If you were injured in the course of your employment this should be filed as workers compensation. This may be your only option for medical treatment. Most private insurance companies will not pay for work related injuries.
You have the right to hire an attorney but why would you want to at this point? File your claim and see what happens. An attorney can charge a max of $150 per hr plus expenses! Keep in mind this is deducted from your income benefit payments.
As far as who is liable, the company is liable for any work related injury. If you were violating a company safety policy the company may issue disciplinary action based on their company policy but you are still entitled to worker's comp benefits.