Special Indemnity Fund v. Bedford

KAUGER, Justice:

Two issues are presented: 1) whether a worker who has received an out-of-state workers’ compensation award for permanent disability qualifies as a previously impaired person under 85 O.S.Supp.1986 § 171; 1 and 2) whether excluding out-of-state prior adjudications is unconstitutional. We find that: 1) pursuant to 85 O.S.Supp.1986, recodified as 85 O.S.1991 § 171, a worker who has received an out-of-state workers’ compensation award for permanent disability does not qualify as a previously impaired person; and 2) excluding out-of-state workers’ compensation awards in the…