Louisiana Revised Statutes Tit. 23, § 1371. Purpose and intent

(1) Encourage the employment, re-employment, or retention of employees who have a permanent, partial disability.

(2) Protect employers, group self-insurance funds, and property and casualty insurers from excess liability for workers' compensation for disability when a subsequent injury to such an employee merges with his preexisting permanent physical disability to cause a greater disability than would have resulted from the subsequent injury alone.

(1) The subsequent injury would not have occurred but for the preexisting permanent partial disability; or

(2) The disability resulting from the subsequent injury in conjunction with the preexisting permanent partial disability is materially and substantially greater than that which would have resulted had the preexisting permanent partial disability not been present, and the employer has been required to pay and has paid additional medical or indemnity benefits for that greater disability.