The process of obtaining workers comp for your on-the-job injury can be a tangled mess of jargon and paperwork. We help you make sense of it and ensure you take advantage of all the benefits available to you.
Injured and need a recovery break from work?
If you are injured on the job in Oklahoma, you are entitled to receive 70 percent of your regular pay until you recover and return to work. After seven days, your payments are converted to Temporary Total Disability (TTD). You can receive a maximum payment of $735 under current state law — this amount is determined from the average income of all workers in the state and is periodically adjusted for cost of living increases. The insurance company for your employer must also pay 100 percent of your eligible medical expenses and vocational rehabilitation if you require it.
More serious injuries
Permanent Partial Impairment (PPI) and Permanent Total Disability (PTD) are two classifications of payments you may be eligible for if you are permanently injured. PPI refers to an injury that is permanent but not completely disabling. With a PPI, you may be able to return to work for your employer in a different capacity. After your doctor confirms your disability, you are eligible to receive a weekly payment based on a schedule determined by the Oklahoma Worker’s Compensation Court. The maximum weekly payment you can receive is $323.
When you suffer a serious injury or a disease due to working conditions that leaves you completely disabled, you are eligible to receive PTD. The cap on PTD is also $735 a week under current Oklahoma law. You can receive it for a maximum of 15 years or until you become eligible for Social Security retirement benefits.
Receiving full benefits is not automatic
Unfortunately, sick and injured workers are sometimes not given the benefits they are entitled to without a fight. The insurance company representing your employer may be more interested in protecting its assets than treating your fairly. The Oklahoma injury lawyers at Stipe Law Firm are experienced in worker’s compensation cases and are available now to fight for your rights, contact us today.