Appeal leads to workers’ compensation for Oklahoma teacher

Oklahoma workers who have been injured on the job may find a recent case involving such circumstances interesting. Reports stated that a woman who is a teacher at a childcare facility at Oklahoma State University won an appeals case pertaining to potential workers’ compensation. Reports stated that the situation began after she slipped and fell on an icy sidewalk on campus.

The woman had parked in her designated lot on campus and was walking inside when she slipped on the sidewalk and was injured. A report was filed stating that the woman was in the “course and scope” of her job when the injury occurred. However, her application for workers’ comp was denied due to state laws pertaining to injuries taking place in parking lots before the employee clocks in.

The woman appealed the decision with the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and the court ruled in her favor. The fact that the woman was considered to be on university property at the time of the accident was a deciding factor. The ruling was not unanimous, however, and the dissenting justices did not believe that the woman was in the course of her employment at the time of the incident.

As this case shows, gaining workers’ compensation for on-the-job injuries may become complicated. Luckily for the woman involved in this case, her benefits were deemed appropriate for her circumstances after her appeal. If Oklahoma residents have found themselves in similar situations by having been denied benefits, they may also wish to look into their legal options to determine whether they could be able to gain workers’ comp.

Source: businessinsurance.com, “Worker injured in icy parking lot fall at job eligible for comp“, Stephanie Goldberg, June 30, 2016