How to File a Workers' Compensation Claim in Alabama
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Alabama · Last updated 2026-09-07
A workers' compensation claim is how an employee who is injured on the job, or made ill by work, obtains medical care and wage-replacement benefits from the employer or its insurer, without having to prove the employer was at fault. In Alabama, the system is administered by the Alabama Department of Labor's Workers' Compensation Division, and contested claims are decided by a circuit court rather than an administrative appeals board. Two deadlines are critical. You must give your employer written notice of the accident within five days, and in no case later than 90 days after it occurs (Ala. Code 25-5-78), or compensation can be barred. Separately, you generally have two years from the accident to file a verified complaint in circuit court (Ala. Code 25-5-80). After you report the injury, you apply for benefits directly from your employer, which, with its insurance carrier, files the Employer's First Report of Injury and begins the claim. If the employer or carrier denies liability, you can seek help from a Workers' Compensation Division examiner and, if unresolved, file a verified complaint in circuit court under Ala. Code 25-5-88. Attorney review of your claim is available through DocDraft.
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Where are you after your work injury?
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How do I file a workers' compensation claim in Alabama?
Report your injury to your employer in writing within five days of the accident (Ala. Code 25-5-78). Apply for benefits directly from your employer, which, with its insurer, files the First Report of Injury and begins paying. If liability is denied, contact the Workers' Compensation Division.
How long do I have to file a workers' compensation claim in Alabama?
Two deadlines matter. Give your employer written notice within five days of the accident, and no later than 90 days (Ala. Code 25-5-78). Separately, you generally have two years from the accident to file a verified complaint in circuit court (Ala. Code 25-5-80). Missing either can bar benefits.
Who handles workers' compensation claims in Alabama?
The Alabama Department of Labor's Workers' Compensation Division administers the Alabama Workers' Compensation Law. Day to day, your employer and its insurance carrier decide and pay your claim. Unlike most states, Alabama has no workers' comp appeals board, so a contested claim is decided by a circuit court.
Do I have to file a claim form to open a workers' compensation claim in Alabama?
No. Alabama does not require you to file a state claim form to open the claim. You report the injury to your employer, and the employer or its insurance carrier files the Employer's First Report of Injury with the Workers' Compensation Division. Reporting in writing within five days protects you.
Alabama workers' compensation claim law at a glance
In Alabama, workers' compensation gives an employee who is injured on the job medical care and wage-replacement benefits from the employer or its insurer, regardless of fault. The system is administered by the Alabama Department of Labor's Workers' Compensation Division. You must give your employer written notice of the accident within five days, and in no case later than 90 days after it occurs (Ala. Code 25-5-78). You then apply for benefits directly from your employer, which, with its insurance carrier, files the Employer's First Report of Injury. Alabama has no workers' compensation appeals board. If the employer or carrier denies your claim, you generally have two years from the accident to file a verified complaint in circuit court (Ala. Code 25-5-80), the court that decides contested Alabama claims.
Filing an Alabama workers' compensation claim after a warehouse back injury
Suppose you hurt your back lifting boxes at an Alabama warehouse. You tell your supervisor and, the same day, give written notice of the accident, staying well inside the five-day reporting window and the 90-day maximum (Ala. Code 25-5-78). You apply for benefits from your employer, and its insurance carrier files the First Report of Injury and starts paying for treatment. Later, the carrier disputes how much wage-replacement you are owed. You call the Workers' Compensation Division for help from an examiner. Because Alabama decides contested claims in court, and you must act within two years of the accident (Ala. Code 25-5-80), you file a verified complaint in circuit court. Attorney review of your claim is available through DocDraft.
Relevant Laws
Ala. Code 25-5-78 (five-day notice of accident; 90-day maximum)
Provides that an injured employee, within five days after the occurrence of an accident, shall give the employer written notice of the accident, and that no compensation shall be payable unless written notice is given within 90 days after the occurrence of the accident.
Ala. Code 25-5-80 (two-year limitation period to file a claim)
Provides that, for a personal injury not involving cumulative physical stress, all claims for compensation are forever barred unless within two years after the accident the parties agree on compensation or one party files a verified complaint under Section 25-5-88. If compensation payments were made, the period runs from the last payment.
Ala. Code 25-5-88 (verified complaint in circuit court)
Provides that a controversy over a workers' compensation claim is determined by the circuit court on a verified complaint of the interested party, which is the mechanism by which Alabama adjudicates contested claims because the state has no workers' compensation appeals board.
Alabama Department of Labor, Workers' Compensation Division
The Workers' Compensation Division administers the Alabama Workers' Compensation Law to ensure proper payment of benefits to employees injured on the job. Its examiners assist injured workers, including when an employer or carrier denies liability (800-528-5166 or 334-956-4044).
Regional Variances
Alabama workers' compensation claim rules at a glance
Reporting deadline
Written notice of the accident to your employer within five days, and in no case later than 90 days after the accident, under Ala. Code 25-5-78. No compensation is payable unless notice is given within the 90-day limit.
How the claim opens
You do not file a state claim form. You report the injury and apply for benefits from your employer, and the employer or its insurance carrier files the Employer's First Report of Injury with the Workers' Compensation Division.
Filing deadline
Generally two years from the date of the accident to file a verified complaint in circuit court (Ala. Code 25-5-80). If compensation payments were made, the period runs from the last payment; cumulative stress runs from the injury date.
Who administers it
The Alabama Department of Labor's Workers' Compensation Division administers the Alabama Workers' Compensation Law. Alabama has no workers' compensation appeals board, so contested claims are decided by a circuit court, not an administrative body.
How disputes are filed
First contact a Workers' Compensation Division examiner. If unresolved, file a verified complaint in circuit court under Ala. Code 25-5-88, within the two-year period fixed by Ala. Code 25-5-80.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Report the injury to your employer in writing
Within 5 days of the accident (90 days maximum) days after startingGive your employer written notice of the accident within five days, and in no case later than 90 days (Ala. Code 25-5-78). No compensation is payable unless notice is given within 90 days, so do this immediately and keep a dated copy.
Apply for benefits from your employer
As soon as you have reported the injury days after startingApply for benefits directly from your employer. The employer or its insurance carrier files the Employer's First Report of Injury with the Workers' Compensation Division and begins the claim. You do not file a separate state claim form to open it.
Get medical care and keep records
Ongoing after the injury days after startingSeek treatment for your injury and keep every medical record, bill, and letter from the employer or its insurer. Documenting the diagnosis, treatment dates, and any work restrictions supports your claim if the carrier later disputes benefits.
Contact the Workers' Compensation Division if liability is denied
When the employer or carrier denies or delays days after startingIf your employer or its carrier denies liability, contact the Alabama Department of Labor's Workers' Compensation Division for help from an examiner (800-528-5166 or 334-956-4044). Keep proof of what you reported and the date of the accident.
File a verified complaint in circuit court if disputed
Within 2 years of the accident days after startingIf the claim stays denied, delayed, or underpaid, file a verified complaint in circuit court under Ala. Code 25-5-88 within two years of the accident (Ala. Code 25-5-80), or the last compensation payment. Attorney review of your claim is available through DocDraft.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report the injury to your employer in writing | Give your employer written notice of the accident within five days, and in no case later than 90 days (Ala. Code 25-5-78). No compensation is payable unless notice is given within 90 days, so do this immediately and keep a dated copy. | - | Within 5 days of the accident (90 days maximum) |
| Apply for benefits from your employer | Apply for benefits directly from your employer. The employer or its insurance carrier files the Employer's First Report of Injury with the Workers' Compensation Division and begins the claim. You do not file a separate state claim form to open it. | - | As soon as you have reported the injury |
| Get medical care and keep records | Seek treatment for your injury and keep every medical record, bill, and letter from the employer or its insurer. Documenting the diagnosis, treatment dates, and any work restrictions supports your claim if the carrier later disputes benefits. | - | Ongoing after the injury |
| Contact the Workers' Compensation Division if liability is denied | If your employer or its carrier denies liability, contact the Alabama Department of Labor's Workers' Compensation Division for help from an examiner (800-528-5166 or 334-956-4044). Keep proof of what you reported and the date of the accident. | - | When the employer or carrier denies or delays |
| File a verified complaint in circuit court if disputed | If the claim stays denied, delayed, or underpaid, file a verified complaint in circuit court under Ala. Code 25-5-88 within two years of the accident (Ala. Code 25-5-80), or the last compensation payment. Attorney review of your claim is available through DocDraft. | - | Within 2 years of the accident |
Frequently Asked Questions
A workers' compensation claim is how an employee injured on the job, or made sick by work, obtains medical care and wage-replacement benefits from the employer or its insurer, without proving fault. In Alabama, you open a claim by reporting the injury to your employer, which handles benefits under state law.
Reporting means giving your employer written notice of the accident, which you must do within five days and no later than 90 days (Ala. Code 25-5-78). Filing a claim, in the formal sense, is later filing a verified complaint in circuit court if the employer or carrier denies benefits. Reporting comes first.
You should give your employer written notice within five days after the accident (Ala. Code 25-5-78). The law sets an absolute limit: no compensation is payable unless written notice is given within 90 days of the accident. Reporting late can cost you benefits, so report as soon as you can.
Generally, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a verified complaint in circuit court, or your claim is forever barred (Ala. Code 25-5-80). If compensation payments were made, the two-year period runs from the last payment. A cumulative-stress injury runs from the date of injury.
Reporting late can jeopardize your claim. Ala. Code 25-5-78 says that if written notice is not given, you are not entitled to medical fees or compensation, and no compensation is payable unless notice is given within 90 days of the accident. Some limited excuses exist, so report immediately.
In a circuit court. Alabama is unusual because it has no workers' compensation appeals board. Day to day, your employer and its insurance carrier decide the claim, and the Workers' Compensation Division can help. If the dispute continues, a court decides it after you file a verified complaint under Ala. Code 25-5-88.
No. Alabama workers' compensation is a no-fault system, so you do not have to prove your employer did anything wrong to receive benefits. You generally need to show the injury arose out of and in the course of your employment. In exchange, benefits are set by statute rather than a jury.
If your employer or its carrier denies or delays the claim, first contact the Workers' Compensation Division for help from an examiner. If that does not resolve it, file a verified complaint in circuit court within two years of the accident (Ala. Code 25-5-80). Attorney review of your case is available through DocDraft.
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