What "no-fault" actually means
You do not have to prove your employer did anything wrong to receive New York workers’ compensation. As long as the injury arose out of and in the course of your job, you are generally entitled to medical care and wage benefits, even if the accident was partly your own mistake. That no-fault principle is the foundation of the system.
Why no-fault usually works in your favor
In an ordinary injury lawsuit you would have to prove someone was negligent, which is slow and far from guaranteed. No-fault skips that fight: benefits are based on the injury and your work status, not on assigning blame. The goal is to get medical treatment and partial wage replacement moving quickly after a work injury.
The trade-off: you generally cannot sue your employer
The bargain runs both ways. In return for no-fault benefits, you generally give up the right to sue your own employer over the injury. For most injured workers, workers’ compensation is the exclusive remedy against the employer, even when the employer was careless.
When a party other than your employer was involved
That trade-off applies to your employer specifically. When a separate company, a property owner, a driver, or a defective product contributed to the injury, a different set of options outside the comp system can exist. Those situations are narrow and depend heavily on the facts.
What no-fault means for your claim
Because the system is no-fault, your effort goes into showing the injury is work-related and well documented, not into proving who was to blame. Report the injury to your employer in writing within 30 days, treat with a Board-authorized provider, and file your claim with the Workers’ Compensation Board. If you are unsure of your rights, the Board and a licensed New York attorney can help.