State of Oklahoma A N N U A L R E 2006 P O R T Workers’ Compensation Court July 2007 This publication, printed in-house is issued by the Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Court as authorized by 85 O.S., Section 85. Thirty (30) copies have been prepared at a cost of $316. Copies have been deposited with the Publications Clearinghouse of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. *Ellen C. Edwards Gene Prigmore Judge Presiding Judge Tom Leonard *Kenton W. Fulton Vice Presiding Judge Judge STATE OF OKLAHOMA Jerry L. Salyer Richard G. Mason Judge Judge WORKERS’ COMPENSATION COURT 1915 NORTH STILES AVENUE Susan W. Conyers Cherri Farrar OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73105-4918 Judge Judge (405) 522-8600 *Richard L. Blanchard Mary A. Black Judge Judge July 1, 2007 Marcia Davis Administrator Honorable Brad Henry Governor of Oklahoma Honorable James R. Winchester Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court Honorable Mike Morgan President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate Honorable Glenn Coffee Co-President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate Honorable Lance Cargill Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Members of the 51 st Oklahoma Legislature Dear Governor Henry, Chief Justice Winchester, President Pro Tempore Morgan, Co-President Pro Tempore Coffee, Speaker Cargill and Legislators: I have the privilege of submitting to you the 2006 Annual Report of the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court, prepared in accordance with the provisions and requirements of Title 85 O.S., Section 85. The Court is relying on its Internet website and e-mail capabilities to disseminate this report in a cost-effective manner. Print copies of the Annual Report have been deposited with the Oklahoma Publications Clearinghouse. Respectfully, Marcia Davis Court Administrator * Tulsa Court - 210 Kerr State Office Building - 440 South Houston - Tulsa, Oklahoma 74127-(918) 581-2714 STATE OF OKLAHOMA Workers’ Compensation Court ANNUAL REPORT 2006 2006 JUDGES Gene Prigmore PRESIDING JUDGE Tom Leonard VICE PRESIDING JUDGE Jerry L. Salyer Cherri Farrar JUDGE JUDGE Term ended July 1, 2006 Mary A. Black Susan W. Conyers JUDGE JUDGE Term ended July 1, 2006 Michael J. Harkey Richard G. Mason JUDGE Term began June 27, 2006 JUDGE Retired January 4, 2006 John Michael McCormick Richard L. Blanchard JUDGE JUDGE Term began July 27, 2006 Kent Eldridge Ellen Caslavka Edwards JUDGE JUDGE Term began August 10, 2006 Kenton W. Fulton JUDGE Marcia Davis ADMINISTRATOR The Workers’ Compensation Court of Oklahoma 2006 (back row) The The Honorable The Honorable The Honorable The Honorable The Honorable Honorable Kenton W. Richard L. Richard G. Mason Susan W. Conyers Ellen Caslavka Cherri Farrar Fulton Blanchard Edwards (front row) The Honorable The Honorable The Honorable The Honorable Jerry L. Salyer Tom Leonard Gene Prigmore Mary A. Black Vice Presiding Judge Presiding Judge (not pictured) The Honorable The Honorable The Honorable Michael J. Harkey John Michael McCormick Kent Eldridge TABLE OF CONTENTS Court History .............................................................................................................................3 Judges and Court Administrator ................................................................................................7 Court Directory and Organizational Chart...............................................................................19 Statistical Information..............................................................................................................25 Legislative Summary ...............................................................................................................67 History of Judicial Appointments ............................................................................................71 Departmental Descriptions.......................................................................................................85 Boards, Committees and Councils........................................................................................ 101 Appendices A. Fiscal Year 2006 Expenditures........................................................................... 111 B. Court Forms ........................................................................................................ 112 C. Glossary .............................................................................................................. 114 D. Court Publications............................................................................................... 118 E. Maximum Compensation Rates by Injury Date (TTD, PPD, PTD) .............................................................................................. 119 F. Benefit Computation Charts by Injured Body Part, PPD, January 1, 1980 – October 31, 2008 ........................................................ 123 G. Industrial Classification Descriptions................................................................. 172 Tables 1. Notice of Injury and Compensation Filings, State Employment Levels and Rate of Claims Filed.............................................. 25 2. Filings by County and Employment Level...............................................................26 3. Oklahoma Non-Farm Employment by Industrial Classification..............................27 4. Filings by Industrial Classification...........................................................................28 5. Filings by Day of Week of Accident........................................................................29 6. Filings by Accident Month.......................................................................................29 7. Filings by Weekly Wages of Injured Worker ..........................................................30 8. Filings by Age of Injured Worker ............................................................................31 9. Filings by Body Part Injured ....................................................................................32 10. Filings by Industrial Classification and Sex of Injured Worker...............................33 11. Death Filings by Industrial Classification................................................................37 12. Death Filings by Industrial Classification and Sex of Injured Worker ....................38 13. Death Filings by Age of Injured Worker..................................................................39 14. Death Filings by Body Part Injured..........................................................................39 15. Orders/Settlements (Select Categories)....................................................................47 16. Calendar Year 2006 Orders/Settlements ..................................................................48 17. Calendar Year 2005 Orders/Settlements ..................................................................50 18. Calendar Year 2004 Orders/Settlements ..................................................................52 19. Calendar Year 2003 Orders/Settlements ..................................................................54 20. Calendar Year 2002 Orders/Settlements ..................................................................56 21. Judicial Activity .......................................................................................................58 22. Appellate Orders Written and Approved (Court En Banc and Supreme Court) .....59 23. Hearings Set by Issue or Docket Type and City of Setting......................................63 Chart 1. Filings Distribution by Payor ...................................................................................43 Court History 1 2 History of the Workers’ Compensation Court From 1915 to 1959, Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation law was administered by the State Industrial Commission. Until 1939, three Commissioners were appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Oklahoma State Senate to serve six-year terms. From 1939 to 1955, five Commissioners were appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate for terms coinciding with the appointing Governor’s term. In 1955, in place of Commissioners, five Judges were appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Terms were initially staggered, with six-year terms thereafter. Under the 1915 workers’ compensation laws, the Governor was required to designate a “Chairman of the Commission”. This position was abolished in 1919, but was restored from 1939 until 1959, when the State Industrial Commission became the State Industrial Court. The Chairman’s position was then replaced with a Presiding Judge appointed by the Governor. The Governor designated the Presiding Judge until 1981, when the Judges of the Court were authorized to select a Presiding Judge from among their membership. The Court selected the Presiding Judge until 1986, when the Governor again became the appointing authority. A Presiding Judge serves a two-year term, and can serve no more than two terms in succession. The State Industrial Court was recognized statutorily as a “Court of Record” on June 16, 1959, and received constitutional recognition as a “Court of Record” in 1967 when § 1 of Article 7 of the Oklahoma Constitution was adopted. The State Industrial Court was replaced by a seven-judge Workers’ Compensation Court in 1978. The 1978 legislation also required the Governor to select judges from names submitted by the Judicial Nominating Commission which was created pursuant to § 3 of Article 7B of the Oklahoma Constitution. The 1977 Workers’ Compensation Act created the position