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Kentucky Injury Resource Center

Slip and Fall at Work in Kentucky: Workers’ Comp and Other Claims

Fell on the job? How workers’ comp covers you, when you can also bring a claim against someone other than your employer, and the deadlines to watch.

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Reviewed by Larry Forman, Attorney.

Falls are among the most common workplace injuries, in warehouses, stores, hospitals, offices, restaurants and job sites. If you fell at work in Kentucky, workers’ compensation is usually your first source of benefits. But it isn’t always the only one. If someone other than your employer caused the fall, you may also have a personal injury claim.

Key takeaways

  • Workers’ comp generally covers on-the-job falls regardless of fault.
  • You generally can’t sue your own employer, but you may be able to sue someone else.
  • Notify your employer as soon as practicable; workers’ comp claims have a two-year filing limit in most cases.
  • Third-party injury claims have their own deadlines.
Slip and fall at work: warehouse worker sitting on a wet concrete floor holding his wrist next to a spilled liquid and a pallet jack

Workers’ comp for falls at work

Kentucky workers’ compensation covers reasonable and necessary medical care, part of your lost wages and benefits for permanent impairment, without proving anyone was at fault. In exchange, an employer that carries workers’ comp is generally protected from lawsuits by its own employees (KRS 342.690). See workers’ comp and injury claims.

When you can also sue someone else

Kentucky lets an injured worker pursue workers’ comp and a civil claim against a third party who caused the injury, though you can’t collect twice for the same loss (KRS 342.700). Examples:

  • A delivery driver or service tech who falls at a customer’s business because of an unsafe floor or stairs
  • A worker who trips over equipment left by a different contractor on a job site. See construction injuries.
  • A fall caused by a defective ladder or scaffold. See product liability.
  • A fall in a building owned and maintained by someone other than your employer

A third-party claim can include pain and suffering, which workers’ comp doesn’t pay. If workers’ comp paid benefits, the comp carrier generally has a right to be repaid from the third-party recovery. See our third-party workplace injury lawyer page.

Notice and deadlines

  • Workers’ comp notice: give your employer notice of the accident as soon as practicable, in writing if you can (KRS 342.185).
  • Workers’ comp claim: generally within two years after the accident, or two years after income benefits stop, whichever is later (KRS 342.185).
  • Third-party premises claim: Most other Kentucky personal injury claims, including falls on someone’s property, must be filed within one year (KRS 413.140).

Steps to protect yourself

  1. Report the fall to your supervisor right away and keep a copy.
  2. Get medical care and tell the provider it happened at work.
  3. Photograph the hazard and the area.
  4. Write down witnesses and what caused the fall.
  5. Find out who owns and maintains the property where you fell.
  6. Talk with a lawyer about whether a third-party claim exists.

Common injuries from work falls

See our guide to common slip and fall injuries, plus broken bones, knee and shoulder injuries and back injuries.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I sue my employer for a slip and fall at work?

Usually not, if your employer carries workers’ comp. You may be able to sue a different company or person whose negligence caused the fall.

Does workers’ comp pay for pain and suffering?

No. Workers’ comp pays medical care and wage benefits. Pain and suffering may be available in a third-party claim.

What if I fell at a customer’s store while working?

You may have both a workers’ comp claim and a premises liability claim against the store.

How long do I have to report a fall at work?

Report it as soon as practicable. Workers’ comp claims generally must be filed within two years.

Fell on the job?

We’ll look at whether someone besides your employer is responsible. The consultation is free.

Get a free case evaluation or call 502-931-6788.

This page is general information about Kentucky law as of October 2026, not legal advice. Every case is different.

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