When you suffer an injury at work in Oklahoma and are unable to work, and receive care for your medical treatment, you cannot afford any delay in your Workers’ Compensation benefits. But delays can occur for any number of reasons. Why are your Workers’ Compensation benefits delayed? What you should do if this happens?
Workers’ Compensation Benefits Schedule
Workers’ Compensation in Oklahoma covers reasonable and medically necessary treatment for injuries sustained on the job and provides weekly wage benefits while the injured employee is unable to work. Injured employees are not responsible for any copays or other out-of-pocket expenses.
Wage benefits are calculated at 70% of the injured worker’s average weekly wage, but this amount is capped at 100% of the state’s average weekly wage. This cap is $986.86 in 2023. Oklahoma has a three-day waiting period before Temporary Total Disability (TTD) payments begin. You should expect your first wage benefit payment by the 15th day after you report an injury to your employer, provided your employer does not dispute your injury or right to compensation. Wage benefits are paid in weekly installments.
Common Reasons for Delayed Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Oklahoma
Of course, if your Workers’ Compensation claim is denied, you will receive no benefits until any disputes are resolved. However, there are many reasons your benefits could be delayed. Among the most common are:
- Employer negligence relating to your claim – this could range from forgetfulness to deliberate delay to keep insurance rates from possibly increasing.
- Incomplete/incorrect paperwork – any mistakes or missing documentation will result in your claim being rejected, necessitating a review and resubmission. All this takes even more time.
- Insufficient documentation of your injuries – an OK Workers’ Compensation Attorney can help you collect all the necessary documentation from your medical providers.
- Possible fraudulent claims – any odd aspects of a claim can warrant a closer inspection for possible fraud; this can cause significant delays until the matter is resolved.
- Medical evaluation delays – sometimes certain test or scan results can take a long time to receive, or other processing delays can hold up your claim benefits.
- Contested facts concerning your claim – any facts the insurance company wishes to dispute will put a hold on your claim until they are resolved.
- Your employer went out of business – this can cause documents to be lost or witnesses to become harder to reach, causing delays in completing your claim and receiving benefits.
- Insurer processing delays – paperwork and bureaucracies are the same everywhere; mistakes in processing can sometimes delay your benefit payments.
- Requests for additional time/information by the insurance company – sometimes the insurance company requires extra time to review your claim or medical evidence.
- Lost claims – claims and other paperwork can become lost, requiring you to resubmit documents and incur delays.
Get Help with Delayed Benefits from an OK Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Being unable to work while recovering from an injury can put a serious crimp in your financial situation. Any delays in your Workers’ Compensation benefits could allow expenses to mount and possibly incur late fees or other penalties. If your benefit payments are late, you should seek help from an experienced Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Attorney.
The Armstrong Law Firm, PLC knows the law in Oklahoma and can quickly investigate any delays in your wage benefit payments or medical expense payments. Our attorneys will get to the bottom of any delays and work to resolve any issues surrounding your claim.
Contact us today at (918) 582-2500 or complete the contact form online and request your free consultation to talk about any delays in your Workers’ Compensation benefit payments in Oklahoma. We are ready to help!