How the Kentucky system works
Nearly all Kentucky employers must carry coverage, administered by the Department of Workers' Claims, with disputes decided by administrative law judges and reviewed by the Workers' Compensation Board. Kentucky is worker-reasonable on medical choice and distinctive on permanency: awards are computed from the impairment rating through a grid of statutory factors and multipliers, which is where most of the money is won or lost.
Every deadline that matters
| What | Deadline | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Notice to your employer | As soon as practicable | No fixed grace period to lean on — Kentucky courts weigh promptness heavily. Written, same-day, always. |
| File a Form 101 (Application for Resolution) | 2 years from the injury or last TTD payment | The formal claim with the Department. Voluntary TTD checks extend the clock from the last payment — but filing is the protection. |
| Occupational disease / cumulative trauma | Discovery-based rules | Clocks generally run from when a doctor tells you the condition is work-related. |
Doctor choice
Kentucky workers generally designate their own treating physician. If the employer's carrier runs a certified managed care plan, your choice lives within its network (with a gatekeeper primary doctor). Either way, your designated physician's records — especially work restrictions and the eventual impairment rating under the AMA Guides — feed directly into the multiplier math below. Choose a doctor who documents thoroughly.
The benefits — and the multipliers
| Benefit | What it pays |
|---|---|
| Medical care | All reasonable and necessary treatment for the work injury — for as long as needed in most award cases. |
| Temporary Total (TTD) | Two-thirds of your average weekly wage within state caps while you're off work and improving. |
| Permanent Partial (PPD) | Impairment rating × statutory grid factor × multipliers — see below. Paid weekly over a statutory period (commonly 425 weeks, longer for high ratings). |
| Permanent Total / death benefits | Lifetime-scale benefits for those who can't work at all; survivor and burial benefits. |
If, because of the injury, you lack the physical capacity to return to the type of work you performed at the time of injury, your PPD benefit is generally tripled. Return to work at the same or greater wages and later lose that job? A two-multiplier can apply for the remaining period. These aren't rounding adjustments — they're the difference between a modest award and a life-changing one, and they turn every functional-capacity note, job description, and work-restriction form into evidence. Never guess "I could probably still do it" in a deposition; answer from your restrictions and your real job's real demands.
How Kentucky disputes get resolved
- 1
Form 101 filed
The application that protects the deadline and assigns your case to an administrative law judge.
- 2
Proof time and BRC
A structured evidence period (medical reports, depositions) and a benefit review conference where many cases settle.
- 3
Hearing and appeals
A final hearing before the ALJ, review by the Workers' Compensation Board, then the courts. Settlements need approval.
Free official help
- Kentucky Department of Workers' Claims — forms (including the Form 101), claim status, and an information line: labor.ky.gov (502-564-5550).
- DWC Ombudsman services — free help for unrepresented workers navigating claims and paperwork.
Any permanency case (the multipliers make representation pay for itself), disputed causation, cumulative-trauma claims, and all settlements. Fees are capped on a sliding statutory scale and approved by the ALJ; consultations typically free.