Once you have been off work for a total of 7 days you are eligible to receive pay. You will receive 70% of your average weekly wage up to a maximum amount that is determined by the date you are injured. The present maximum amount is $735.00 per week. This benefit is called Temporary Disability.

No, you cannot get workers’ compensation and work. The same is true about receiving unemployment benefits.

Workers’ compensation allows you have a right to receive money for any permanent disability that you are left with as a result of the injury. This is referred to as a permanent partial disability.  The amount of compensation for this is dependent on the body part that was injured and the amount of determined disability.

Typically, all employees hired in Oklahoma or who is injured in Oklahoma. These employees are covered by the Oklahoma workers compensation laws. This excludes independent contractor employees.

All of these groups of people are exempt from the workers’ compensation laws of the state by law :

• Persons covered for job-related injuries under federal law
• Certain Agricultural Workers
  
• Licensed Real Estate Brokers that are paid on commission
  
• Persons providing services administered by Oklahoma Department of Human Services
  
• Employee employed by a business with 5 or fewer employees, all of whom are related by blood or marriage to the employer
  
• Those employed by a tax-exempt youth sports league
  
• Sole proprietors, members of a partnership, certain persons who are a party to a franchise agreement, certain members of a limited liability company and certain stockholders of a corporation
  
• Anyone  that provides voluntary service who receives no wages for the services other than meals, drug or alcohol rehabilitation therapy, transportation, lodging or reimbursement for incidental expenses
• owner-operators of a truck-tractor
  
• drive-away owner operators.

Reporting a job related injury is time sensitive.  You should report any job-related injury as soon as possible to your employer.  If you fail to report an injury to your employer in a timely manner you are risking a possible loss of benefits.

• A report of a single event injury to the employer must occur within 30 day or medical treatment must be obtained with a 30 day period. 
  
• If this is an occupational disease or an injury caused by repeated trauma, an employee must give notice the employer within 90 days of separation from employment. 

With the absence of a single event injury, you would be covered under what is referred to as a “cumulative trauma” injury.  This means that the repetitive nature of your work over the years has caused the injury.

You have all the same benefits available as a person injured in a single incident.

• You must report this injury as the last date you were exposed to the condition (i.e., the last date you were working) or within 90 days after you separate from employment with the employer
  
• After 90 days there are burdens of proof that you must overcome, but you still have 2 years to formally file on this kind of claim too.