Impact of Workers' Compensation Claims

Questions and Answers with Jacque Brawner Dean

McAfee & Taft workers' compensation attorney Jacque Brawner Dean was interviewed for an Oklahoman feature about the impact of workers' compensation claims in Oklahoma.

Dean said that while cliams have steadily decreased in the last decade, last year did see a slight increase in filings over previous years.

"In 2007, 14,888 Oklahoma employees filed for workers' compensation," she said. "Judges ordered permanent partial disability or permanent total disability for 3,431 employees."

She said that injured workers can receive temporary disability of up to $577 per week for up to 300 weeks under current Oklahoma law, noting that this compensation is scheduled to increase Nov. 1st.

Dean said that there are many clues that can suggest that a claim is fraudulent, including "delayed report of injury, vague or changing details of how the injury occurred, Friday or Monday injuries, and lack of witnesses, which occurs in six of every 10 denied claims."

Asked about what employers can do to reduce workers' compensation costs, Dean recommended they pay a case manager "to manage claimants' health care and provide structred and short-term duty to get claimants back on the job within six months."

"If claimants are off work longer, 50 percent never return."