Opinion ID: 1885322
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Heading: Medical Benefits

Text:  $2,000 penalty for failure to timely authorize surgery with Dr. Genoff [3]  $2,000 penalty for failure to pay the 2/1/00 bill for Dr. Genoff visit and its failure to pay the travel expenses related thereto In Fontenot, the appellate court affirmed the hearing officer's award of multiple penalties regarding compensation benefits:  $2,000 penalty for the miscalculation of the initial temporary total disability rate  $2,000 penalty for the improper reduction of the temporary total disability benefits to supplemental earnings benefits Awards of penalties in workers' compensation cases are essentially penal in nature, being imposed to discourage indifference and the undesirable conduct of employers and insurers. Williams v. Rush Masonry, Inc., 98-2271 (La.6/29/99), 737 So.2d 41; Sharbono v. Steve Lang & Son Loggers, 97-0110 (La.7/1/97), 696 So.2d 1382. Although it is well accepted that the Workers' Compensation Act is liberally construed with regard to indemnity benefits, it is likewise well established that penal statutes are strictly construed. Williams, 737 So.2d at 46; see also International Harvester Credit v. Seale, 518 So.2d 1039, 1041 (La.1988). Legislation is a solemn expression of legislative will; therefore, interpretation of a law is primarily the search for the Legislature's intent. LA. CIV. CODE ANN. art. 2; Cat's Meow v. City of New Orleans, 98-0601 (La.10/20/98), 720 So.2d 1186, 1198. The starting point for interpretation of any statute is the language of the statute itself. Touchard v. Williams, 617 So.2d 885 (La.1993). When a law is clear and unambiguous and its application does not lead to absurd consequences, the law is applied as written, and no further interpretation may be made in search of legislative intent. LA. CIV. CODE ANN. art. 9. However, when the language of a law is susceptible to different meanings, it must be interpreted as having the meaning that best conforms to the purpose of the law, and the meaning of ambiguous words must be sought by examining the context in which they occur and the text of the law as a whole. LA. CIV. CODE ANN. art. 10. In addition, laws on the same subject matter must be interpreted in reference to each other. LA. CIV. CODE ANN. art. 13. Furthermore, as we have pointed out in earlier decisions, when interpreting the Workers' Compensation Act, courts must take into account the basic history and policy of the compensation movement. O'Regan v. Preferred Enterprises, Inc., 98-1602 (La.3/17/00), 758 So.2d 124, 128; Roberts v. Sewerage & Water Bd. of New Orleans, 92-2048 (La.3/21/94), 634 So.2d 341, 345.