Guide to Oklahoma Workers Compensation Benefits

If you have been injured on the job, you likely understand that there is a long list of requirements through which you must pass in order to secure the financial benefits you need to properly recover and hopefully return to work. Workers' compensation law in Oklahoma, like every other jurisdiction, can be quite complicated in nature. If you are having problems obtaining benefits, you should not attempt to handle the situation by yourself. Contact a workers' compensation attorney to review your case.

In the meantime, below are some basic considerations that are always relevant when it comes to workers' compensation claims and issues.

Intent behind Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Laws

Although it may come as a surprise to many, the intent behind workers' compensation laws in Oklahoma is to protect both the worker and the employer. Clearly, the laws in place protect the worker by way of providing for clear and nearly immediate benefits in some cases that allow the injured worker to get the health care he or she needs and to make sure that basic bills are paid.

These laws also protect the employer in several ways. Basically, these laws serve as a shield from most litigation against employees. The reasons are that the amount in benefits that an injured worker receives is pre-set by the Oklahoma statutes and that the employer will generally already have funds available for the worker given the company's contributions to the workers' compensation insurance fund.

Those Covered

The workers' compensation laws in Oklahoma cover all employees with very few exceptions. The only well-known exception for employers is a company that has 5 or fewer employees, all of whom are directly related to the employer. Otherwise, workers can rest assured that if they are injured on the job, there will be remedies and help available to them.

Generally, the Oklahoma Commissioner of Labor has the authority to oversee the workers' compensation program and claims and also to enforce the law and penalties should violations occur. In 1986, the state legislature enacted a law that provided the Commissioner of Labor the discretion to levy civil penalty fines of up to $10,000, and to file criminal charges with the District Attorney in cases of willful violation of the workers compensation laws.

Your Next Step
As you see, much of what happens when a worker is injured on the job is governed directly by state law. However, that does not mean that you should not seek immediate help from an Oklahoma workers' compensation attorney if you are having problems obtaining the benefits you deserve. Contact an attorney today if you need help enforcing your rights under Oklahoma law.