Workplace injuries can be confusing and overwhelming for many reasons. You may be afraid of how you will pay your future bills, feel isolated from your support systems, or simply lost on how you can get back on your feet. Fortunately however, there are many laws in place to protect employees in the event of a workplace accident.
Surprising Workplace Accident Statistics
According to The United States Department of Labor there were $717,967,374 spent on compensation and medical bill payments for injured workers in Kentucky alone… that is an average of $106,082 per payout. Unfortunately however not every case results in a payout there were 16,835 claims applications filed with only 5,392 resulting in a payout. KENTUCKY Data as of 11/19/2017 Statistical data updated weekly on Mondays Combined Part B and E Summary CLAIMS CASES Applications Filed 16,835 12,084* Total Compensation Paid Payments 5,392 4,364 Total Dollars $569,936,470 Total Medical Bills Paid Total Dollars $148,030,904 Total Compensation + Medical Bills Paid $717,967,374 * The above numbers of applications filed represent 6,768 unique individual workers. information provided by:
How Do I Know If I Can Get Compensation
According to Commonwealth of Kentucky Department of Workers’ Claims: Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 342.038 mandates that employers keep a record of all employee workplace injuries and fatalities. The employer has three days to inform its workers’ compensation insurance carrier or claim administrator when an injured worker misses more than one day of work as a result of an injury. These entities then have one week to file a First Report of Injury with the Department of Workers’ Claims. Failure to comply with these reporting requirements may result in penalties pursuant to KRS 342.990. In this fiscal year, there were 35,250 lost time First Reports of Injury (FROIs) led with the Department. The three most common causes of work-related injuries reported were falls or slips (7,204), lifting (3,822) and strains (2,557).
What Happens If My Work Doesn’t Provide Workers Comp Insurance?
If you’ve been injured in the workplace, you may believe that the only compensation you can potentially receive would be a directly from your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. This isn’t always the case however; there are many situations in which you may be able to sue for damages caused by your injuries to reclaim so of your lost wages. For example: * If you were injured by a defective product, you might be able to bring a products liability action against the manufacturer of the product. * If you were injured by a toxic substance, you might be able to bring a toxic tort lawsuit against the manufacturer of that substance. * If you were injured because of your employer’s intentional or egregious conduct, you might be able to bring a personal injury lawsuit against your employer. * If your employer does not carry workers’ compensation insurance, you might be able to sue your employer in civil court or collect money from a state fund. * If a third party caused your injury, you might be able to bring a personal injury lawsuit against that person. Although workers’ compensation can provide money and benefits to an injured worker, temporary disability and permanent disability payments are usually quite low and don’t compensate the worker for things like pain and suffering. Workers’ compensation also does not provide punitive damages to punish an employer for poor safety controls or dangerous conditions. That’s why it’s important for injured workers to understand their rights to bring a case outside of the workers’ compensation system List provided by: Nolo legal encyclopedia.
How Do I Know My Workers Rights?
Whether you were injured in a work-related accident or are suffering from a chronic injury or illness, our well-versed Louisville attorneys will help you recover maximum compensation for your injuries. Contact Nutt Law Office today to schedule your free initial consultation!
If you would like to do some of your own research Kentuckys labor laws http://www.labor.ky.gov/workersclaims/Pages/Department-of-Workers’-Claims.aspx