Kentucky Chamber files amicus brief in defense of workers’ compensation law

On July 9, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce joined the Kentucky Association of Counties, Kentucky League of Cities, and the Kentucky Coal Association in filing a friend of the court brief with the Kentucky Supreme Court in defense of the state’s reformed workers’ compensation law.

At issue is the termination of wage benefits at age 70 or four years after the injury, whichever occurs later. The termination of wage benefits has been questioned multiple times through litigation and was revised by the General Assembly in 2018 in response to a court ruling. The Chamber played a key role in passing reforms in 2018.

The Chamber worked with partners to develop the current language when the court initially deemed a previous version of the wage provision unlawful stating it treated different types of workers differently.

“The Chamber will continue to defend Kentucky’s workers’ compensation laws. The 2018 reforms have saved businesses more than 25 percent on premiums and have created a more efficient system,” stated Chamber President and CEO Ashli Watts. “As we continue to recover from our current crisis, we will need to be sure Kentucky remains competitive with other states and an affordable, efficient workers’ compensation system is an important piece of our competitiveness.”