Supreme Court Clarifies Meaning of 'Subsequent Employer'

The Oklahoma Supreme Court in the first decision handed down this year clarified that a “subsequent employer” refers to the employer at the time of the worker's “subsequent injury” in a claim against the Multiple Injury Trust Fund. Gary Stricklen spent 20 years working for the Grand River Dam Authority. During this time, he suffered four work-related injuries. In July 2021, Stricklen filed a claim for permanent total disability benefits from the Multiple Injury Trust Fund. Section 32 of the Administrative Workers’ Compensation Act provides that if a wo...