Oklahoma Multiple Injury Trust Fund Lawyers

If you or someone you love has been injured on the job more than once, you have clearly been through an enormous set of struggles. Several times, you have overcome injuries to return to work and get yourself back on your feet physically, mentally and financially. Unfortunately, you are one of many Oklahoma residents who has suffered more than one major injury while on the job, and it’s possible that given your new injury, you could be eligible for payments from a source that’s become increasingly controversial.

Atkins & Markoff is an Oklahoma law firm that has helped many clients over the years fight for monetary rights in regards to workers’ compensation. When you face such a struggle, you owe it to yourself and to those who depend on you to produce income to seek the help that’s available, and the firm’s workers compensation attorneys possess a wealth of experience in regards to filing for benefits, fighting for benefits and helping those who are injured become eligible for benefits. Therefore, if you have been injured on the job, you need to contact the firm today to schedule a free initial consultation.

• Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Law

  Unfortunately, the manner in which the Oklahoma workers’ compensation system is funded has become an ongoing game of political volleyball, as insurance companies, employers and taxpayers have all fought and continue to fight for their rights to minimize their financial liability in relation to the workers’ compensation fund. No single funding issue in regards to workers’ compensation has drawn more controversy in recent years than the Oklahoma Multiple Injury Trust Fund, which was originally put in place to pay benefits to those workers who have suffered more than one major injury while on the job.

  Below is an overview of the Multiple Injury Trust Fund, and regardless of how your benefits should be paid if you’ve been injured on the job, you should not hesitate to fight for your rights. Contact Atkins & Markoff today to schedule an initial consultation.

• The Oklahoma Multiple Injury Trust Fund

  The Multiple Injury Trust Fund, in its original form, was just that – a trust that was set up for the benefit of workers who had suffered multiple major injuries and were at the point where they were classified as permanently disabled. The injured worker’s benefit payments were supposed to be made from this trust, and it was originally funded and augmented on a continuous basis from several sources, including insurance taxes, employer payments and other tax revenues. The funds were supposed to be collected by the Oklahoma taxing authorities and managed by a board who oversaw the Multiple Injury Trust Fund’s overall health and viability.

• Problems Arise with the Multiple Injury Trust Fund

  However, in 2001, stories began to appear that told of how the Multiple Injury Trust Fund had run out of money and basically become insolvent. This led to serious problems for those Oklahoma workers who would have originally been entitled to payments from this fund, as many times, these payments to beneficiaries were simply missed due to an extreme lack of funds.

  Over time, state politicians fought back and forth in regards to how to handle this serious problem. The political battle in regards to it lasted for several years, and many different ideas and reform plans were proffered, all the while leaving those who depended on those funds in dire straits in many situations.

• 2005 – Reform of the Multiple Injury Trust Fund

  Finally, in 2005, the Oklahoma legislature passed a sweeping reform of the Multiple Injury Trust Fund. A summation on the Web site of the Oklahoma State Bar Association summarizes the changes as follows:

  “85 O.S. § 172 re-institutes the Multiple Injury Trust Fund. Combination claims are now to be filed against the Multiple Injury Trust Fund rather than the last employer.
  

  Claims against the Multiple Injury Trust Fund will now be filed on a Form 3F (Employee’s Claim for Benefits from the Multiple Injury Trust Fund) in the claim file for the claim against the last employer. This replaces the Form 3E that was filed against the last employer for accident dates from June 1, 2000 to Oct. 31, 2005.

  The Multiple Injury Trust Fund will be funded in a manner similar to how it was funded in the past. It will be administered by CompSource Oklahoma, formerly the State Insurance Fund.
  

  Employees found to be permanently totally disabled under the new law as a result of a combination of disability as defined by the statute and case law may now draw weekly benefits from the Multiple Injury Trust Fund to age 65, or 15 years, whichever is longer.”

  As you see, these reforms restored the Multiple Injury Trust Fund to the point where it could once again be used as a source for the weekly disability benefits payments to which workers were entitled.

Why Retain a Workers Compensation in Oklahoma City?

As you see, the workers’ compensation system in Oklahoma is now fully operational, and that means that if you have any reason to pursue benefits, you should not hesitate to do so. If you’d like to give yourself the best possible opportunity to recover benefits, you need to contact the OK workers compensation lawyers at Atkins & Markoff today to schedule an initial consultation.