For these reasons, we affirm the judgment of the court of appeal dismissing the plaintiffs tort suits against the defendants. Accordingly, the court of appeal properly reversed the judgment of the district court and dismissed the plaintiffs claims. Interpreting the Act and mindful of the clear legislative purpose behind the workers compensation scheme - a principle that has been well-explained in our jurisprudence, we find occupational noise-induced hearing loss (hereinafter, “NIHL”) falls squarely within the parameters of the LWCA, either the pre-1990 definition of “accident” or the post-1975 definition of “occupational disease.” As explained below, we conclude the defendants were entitled to immunity from suits in tort under the LWCA. ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF APPEAL, SECOND CIRCUIT, PARISH OF OUACHITA 1 GUIDRY, Justice The instant case presents a res nova issue in this court of whether gradual noise induced hearing loss caused by occupational exposure to hazardous noise levels is a personal injury by accident or an occupational disease, or both, under the Louisiana Workers Compensation Act (hereinafter, “LWCA”), thereby entitling the defendant employer to immunity from suits in tort under the exclusivity provisions of the LWCA. VERSUS GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, INC., ET AL. CONSOLIDATED WITH MELVIN ELLIS BORDELON, ET AL. CONSOLIDATED WITH JIMMIE DEWAYNE BAUGH, ET AL. CONSOLIDATED WITH GEORGE EMORY BUTLER, ET AL. CONSOLIDATED WITH KENNETH NOEL BAIN, SR., ET AL. CONSOLIDATED WITH MARVIN JACK BARNETT, JR., ET AL. 2013-C-2981 JAMES CLIFFORD ARRANT, ET AL. JOHNSON, C.J., dissents for reasons assigned by Knoll, J. The judgment of the court of appeal dismissing the plaintiffs’ tort claims with prejudice is affirmed. (Parish of Ouachita) Accordingly, the court of appeal properly reversed the judgment of the district court and dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims. GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, INC., ET AL. Supreme Court of Louisiana FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE NEWS RELEASE #023 FROM: CLERK OF SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA The Opinions handed down on the 5th day of May, 2015, are as follows: BY GUIDRY, J.: 2013-C -2878 C/W 2013-C -2981 JAMES CLIFFORD ARRANT, ET AL.
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