A work injury may leave you dealing with pain, medical care and limits on what you can do. You could also miss time from your job and worry about how the injury will affect your income. On top of that, you may not know what happens after you tell your employer what happened.
In Kentucky, that notice usually starts the workers’ compensation process. Your employer then sends the report to its insurer, which reviews the claim. The insurer then tells you how it plans to handle your benefits. If you and your employer disagree about the claim, Kentucky has a process for resolving the dispute.
Report your injury to your employer
Kentucky law requires you to give your employer notice of a work injury as soon as practicable, which means without unreasonable delay. You can usually report it to your supervisor or another person your employer has chosen to receive injury reports.
Your employer then sends information about the injury to its insurance carrier. That step does not mean the insurer has accepted your claim. The carrier typically looks at how you got hurt and reviews medical records tied to the injury. It may ask for more details before deciding what it will cover.
What happens after the insurer reviews your claim
The insurer’s review helps determine what happens next. If it accepts the claim, you may receive benefits for a work injury, which can include covered medical care. Income benefits might also apply if your injury keeps you from working and you meet Kentucky’s rules.
If you and your employer disagree about benefits, either of you can file a formal claim with the Kentucky Department of Workers’ Claims. The department assigns an administrative law judge to the case. The judge reviews the disputed issues and makes a decision.
Keep useful records during your claim
You may want to keep your medical records and claim messages in one place. It could also help to save any work limits your doctor gives you. If a problem later affects your work injury benefits, those records may help you understand what happened and what issue remains unresolved.
