Murphy v. Chickasha Mobile Homes, Inc.

OPALA, Justice:

The issue on certiorari is whether the “hirer” of an independent building contractor was the “principal employer” within the meaning of 85 O.S.1971 § 11 which casts secondary liability for payment of compensation benefits upon indirect or remote employers. We hold that under the Atkinson 1 “necessary-and-integral” test, the record before us is insufficient for a meaningful determination of hirer's § 11 status as the statutory employer.

A principal employer, within the meaning of the compensation law, must be defined in terms of the task for the performance of which he hired the…