Workers' Compensation Lawyer in Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma workers who suffer job-related injuries or occupational illnesses should not have to fight for benefits promised to them under Oklahoma workers’ compensation laws. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance program that most employers must legally extend to their employees. Unfortunately, the city of Oklahoma initially rejects many valid workers’ compensation claims, leaving injured workers wondering how they’ll pay medical bills and replace lost wages. The dedicated Oklahoma City workers’ compensation lawyer at Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons assists hundreds of injured people each year with their Oklahoma City workers’ compensation claims. We protect the rights of working people hurt on the job, as well as the families of those who lost their lives in workplace accidents.

Our respected Oklahoma City workers’ compensation law firm provides extensive experience from attorneys who have handled thousands of workplace injury claims throughout the state. Workers’ compensation lawyer Charles Simons has spent two decades successfully securing benefits for injured workers at more than 2,000 workers’ compensation hearings. Founding partner Patrick Ryan is a former chief judge of the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court with over 40 years of experience with workers’ compensation claims.

The Oklahoma lawyers at Ryan Bisher Ryan and Simons

How a Workers' Compensation Lawyer Can Help Injured Employees in Oklahoma

Schedule a free consultation today to learn how our team can help you.

Sometimes an employer will tell you that there is no need to file a workers’ compensation claim, or your boss may encourage you to just seek treatment utilizing your health insurance as opposed to filing a claim. The truth is: If you’ve been seriously hurt, you have too much at stake to try to handle the workers’ comp claim on your own.

At Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons, our knowledgeable Oklahoma workers’ compensation attorneys can help you:

  • File an initial claim for workers’ compensation benefits, including helping you to file directly with the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission.
  • Argue your case at a hearing before the Workers’ Compensation Commission if your claim is disputed.
  • Manage appeals of adverse rulings by the Workers’ Compensation Commission, such as a denial of benefits.
  • Refer you to medical professionals we know and trust if you need a second opinion and/or your assigned physician will not provide the necessary medical care to treat your injuries.
  • Demand the maximum monetary benefit to which you’re entitled, standing beside you throughout your recovery to assist and advise you about maintaining your qualification to receive benefits.

Working with an experienced Oklahoma workers’ compensation attorney from the start ensures that your benefits application is complete and on time the first time.

This helps to speed up your workers’ compensation claim through the complicated administrative process and prevent delays in approved benefits. If your employer or their insurance carrier attempts to dispute or complicate your claim, our attorneys will be up to speed on your case and ready to defend you.

What Are the Benefits Are Oklahoma Work Injury Victims Entitled To?

By law, Oklahoma employers are required to provide benefits to employees who suffer job-related injuries. As a “no-fault” insurance program, workers’ compensation benefits cover you even if your own carelessness caused your injury. In return for providing workers’ compensation insurance, employers usually receive immunity from workplace injury (negligence) lawsuits by employees.

The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission (OWCC) determines each claim’s benefits and payouts.

For most workplace injuries, Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation laws require your employer or their insurance company to cover the cost of reasonable and necessary medical care until you are cleared by your doctor to return to work.

Temporary total disability benefits (TTD) if you cannot work due to your injury or illness. These could be as much as 70 percent of weekly wages for up to 156 weeks (three years).

 

Temporary partial disability benefits (TPD) if you can perform alternative but lesser paying work while you heal. These benefits aim to cover the pay difference up to 70 percent of your regular weekly wages.

Permanent total disability benefits (PTD) if you will not recover from your injury enough to return to working for a living.

Permanent partial disability benefits (PPD) if you will not fully recover from your injury, after being released by your treating physician.

Payments for vocational rehabilitation and/or job placement assistance if your injury prevents you from returning to your previous work but you might be trained to do other work.

The law also provides for the payment of a legally defined portion of your weekly wages while you are off the job (and under a doctor’s care). Depending on your circumstances, you may qualify for:

In the case of a worker’s death from an occupational injury or illness, the Oklahoma workers’ compensation system pays a defined amount to assist with funeral expenses and survivors’ benefits to the surviving spouse and/or dependent child(ren). The monetary benefits in these types of cases include a lump-sum payment as well as weekly benefits for a specified period of time.

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Common Reasons Workers’ Injury Claims Are Denied

An injured worker, or survivors of a worker who was in a fatal workplace accident, must file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits in accordance with a variety of complex rules and deadlines. Additionally, a claim must contain voluminous information about the worker’s employment history, salary, injury, and medical care received.

Any discrepancy can be used by the employer, the workers’ comp insurance company, or even an overworked claims analyst to deny a claim. Once benefits are approved, they can be discontinued if the beneficiary violates the requirements of the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Please access the OWCC website for existing claims.

Some common reasons an Oklahoma workers’ comp claim may be denied include:

  • Your injury is not covered. There are a few circumstances in which an injured worker will not qualify for benefits, such as:
    • Injuries suffered while reporting for a shift or leaving at the end of a shift, or in a parking lot or other area adjacent to the place of business, may not qualify. (It is definitely important to obtain experienced legal advice in cases of this nature.)
    • Your injury was caused by your use of drugs or alcohol.
    • You were injured while engaging in recreational or social activities, including “horseplay.”
    • You were injured while on a work break unless the break was authorized by your supervisor and the injury occurred inside your employer’s facility. (Again, it is definitely important to obtain experienced legal advice in cases of this nature.)
    • The injury was caused by pre-existing condition(s), unless you can show a pre-existing condition has been significantly aggravated in the course and scope of your employment.
  • You failed to provide your employer with timely notification of your injury. You must provide notice within 30 days of the injury, or within 30 days after separation from employment for a cumulative trauma injury (e.g., chronic lower back pain or carpal tunnel syndrome). It is best to report an injury and subsequent medical care in writing as soon as possible. However, again there are exceptions to this general rule, so in cases of this nature, it is extremely important to speak with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney.
  • You have no witnesses. If no one but you knew about the accident that left you injured so badly you need medical attention, this raises a red flag with many workers’ compensation insurers. If you have no direct witnesses, tell a supervisor or other responsible co-worker as soon as possible about your accident and injury. The fact that there were no witnesses can sometimes make a case more difficult but it does not mean that you cannot collect benefits.
  • You filed for benefits after being fired or laid off. Insurers will be suspicious of a claim filed by an employee who has been terminated. They will suspect it is more about revenge than a valid medical need. This is an additional reason to report an accident or injury to a supervisor promptly and to notify your employer of obtaining medical care for it as soon as possible.
  • There are discrepancies in your claim documents. For example, if the way you initially described your accident and injury to your employer is not reflected in initial medical reports, this could be a problem.
  • You don’t provide evidence of an injury. Your benefits application must “prove by a preponderance of the evidence” that your injury keeps you from working and that your injury occurred in the course of employment and arose out of your employment. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can explain the evidentiary requirements in a claim.
  • You have not followed doctors’ orders. Failing to abide by the restrictions and treatment plan given to you by your treating physician, including attending all doctors’ appointments, can be interpreted as an indication you are not as badly injured as you claim. Your claim is likely to be denied, or existing benefits can be terminated. You must also keep any scheduled appointments with the insurer and job counselor.

Our Oklahoma City workers’ compensation lawyers at Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons can help you avoid mistakes or combat denial of a workers’ comp claim. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation on your options for moving forward.

Do You Deserve More than Workers’ Compensation Benefits?

At Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons, we are committed to identifying every possible source of compensation that may be available to you.

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The Oklahoma City Workers' Comp law firm of Ryan Bisher Ryan and Simons

If you’ve suffered a work-related injury or lost a loved one in a workplace accident, don’t wait to get knowledgeable legal advice about obtaining workers’ compensation benefits. Our Oklahoma workers’ compensation lawyer has decades of experience and the resources necessary to fight for you.

Contact our workers’ compensation attorneys today to schedule a free consultation about your work-related injury or illness.