In Oklahoma, workers injured on the job are able to file a claim to receive compensation for the injuries they have sustained. Compensation court judges review the claims and award compensation accordingly. Some maintain that these awards have been so high in Oklahoma workers' compensation cases that one legislator feels that the compensation court judges have been awarding far more money than needed. The issue will be discussed and addressed when the Oklahoma legislature convenes in February, said Rep. Lewis Moore.

How Does Oklahoma Measure Up?

According to a 2005 state-wide study, by Governor Henry's Workers' Compensation Task Force, Oklahoma ranked 15th in the nation in workers' compensation claim awards. That study also gave Oklahoma a grade of "F" on a state report card as the result of several factors, including:

• The time it took for compensation cases to be finalized in the courts
• The high number of cases where injured workers missed 30 days of work or more
• The lengthy duration of injuries (such as back ailments and carpal tunnel syndrome)

With an above-average injury rate and high percentage of injured workers missing work, Oklahoma ranked near the bottom compared to other states and deserved its failing grade, the study concluded.

Even with the studies low ranking, critics remain vocal in Oklahoma regarding not only the amount of compensation awards to injured workers, but the claim process as well. Filing a workers' compensation claim in Oklahoma is the same as filing a lawsuit against your employer and creates what critics like Moore say is an adversarial system instead of one where claims are reviewed on their merit and compensated appropriately. Supporters of Workers' Comp reform may be touting an administrative process for compensation claims as a replacement to the current system.

Oklahoma Legislators have grappled with workers' compensation issues, like those stated by Rep. Lewis Moore, for years. In 2009, the state senate sought to send compensation reform to the polls, but was unsuccessful. Fearing an even greater burden on businesses, especially during a period when the nation is suffering from a troubled economy, legislators are now hoping to deal with the issue of workers' compensation reform in 2011.