OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A plan to phase out Oklahoma's Workers' Compensation Court and switch to an administrative system has been endorsed by all of the state's major political players and is being hailed by state business leaders as a way to drive down insurance costs.
But attorneys who represent injured workers say those hurt on the job are the ones who will suffer under the major changes being considered by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Oklahoma's workers' compensation system has been a priority for Republicans at the Legislature as many contend businesses in the state are being forced to pay higher workers' compensation insurance premiums than nearly every other state. Oklahoma and Tennessee are the only states with a separate court system for handling workers' compensation cases.
The 260-page bill, forwarded last week by a Senate committee, would replace the court system with a structure overseen by three commissioners appointed by the governor. Administrative law judges would hear cases, and claimants would not need to be represented by attorneys.
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