If you had an injury in the workplace, it’s important to understand your legal rights to receive the benefits you need and deserve.

Workers’ compensation provides cash benefits and/or medical care for injured workers as a result of accidents related to their job. Employers pay for this insurance, and they should not force the employee to pay any portion of it. Weekly benefits and medical care are paid by the employer’s insurance carrier.

In a workers’ compensation claim, nobody is determined to be at fault. But, in Kentucky the amount a claimant receives can be increased or decreased if there was a safety violation. Also, a worker loses his/her right to workers’ compensation if the injury results solely from his or her intoxication from illegal substances or alcohol.

A claim is voluntarily paid if the employer or insurance carrier agrees that the injury or illness is related to work. If the employer or insurance carrier decides the claim is not work related, no cash benefits are paid until the workers’ compensation law judge decides which party is right.