NFIB State Director Leah Long said Louisiana’s small business owners welcome Gov. Jeff Landry’s pledge to make insurance reform a top priority in his opening address to the Legislature.

“Small businesses across Louisiana face unprecedented insurance costs, and we appreciate Governor Landry for recognizing that reform is essential to stabilizing the market,” Long said.

Long said small business owners have been contacting their legislators ahead of the start of this year’s legislative session, urging them to pass meaningful legal reforms that will help reduce costs and restore fairness to Louisiana’s legal system.

NFIB supports legislation that would:

• Repeal the Housley Presumption: Eliminate the legal presumption that an injury is automatically considered work-related if symptoms appear immediately after an accident and the individual was previously in good health. This outdated rule creates unfair burdens on employers and drives up insurance costs.
• Make Injury Lawsuits Fair: Support reforms that promote fairness in personal injury litigation, including clear standards for causation, reasonable damage awards, and measures to reduce excessive or frivolous claims.
• Ensure Medical Expense Transparency: Require disclosure of the actual amounts paid for medical treatments in injury claims, not just the billed amounts, to prevent inflated settlements and ensure fair, evidence-based compensation.
• Reinforce Safeguards on Third-Party Litigation Funding: Strengthen transparency and oversight of outside investors who finance lawsuits for profit, ensuring these arrangements don’t drive up settlements or compromise the integrity of the legal process.

“Lawsuit abuse drives up insurance premiums and diverts resources that small businesses could otherwise use to hire, grow their businesses, and support their communities,” Long said. “Passing these commonsense reforms would help restore fairness to our legal system and give small businesses the certainty they need.”

Long also thanked the governor for his commitment to improving the environment for small businesses in the state. “Our members are grateful to Governor Landry for recognizing the crucial role small businesses play in Louisiana’s economy and look forward to working with the governor and legislative leaders on legislation that enables Main Street businesses to succeed.”