March 09th, 2019

Jorge-Chavelas v. Louisiana Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Co.

Docket: 18-30388
Opinion Date: March 8, 2019
Judge: Costa
Areas of Law: Labor & Employment Law, Personal Injury

The insurer of a Louisiana sugarcane farm raised several arguments that the farm was entitled to statutory immunity under Louisiana workers' compensation law from an action brought by two injured cane planters. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's judgment in favor of plaintiffs, holding that plaintiffs were neither employees of the farm nor its independent contractors. Rather, plaintiffs were employees of the farm's independent contractor. Therefore, the farm was not entitled to statutory immunity from suit.

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