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Workers' Compensation: Summary of Hearing Rule Changes

Posted on: May 1, 2026
News: Committees
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NOBA's Workers' Compensation Law Committee Chair,  Judge Diane Lundeen, provides a summary of the amended Hearing Rules. The following Hearing Rules (Louisiana Administrative Code, Title 40) were amended and are effective on April 20, 2026.  The amended rules can found at Louisiana Administrative Code - Louisiana Division of Administration (la.gov).



Chapter 55

  • Section 5508 – Changed Section B(1) to mandate that the “parties shall exchange exhibits 15 days before the hearing . . .”.  The previous language used the word “must”.
  • Section 5537 – Removed the contempt form and relocated it to Section 6749. 
  • Section 5547 – Corrected section A(4)(d) to remove the number “12” before written communications.  It also changed the last line to remove “paragraph a” and to replace it with “paragraph (A)(1)”.
     

Chapter 58

  • Section 5811 – Changed Section B by removing “by electronic transmission, commercial carrier/courier, or by hand”.  It added new language: “Copies of all correspondence and any other instruments delivered to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration by hand shall be sent on the same business day to all other parties of record in a manner insuring the parties receive the document on the same day it is delivered to the court”. 
  • Section 5824 – Modified Section B(3) to remove and change certain language for clarity.  The new language reads, “If a party fails to timely serve a memorandum, thus necessitating a post-hearing supplemental memorandum or continuance to allow the opposing party to respond, the court may order the late-filing party to pay court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees”.
     

Chapter 59

  • Section 5909 – Removed “LAC 40:I:5511” in Section A and replaced it with “in law”.
     

Section 63

  • Section 6301 – Adds language to Section A requiring sequentially number exhibits when submitting evidence at hearings or trials.  “The parties shall file into the record all evidence, with each exhibit numbered sequentially, at the time of trial or hearing unless the court, for good cause shown, grants an extension”.
     

Section 67

  • Section 6735 – Form 1026 was repealed.

  • Section 6749 – Created a new form on which the court reports contempt findings.
     


Hon. Diane Lundeen
Chair, NOBA Workers' Compensation Law Committee
Office of Workers' Compensation