If you have been involved in an accident at work, or have suffered a work related injury and are unsure what to do, your employer or colleague will have a procedures manual they can refer to and will know the correct procedures to follow. Paperwork will need to be completed and this needs to be sent to the work compensation insurance company I.e. Work Cover. When the work compensation insurer receives these forms your claim will be filed and you will be assigned a worker’s compensation case officer whose aim is to get you back to work and assist you with rehabilitation as much as possible.
You may be off work for a period of time and during this find entitled to work compensation benefits. The benefits might include wages paid, medical expenses paid or any other out of pocket expenses that are related to the injury.
When your injury has stabilised the work compensation case officer will arrange a medical examination to get the all clear to return to work. With injuries that are serious and permanent some people may not be ever be fully rehabilitated and may have to live with their permanent injury for good. If this is you we advise you to contact our helpline on 1800 006 766.
At this point the workers comp insurer will want to get you off their books and you may be offered a lump sum payment for your permanent injury. At this point it is really import at to seek a second opinion from a helpline or workers comp lawyer who can advise you to either accept the lump sum offered; or reject it and proceed to common law. A common law claim may be worth much more to you as it considers future economic losses as well as past and present losses. For example if you cannot return to work you will have lose a future income and this needs to be taken into account.
If your injury could’ve been prevented somehow then someone may have been negligent and you may be entitled to claim work compensation under common law if your injury is permanent and as a result of this negligence. All circumstances surrounding the cause of your injury must be reviewed for a work compensation lawyer to determine who is negligent.
Seek advice early on and don’t leave anything to chance. Be in the know, find out where you stand and what you options are and you can make informed decisions that may affect you and your family for the rest of your life. Call 1800 006 766 or click here to contact us today.
