Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ Comp Insurance in Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, nearly every business needs workers’ compensation insurance. This coverage provides benefits to your employees if they become sick or injured from their job. To help protect employers, insurers also cover your legal costs if an injured worker sues you.

Is Workers’ Compensation Insurance Required in Oklahoma?

In the Sooner State, a law creating the workers' compensation system passed in 1915.¹ The law states that nearly every employer is required to carry workers’ compensation coverage.²

In some circumstances, certain employees in Oklahoma may be exempt from workers’ comp coverage, such as:³

Sole proprietors
Members of a limited liability company (LLC) who own at least 10% of the capital
Members of a partnership
Stockholders who own at least 10% of capital
Family businesses with five or fewer family-related employees

These employees don’t need coverage under Oklahoma’s workers’ comp law, but your business can choose to cover them anyway. Even if your workers are exempt, it’s a good idea to consider getting workers’ comp, since coverage gaps can leave your business open to liability lawsuits.

Oklahoma has state-funded, competitive workers’ compensation. This means small businesses can buy workers’ comp coverage through the state to make sure they’re complying with state law. You can also buy coverage through a private insurance company, like us.

Oklahoma workers’ compensation can help cover:

An injured worker’s medical care following a work-related accident.
Illnesses caused by exposure to harmful substances or allergens on the job.
Repetitive injuries that develop as the result of years of harmful motions.

If your employee gets a work-related injury or illness, workers’ compensation insurance can help cover expenses related to:

Missed wages if your employee needs time away from work to recover.
Temporary total disability benefits for employees that are disabled for only a certain amount of time.
Medical expenses if your employee gets a work-related injury or illness.
Permanent partial disability benefits if you have an employee who is not totally disabled but has a long-lasting disability. When they return to work, they may need a different role or modified work responsibilities to accommodate for their partial disability.
Permanent total disability benefits for disabled employees that can no longer work.
Death benefits for the family of an employee that loses their life on the job.

How Much Is Workman’s Comp in Oklahoma?

Workers’ compensation costs vary depending on the business you run. So, companies across the state, from Oklahoma City to Tulsa and everywhere in between, will have different rates. Some factors that help determine how much you pay are:

Workers’ compensation class codes: Either your state or The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) will assign these codes to you. Your employees will each get a code based on the work they perform.
Your business’ size: Business owners need a certain amount of workers’ comp based on every $100 of payroll.
Experience modification numbers: This number factors in your business’ experience and loss history. Businesses that are safer have a lower number.

How Does Workers’ Compensation Work in Oklahoma?

If you have an employee with a work-related injury or illness, they can follow these steps to receive workers’ compensation coverage:

Get medical attention right away.
Notify you, as their employer, as soon as possible.
Provide you with important details, like the type of injury, date and time of the accident. They’ll also want to outline what medical treatment they received. This will allow you to file a claim with your insurance company.
Keep a record of their injury or illness, including details of their symptoms and any developments.
After a few weeks, they can follow up on their claim status.

Do All Workers’ Comp Cases End In a Settlement?

In Oklahoma, it’s common for workers’ compensation claims to end in settlements.

In fact, when a claim is ready to be closed, it often involves a settlement. This can be either a lump sum payment or a structured payment plan that covers medical costs.

Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission

The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission (OWCC) is responsible for handling workers’ comp claims. If a dispute arises from a workers’ compensation claim, employees can file a dispute with the OWCC online. The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court of Existing Claims hears the case.

Workers’ compensation is also governed in Oklahoma by the Administrative Workers’ Compensation Act. This act outlines essential details for receiving Oklahoma workers’ comp. To learn more about this act, visit the state of Oklahoma’s website.

Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Claims

To file a claim in Oklahoma, visit our claims page for further information.

¹ Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court of Existing Claims, “History Of The Workers’ Compensation Court of Existing Claims”

^2,3 Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court of Existing Claims, “Employer’s FAQ”