An injury at work claim is your right in the event of an accident.
As most of us go about our daily commute to work, few would give a second thought to what could go wrong in our places of work, let alone the likelihood of being seriously injured (or worse) at work.
Unfortunately, for at least 95,000 Queensland workers, this is the grim reality each year. This is the number of claims lodged with the Queensland workers’ compensation scheme annually.
According to Queensland workers’ compensation scheme statistics 2018—19, approximately 77 per cent of lodgements are accepted, with 40 per cent of claims resulting in time off work.
Injury at the workplace does not appear to be isolated to one sector or industry, meaning no one is safe from workplace injury, as demonstrated by the claim rates (per 1,000 employed people) by industry in 2018-19:
- wholesale trade (59.0)
- construction (46.3)
- public administration and safety (46.3)
- agriculture, forestry, and fishing (44.7)
- transport, postal and warehousing (42.8).
Statistics sourced from WorkSafe
What are the most common injuries sustained at the workplace?
Strain and sprain injury claims accounted for over a quarter (29.3 per cent) of all injuries lodged in 2018-19. Of these, the back was the major bodily location, accounting for 6.3 per cent of all lodgements.
Mesothelioma and asbestosis injuries experienced a 64.6 per cent increase in lodgements in one year, with 163 claims lodged in 2018-19.
Psychological and psychiatric injuries increased to 4,884 lodgements in 2018-19, up 10.9 per cent from the previous year.
If you have suffered an employment related injury within Queensland, you may be entitled to claim for WorkCover.
I believe I have suffered an employment related injury. What should I do?
If you have experienced the following accidents and are concerned about your future ability to return to work, you need to immediately contact our team for advice.
- Spinal Injuries
- Head Trauma
- Bone breaks or fractures
- Soft Tissue injuries
- Shock, anxiety, or depression
- Respiratory Illness
- Eye injuries
- Injuries obtained from work travel
- Pre-existing conditions that may have amplified from work related situations
- Disease caused by work environments
Any employee that has been injured at their workplace are entitled to submit a WorkCover claim, including full-time, part-time, casual, permanent, and self-employed workers.
Even if you may think you are at fault for an accident, it is the employers’ duty to maintain a safe work environment, so negligence between two parties is possible.
It is important to know time limits do apply, and affected persons having up to six months to submit a claim form to WorkCover from the incident occurring.
It is your right to make an injury at work claim if you have been injured in the workplace.
What is involved in making an injury at work claim / WorkCover claim?
At ROC Legal, our role is to assist you in the process of making an injury at work claim and provide expert legal advice to assist you with your WorkCover claim.
There are two types of claims that can be made if you are injured at work.
The first is a statutory claim which can be made regardless of fault. The second is a common law claim in negligence in which you must prove fault against your employer.
WorkCover can assist with immediate medical expenses including surgery, any travel expense, rehabilitation costs and pharmaceutical costs, as well as provide a portion of your normal weekly salary while you recover.
ROC Legal are an experienced team of solicitors who provide expert advice on WorkCover claims and can best advise how to proceed.
When you partner with the ROC Legal team, you are receiving years and years of professional experience to resolve your matter and quality representation to give you peace of mind.
What Should You Do in the Event of Experiencing Injuries at Work?
- Seek legal advice on your situation
- Ensure to keep a record of events, notes, medical records, and incident records
- Maintain notes and witness testimonials
- Seek professional medical care as soon as possible after the injury occurs
ROC Legal are no win no fee lawyers. We only act for clients on a no win no fee basis.
This means that you only pay legal fees if you obtain a successful outcome in your matter and if not, you do not pay – no win no fee.
If you have been affected by anthing related to this article, or are looking or expert legal advice related to compensation claims you can get in touch with us with your questions and we will get right back to you.