OK Workers’ Comp Commission to Re-open in Limited Capacity Beginning Monday, March 30, 2020

Oklahoma City, OK (WorkersCompensation.com) - The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission (“WCC”) and its administrative law judges (“ALJs”) continue to closely monitor the continuing public health crisis caused by COVID-19. Governor J. Kevin Stitt issued Amended Executive Order 2020-07 on March 17, 2020, declaring “an emergency caused by the impending threat of COVID-19” and directed agencies to “utilize online options whenever possible.” Further, on March 25, 2020, Governor Stitt issued Amended Executive Memorandum 2020-01 clarifying that certain businesses and infrastructures that provide critical services should remain open. State agencies have been directed to continue to follow guidance for interaction with the public provided by the Oklahoma Department of Health at https://coronavirus.health.ok.gov/.

The Oklahoma City offices of the Workers’ Compensation Commission will reopen Monday, March 30 in a limited capacity. All dockets, including those of the Administrative Law Judges and all Commission appeals, will be stricken until April 30, 2020. The Tulsa offices will remain closed to the public. While the building is open, in the interest of public health and safety, limited services will be provided by the Commission until further notice. Additionally, no mediations should be conducted on premises. The hearing rooms and attorney conference rooms will be locked. Parties may contact the assigned judge or Chief ALJ by telephone or email only.

The services the Commission will be providing until further notice include:

·        Form Filings- Filings should be sent via mail and electronically where available. Filings should be mailed to the Commission’s Oklahoma City address: 1915 North Stiles Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73105. An email option will be available soon.  Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if paper file copies are needed.

·        Approval of Joint Petition Settlements Electronically- See Commission Alert

·        Case Issues Resolved by Email: During this period of stricken dockets, if the parties are unable to resolve an issue by agreement, the Administrative Law Judges will be available by email to discuss cases involving an issue(s) which may be resolved remotely by the ALJ. Please contact the assigned Judge or Chief ALJ via email for further direction and the scheduling of telephonic pre-hearing conferences, if necessary. Cases will be reset on pre-hearing and trial dockets as soon as possible as we are operating in a state of emergency:

shane.curtin@wcc.ok.gov

mike.egan@wcc.ok.gov

pblair.mcmillin@wcc.ok.gov

john.blodgett@wcc.ok.gov

tara.inhofe@wcc.ok.gov

molly.lawyer@wcc.ok.gov

·        Compliance Payments- Paid via online payment portal and mail (1915 North Stiles Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73105.)

·        Permitting Payments- Paid via online payment portal and mail (1915 North Stiles Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73105.)

·        Billing- Court Fees and other payments will be accepted via online payment portal and mail (1915 North Stiles Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73105.)

·        Counselor Services- Via phone (855) 291-3612 (In-state toll free) (405) 522-5308 or by email at counselors@wcc.ok.gov.

·        Records Searches and Copy Requests- File copies can be obtained by mailing in the Commission request form to the Oklahoma City WCC Office (1915 North Stiles Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73105.) We ask that if you have many requests to submit, and are able to wait, please save them until after April 30. Copy fees should be mailed in with the proper form. 

Extension of Deadlines

The Commission has adopted and will follow the portion of the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s Emergency Order from March 16, 2020 (SCAD No. 2020-24), specifically paragraphs 3 and 4:

Subject only to constitutional limitations, all deadlines and procedures whether prescribed by statute, rule or order in any workers’ compensation claim under the jurisdiction of the Workers’ Compensation Commission shall be suspended for 30 days from the date of the Supreme Court Emergency Order (issued March 16, 2020). This suspension also applies to appellate rules and procedures for the Workers’ Compensation Commission.

In any Workers’ Compensation Commission case, the statute of limitations shall be extended for 30 days from the date of the Supreme Court Emergency Order.

Denver Davison Building Cleaning Procedures

On Monday March 16, 2020, a fogger disinfectant system was dispensed in all areas of the first floor of the Denver Davison building in Oklahoma City. In addition to regular cleaning and disinfecting of Commission office spaces and restrooms, on the second and third floor, common hard surfaces, doorknobs, elevator buttons, light switches, and floors received special cleaning to ensure they were properly disinfected. During the two weeks the Commission has been closed, the building has continued to be regularly cleaned to ensure it is safe

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