You get injured on the job in Kentucky. It’s a serious injury and you know you’re going to need expensive medical treatment. You’re also going to miss out on wages while you’re in the hospital. You want to make a workers’ compensation claim.
But how soon do you have to do that? Is there a statute of limitations that you need to be aware of so that you don’t accidentally put it off so long that you can no longer file that claim?
When to tell your employer
First of all, you’re supposed to tell your employer about the accident as soon as it is practical to do so. This will often be the very same day. There are some situations in which it may not be realistic for you to talk to your employer the exact same day of your injury or diagnosis — or even for several days, but you need to try to do this as quickly as you can.
When to file your claim
It’s also wise to file your workers’ compensation claim as soon as you can. However, the statute of limitations does give you two years under the laws in Kentucky. You have 24 months from the date on which you were injured or on which you become aware of the injury. There are some complex workplace injuries that may not make themselves apparent immediately, so you may actually have slightly longer than two years if you don’t become aware of it right away.
If you are seeking workers’ compensation, it’s very important to take the time to carefully consider all of your legal options.