I was hurt on the job and I want to know what my rights are.  If
you work for a company which employs five or more full time
employees then your employer must abide by the Alabama Worker’s
Compensation Act which requires your employer to: (1) pay for
your related medical expenses; (2) pay 2/3rds of your average
weekly wage while you are off work; and (3) pay for any
permanent vocational impairment that you suffer.  However, there
is no coverage for employees who are injured while intoxicated
or who violate a written safety policy.  That is why employers
often require a drug and alcohol test right when the injury
occurs.  Although the law states that you have to provide your
employer with written notice of your injury within 5 days of the
date of the injury, cases have held that written notice is not
required as long as the employer has “actual knowledge” of the
injury.  However, I would rather be safe than sorry so my advice
is to always provide written notice of your injury as soon as
possible.  Worker’s Com