility for benefits, and the amount of future wage-loss evidence in a case. It can...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-31

personal representative

One year is the usual Louisiana prescriptive period for a wrongful death claim or survival action after someone dies from another person's negligence. So who actually handles...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-22

physical therapy

A structured course of treatment uses guided exercise, hands-on care, movement training, and pain-control techniques to help someone regain strength, range of motion, balance,...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-30

recorded statement

A taped, written, or transcribed account of what happened after a crash or other injury that insurers and defense lawyers use to pin down your story early and pick it apart...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-21

Supplemental Earnings Benefits

Miss one year from the last workers' comp indemnity payment, and you may lose the right to claim more wage-loss benefits. Wondering what Louisiana pays when your doctor says...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-21

transferable skills analysis

You may see this in a disability denial letter, a vocational rehab report, or a conversation where someone says there are "other jobs you can still do." A transferable skills...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-28

vocational rehabilitation

Not the same as physical therapy, medical treatment, or a disability rating, vocational rehabilitation focuses on getting an injured or disabled person back into suitable work....

DICTIONARY 2026-03-25