Workers' Compensation Paralegal - Laborde Earles

Grow with us! We are featured in Inc. Magazine's prestigious 2023 Inc. 5,000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies List and are the 25th fastest-growing private company in the entire state of Louisiana!

Do you find satisfaction in helping people and making a difference in their lives and the lives of their communities? Laborde Earles is committed to providing quality representation to our clients and being fully attentive to their needs, which starts by providing the same favorable environment for our team members. Join us in standing up for our clients, with our community, by our work, and beside each other!

The Opportunity

We are seeking a dedicated Workers' Compensation Paralegal to be accountable to provide the best possible customer service to our clients and act as their advocate when working with third parties on their behalf. This is an ideal position for a relatable and empathetic individual with the skills to effectively communicate with individuals of all cultures and backgrounds as providing ongoing client contact is a primary function of the role. This role requires strong interpersonal skills where professionalism, confidentiality, and integrity are showcased. A successful candidate for the role will be conscious of deadlines and and prioritization ensuring that checks are promptly distributed at the proper time. Success in this role will also require strong oral communication, phone etiquette, and guest relations skills as they are accountable for providing hospitable and excellent customer service, while instantaneously obtaining relevant details for assigned cases. As a Workers' Compensation Paralegal, you must be able to ensure that all matters are handled as quickly, accurately, and thoughtfully as possible from case sign up through disbursal. We are looking for someone who is motivated to make a difference in the lives of our clients and community. 

Objective: Serve clients and support the case handling attorney from case sign up through disbursal by providing ongoing client contact and ensuring the intake/file setup, benefits management, weekly check distribution, litigation, settlement, and file maintenance and closure processes are handled appropriately and timely.

Desired Outcomes:

1. Accountable to provide the best possible customer service to our clients and act as their advocate when working with any third parties on their behalf.
   1. Contact clients at minimum every 30-45 days to give case updates, notify of important dates and events, and check in with client regarding:
      1. How they are doing and if there is anything else we can do to assist them;
      2. Status of medical treatment and/or any treatment(s) being denied.
      3. Satisfaction with Laborde Earles’ handling of the case;
      4. Any issues with Workers’ Compensation check(s) (if applicable).
   2. Contact third parties such as medical providers and insurance companies on behalf of the client.
   3. Assist attorney in obtaining discovery responses and conduct deposition preparation.
2. Accountable to ensure that all matters assigned are handled as quickly, accurately, and thoughtfully as possible from case sign up through disbursal.
   1. Assist intake as needed with new Workers’ Compensation-related sign-ups. Ensure all intake authorization/forms are signed by Potential New Client (PNC) and saved.
   2. Send welcome letter, texts, and contracts to new clients. Send letters of representation to employer and Workers’ Compensation insurer. Draft, save, mail, fax, and/or email correspondence and supporting documents.
   3. Follow the Litify Matter Plan for each matter assigned and complete each task timely, accurately, and completely.
   4. Ensure proper and accurate file maintenance within Litify, including adding parties, and organizing and saving preliminary documents.
   5. Assist attorney sign ups by booking conference rooms, updating calendars, etc.
   6. Keep track of cases expenses, including copy and postage charges, entering into Litify for each client.
   7. Manage client benefits by scheduling initial medical evaluations, sending Letters of Representation (LOR) and HIPPA authorizations to healthcare providers, obtaining medical records and issuing Medicaid/Medicare lien letters as required.
   8. Manage client indemnities by sending 1020s and being responsible for weekly checks.
   9. Assist attorney in litigation matters by:
   1. Preparing cover letters for 1008s, 1009s, discovery, etc.;
   2. Obtain checks for filing fees;
   3. Assist with written discovery;
   4. Notify and remind client of important dates & ensure dates from OWC scheduling order are entered on attorney calendar;
   5. Schedule depositions;
   6. Assist as needed in all aspects of pretrial, trial, and post trial.
   10. Prepare settlement memos and schedule disbursals.
   11. Ensure proper file closure by sending disengagement letters, ensuring referral fees are sent to other attorneys, and any outstanding Laborde Earles expenses are paid.
   12. Prepare motion for approval of periodic attorney’s fees, coordinate with accounting as needed, and entering all attorney fee data in Litify.
   13. Assist the accounting department in the timely and accurate deposit and disbursement of client’s workers’ compensation checks.
       1. Assist accounting in ensuring that check entered correctly into Laborde Earles general Workers’ Compensation ledger and individual client ledgers;
       2. Ensure that all checks reach client in timely manner, contacting clients when checks are ready;
       3. Scan and save checks in Litify;
       4. Act as an intermediary with attorney regarding any issues with checks

3.  Accountable to provide handling attorney support as requested and as outlined in Litify Tasks.

a. Timely response and completion of tasks assigned by handling attorney.

b. Timely completion of all Litify Matter Plan tasks.

c.  Ensure that all important dates are entered on attorney calendar.

Required Skills/Abilities:

* Excellent oral and written communication skills

* Attention to detail and accuracy

* Confidentiality and strong judgement

* Problem analysis and problem-solving

* Professionalism

Education and Experience:

* College degree preferred

* Proficient in data entry and management

* Previous experience within legal, medical, or insurance industry preferred

* Strong computer and keyboarding experience

Physical Requirements:

* Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer

* Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times

The Perks of Being Part of Our Laborde Earles Community:

• Optional companywide events allowing you to play as hard as you work, such as Crawfish Boils, Christmas parties, Retreats, and more!
• Work-life balance is encouraged as we consider 36.5 hours your full-time requirement and we rarely exceed a 40-hour workweek. We prefer you work to live, not live to work.
• We celebrate life's little (& big) moments with you from birthdays & work anniversaries to marriages and births, as well as, support you when the going gets tough from procedures/hospitalizations to loss of a loved one.
• Collaboration and team member rapport is cheered and emboldened.
• We offer many competitive benefits upon eligibility waiting periods:
  • Company-paid Short-term disability & Life/AD&D
  • Health, vision, dental, long-term disability, critical illness, and additional life insurance policies upon eligibility waiting periods
  • 401(k) and profit sharing options upon eligibility waiting periods
  • PTO, paid holidays (10), and paid maternity leave
  • Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), including dependent care
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Who We Are

We are a team and community-oriented personal injury law firm dedicated to winning for our clients who have had their lives turned upside down from injuries through no fault of their own. With multiple offices across Louisiana, we focus on ensuring people get maximum monetary compensation for various types of personal injuries or loss of a loved one from incidents like car wrecks, truck accidents, offshore, and workplace injuries. Our founders joined forces to build the premier law firm in Louisiana. With over 250 years of combined experience, our attorneys have earned a powerful reputation and have been nationally recognized as top trial lawyers. As a dedicated and high-performing team, we pride ourselves in our core values: All In, Work Hard, Play Hard, Honorable, Cutting Edge, Community, and Winners, Not Whiners. With all the proper tools in place, our mission is to stand up for our clients, stand with our community, stand by our work, and stand beside each other. You may begin your journey with Laborde Earles for many different reasons, but you stay for the team.

Our Core Values:

All In: Being fully committed to a task or endeavor. Giving 110% for the team and our common goals.

Work Hard, Play Hard: Emphasizing work life balance. Putting in the hard work for the clients that depend on us as well as turning work-mode off sometimes to add fun, laughter, and relaxation into our routines.

Honorable: Making moral and just decisions, having an ownership mentality, being reputable and respectable through your work product, client and teammate interactions, and personal and family life.

Cutting Edge: Having the most advanced or newest version of a product or service, ensuring that we are functioning at our highest capacity as a firm, both effective and efficient.

Community: Being a pillar for the surrounding area and the people within by rallying for and supporting them through giving back and volunteering. Supporting the constant growth and improvement of ourselves and each other.

Winners, Not Whiners: Being a team-player even when the going gets tough to support the goals of our team and the firm, maintaining a positive outlook through the day-to-day challenges & setbacks, celebrating the wins & successes, being willing to step in and help for the sake of the common goals we strive to achieve.