Christus Health Central Louisiana v. Westaff (USA), Inc., 030812 LACA3, WCW 11-1493

Case DateMarch 08, 2012
CourtLouisiana
CHRISTUS HEALTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA D/B/A CHRISTUS ST. FRANCES CABRINI HOSPITAL (ERIC J. MANUEL)
v.
WESTAFF (USA), INC., ET AL.
No. WCW 11-1493
Court of Appeals of Louisiana, Third Circuit
March 8, 2012
         APPEAL FROM THE OFFICE OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION - # 2 PARISH OF RAPIDES, NO. 11-01771 JAMES L. BRADDOCK, WORKERS' COMPENSATION JUDGE.           Joseph Payne Williams, Richard Bray Williams, Williams Family Law Firm, LLC COUNSEL FOR APPLICANT: Christus Health Central Louisiana.           Thomas Allen Filo, Cox, Cox, Filo, Camel & Wilson COUNSEL FOR APPLICANT: Christus Health Central Louisiana           Jeffrey John Warrens, Johnson, Stiltner & Rahman COUNSEL FOR RESPONDENT: LWCC Westaff, Inc.           Dennis Paul Juge, Juge, Napolitano, Guilbeau, Ruli, Frieman & Whiteley COUNSEL FOR RESPONDENT: LWCC Westaff, Inc.           Court composed of Elizabeth A. Pickett, Shannon J. Gremillion, and Phyllis M. Keaty, Judges.           ELIZABETH A. PICKETT JUDGE.          In these three consolidated writ applications, the relator, Christus Health Central Louisiana d/b/a Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital (Christus Health) seeks supervisory writs from the judgment of the Office of Workers' Compensation (OWC) granting a motion to compel discovery.          STATEMENT OF THE CASE          All three cases are attempts by Christus Health to increase the amount of payments for medical services and treatments rendered to injured workers as outpatients. Christus Health has sought recovery from the employers, Westaff (USA), Inc., Crossroads, Inc., and Bamburg Steel Buildings, Inc., and their insurer, the Louisiana Workers' Compensation Corporation (collectively, LWCC). Christus Health claims that LWCC failed to pay the correct amount in medical benefits for the injured workers, pursuant to the pertinent provisions of the Louisiana Workers' Compensation Act (LWCA) and the Louisiana Workers' Compensation Fee Reimbursement Schedule (Reimbursement Schedule).          In the course of conducting discovery, LWCC submitted interrogatories and requests for production of documents aimed at collecting information regarding Christus Health's actual costs for the medical services rendered and the contractual amounts that Christus Health has agreed to accept as payment for these services and treatments from other insurance companies or other payors.1 Christus Health objected to this discovery, claiming that the information sought was irrelevant and...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT