Compsource Mutual Insurance Company v. Ramirez Framing & Construction, LLC

Let’s be real: no one expects high drama from a workers’ comp invoice audit. But here we are, in Oklahoma County District Court, where an insurance company is suing a framing contractor for $17,970.55 — not because someone got crushed by a falling beam or lost a finger to a nail gun, but because someone forgot to pay the bill. That’s right: this case isn’t about a workplace injury. It’s about math, paperwork, and the cold, hard reality that even in construction, nobody escapes the audit.

Compsource Mutual Insurance Company — which sounds like a name pulled from a 1980s insurance commercial — says it provided workers’ compensation coverage to Ramirez Framing & Construction, LLC, a small business doing what its name suggests: framing houses, building walls, and probably sweating through Oklahoma summers like champions. The relationship started, presumably, with a handshake or a PDF email chain, and for a while, everything seemed fine. Premiums were paid, policies were active, and no one was suing anyone. Bliss. But then came the final audit — the financial equivalent of a surprise pop quiz after you thought the semester was over — and suddenly, the numbers didn’t add up.

Here’s how workers’ comp audits usually go: insurance companies estimate your premium based on projected payroll. At the end of the policy period, they check the actual payroll. If you hired more people or paid more than expected, you owe more. If you downsized? Cool, you might get a refund. It’s not glamorous, but it’s how the system works. In this case, Compsource ran the numbers for Ramirez Framing’s policy period from December 13, 2022, to December 13, 2023, and found that the company’s audited payroll came in at $206,619 — all under Class Code 5645-A, which covers residential carpentry-construction work. Based on that, the insurer calculated a standard premium of $32,852, knocked off a $3,036 discount (hey, every little bit helps), added small charges for terrorism, catastrophe, and an “expense constant” (yes, that’s a real thing — it’s like the insurance version of a “processing fee”), and arrived at an annual premium of $29,987.

But — and this is a big but — Ramirez Framing didn’t pay that full amount. According to the filing, they left a balance of $17,970.55 dangling like an unpaid tab at a diner. Compsource, probably after a few reminder letters and some awkward phone calls, finally said, “No more Mr. Nice Insurer,” and filed this lawsuit. The claim? Simple: you got the coverage, you used the coverage (or at least had it available), and now you owe the money. The insurer even attached the final audit summary — twice, for some reason, like they really wanted to make sure the court saw how thorough they were.

Now, you might be thinking: Wait, $17,970.55? That’s oddly specific. Is that a lot? Well, let’s put it in perspective. For a small construction company, that’s not pocket change. We’re talking about enough money to pay a full-time framer for several months, buy a decent truck, or cover a major equipment repair. But it’s also not a fortune — it’s not going to bankrupt a company, nor is it chump change you can just shrug off. It’s in that awkward middle zone: big enough to sue over, small enough that you wonder why they didn’t just cut a check and avoid the drama. And yet, here we are. Court is now in session for The People vs. The Unpaid Invoice.

Compsource isn’t asking for punitive damages, isn’t demanding a jury trial, and isn’t accusing Ramirez Framing of fraud or conspiracy. They just want their money — plus interest, court costs, and whatever else the judge thinks is fair. No drama, no accusations of embezzlement, no shady side deals. Just a straightforward demand: pay up. The insurer even politely reserves the right to pursue other claims later — a legal CYA move, like saying, “We’re only suing for the money now, but if we find out you were hiding employees or faking payroll, all bets are off.”

So what’s really going on here? Did Ramirez Framing run into cash flow problems? Did they dispute the audit but fail to respond in time? Did someone misplace a check? Or did they just… forget? The filing doesn’t say, and that’s the most frustrating (and hilarious) part. This entire court case hinges on a number — one that appears twice in the document, in two nearly identical audit tables, like the legal version of a copy-paste error. There’s no villain, no victim, no twist. Just a balance due, a company that didn’t pay it, and another company that decided to take them to court instead of writing it off.

And yet, we’re here. We’re covering it. Because this? This is the quiet underbelly of small business America. Behind every framed wall, every finished home, there’s a web of invoices, premiums, audits, and the ever-looming threat of a lawyer named Jason McCart sending you a letter from Tecumseh, Oklahoma. It’s not sexy. It’s not violent. But it’s real. And honestly? We’re kind of rooting for the audit. Because if we’ve learned anything from true crime, it’s that the paperwork always catches up with you. Whether it’s a murder case or a missed insurance payment, the numbers don’t lie. And in this case, the number is $17,970.55. Ramirez Framing, you had one job: pay your bill. Now you’ve got to pay a lawyer too. Classic.