Oklahoma Lawmaker Wants to Send Work Comp Claims to Civil Courts

April 21, 2010

  • April 21, 2010 at 10:40 am
    Former Okie says:
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    His background is at http://www.okhouse.gov/Committees/Member.aspx?MemberID=13 He is not a lawyer or a college graduate. The only thing worse than a lawyer trying to call shots in the WC system is someone that has little experience with WC. If the WC system was returned to the local courts, the carriers will run to the nearest exit.

  • April 21, 2010 at 2:41 am
    wudchuck says:
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    ok, this is a problem, why does it have to go to court to begin with? if you are stating that all cases have to go to court, who is going to make more money? the LAWYER! is luttrell a lawyer? sounds like it! so who will be responsible for the day off to go to court for the worker? will that be paid by the state or by the company?

  • April 21, 2010 at 2:43 am
    Glen Gunkel says:
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    So, is Okie State Rep. Ken Luttrell under age thirty? Prior to 15 years ago, most states allowed disputed wc claims go to Civil Courts for resolution. The result – skyrocketing legal costs, long legal delays in getting benefits to injured workers and delayed medical treatment. Worker disability periods were longer, as workers had to wait for court approval for medical treatment and compensation. Finally, that system got to where legal costs exceeded both medical costs and compensation payments to injured workers. Employers, who pay for the system, said “enough.” Hence, wc reform was enacted and the system became more administrative with less legal involvement. Let’s not forget the purpose of the WC system. WC was designed to provide for the injured worker and to reduce or eliminate the need for legal involvement. The WC system was not designed to enrich lawyers at the expense of injured workers and employers. Seems, Mr. Luttrell would turn back the clock, reinvent the wheel and not address the real problem in OK. The OK WC Courts are loaded with sleezy lawyers and judges that have more than salaried interests in administrating wc benefits to workers.

  • April 22, 2010 at 9:08 am
    Scrooged says:
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    Previous employer stated to its WC carrier that I was Not injured on the job
    (in front of two witnesses) and had no knowledge of my injury (after speaking to me directly about it the day of the incident).
    It is humiliating to be recorded by a claims examiner when you are trying to get your hospital bill paid and then told
    “I’ll get back to you after I check out your story.”



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