Who is Entitled to Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
Oklahoma City Personal Injury Lawyers
Workers’ compensation law is designed to provide financial, medical and other benefits to workers who suffer an injury, illness or disease caused by their work.
From medical bills to loss of income and more, “workers’ comp,” as it is often referred to, can be an invaluable resource. But who is entitled to receive benefits?
Injured Workers
Injured workers in Oklahoma are entitled to receive all necessary paid medical treatment, including physical therapy or other rehabilitation.
If your injury means you can’t work for a period of time, you may be eligible for temporary total or partial disability benefits. You may also qualify for job retraining. If your condition results in a permanent impairment, you could receive permanent partial or total disability benefits. Both temporary and permanent disability benefits are calculated as a percentage of your wages prior to the injury or illness.
Family Members
Unfortunately, deadly accidents and diseases can occur because of on-the-job factors. If a worker dies as a result, family members, including the spouse and children under 18 or other disabled dependents, may qualify for monetary benefits.
Family members should consult with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to discuss the facts of their situation.
Eligibility
As a starting point, an injured worker (or family member) can use these questions when considering whether a workers’ comp claim may be pertinent:
- Was it an accident? A fall or slip would be examples of accidental injuries.
- Was there a specific event that led to the injury? For instance, can you relate a back injury to a specific date and cause?
- Were you acting as an employee at the time? You don’t necessarily have to be at your place of work to incur a job-related injury. For example, if you’re traveling for your job and fall, you may quality for workers’ comp.
- Is it an occupational disease? Some environments put workers at increased risk for disease. One example might be someone diagnosed with cancer after working in an asbestos-contaminated workplace.
- Can you tie a cumulative problem to repetitive work? An example of this type of issue would be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from long hours of computer work.
If you or a loved one has been injured while at work, schedule a free consultation with the respected attorneys at Stipe Injury Law. Our lawyers have been serving residents in the McAlester, Norman, Edmond and Oklahoma City areas for more than 50 years.
Although medical professionals are required by law to exercise the utmost care, skill and diligence when treating their patients, it is estimated that over 90,000 people every year are either injured or killed due to physician or nurse error. 
When workers are injured, employers and their workers compensation insurance carrier are responsible for providing those employees with the medical care they need as quickly as possible. 
If you are disabled, and can no longer work, the federal government offers disability payments to individuals who qualify under the Social Security Disability Insurance plan. 
