What You Need To Know About Kentucky Workers Compensation Law

By Richard Hall


Workplaces may present various challenges including injuries to employees. Nevertheless, a number of such work-related injuries or accidents are always covered by the Kentucky Workers Compensation Law. Such arrangements always provide cover for medical care as well as financial compensations. In addition, the scheme is run by the department responsible for handling employee claims, which is actually a branch of the Labor Cabinet.

Usually, the department oversees administration of the benefits and is also authorized to deal with all compensation claims. At the same time, all the employees are usually required to have a form of a compensational insurance scheme, and in the worst cases scenario, a self-insurance. However, only few agricultural employers are relieved from this. At the same time, employers with a single employee on part-time or full-time basis also fall within these benefit schemes.

However, domestic workers, independent contractors, and volunteers are exempted from the coverage. On the contrary, employees working under the police, fire departments and volunteers with the ambulance are covered. There are also separate federal statutes that ensure coverage for other federal employees such as the postal employees.

In Kentucky, employees are permitted to relinquish their rights to the employee compensation apart from also being allowed to sue an employer in accordance with the law. The employee may undertake this by signing a document called a Form 4 Waive that his or her employer will also be obliged to file with the workers compensation department.

The common injuries that are covered include the likes of occupational diseases arising within or outside the employment, physical injuries, and illness. The occupational diseases usually refers to those conditions that arise due to a distinct condition at the workplace, and such condition can be developed over a certain time. However, condition that arise because of natural aging process are not included in this form of coverage, while the psychological problems are only covered if they are due to physical injuries.

The illnesses and injuries covered include those coming about arise during employment. As a result, the cover generally omits injuries that are acquired in the course of commuting from or to your workplace or other travels except if the travel is related to your work. In addition, injuries resulting from horseplay, intoxication or even self-inflicted injuries are never covered. The reimbursements for carelessly obtained injuries are also sliced down.

Consequently, the injuries covered under the employee compensation laws include general accidentally broken bones, hearing loss, and low back injuries from the workplace. The typical occupational disease that you can make claims for include black lung disease for coal workers. A number of processes will be followed soon after getting such injuries or workplace ailments. First, you will report such industrial injuries or occupational diseases to the employer as soon as possible.

The employer then issues the appropriate forms for you to fill and request the claim. The claim application forms should be filed and validated by employee claims department. You should also attach medical reports to confirm the claims. However, if the claims are denied you can make an appeal. Mainly, claims are denied due to improper medical documentation and insufficient proof that the injury is work-related.




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