What happens if you are injured at work?
What happens if you are injured at work?
Accidents and injuries can happen anywhere - on a picnic, at home, on holidays or playing sport. One of the most common places for an injury to happen however is in the workplace.
If you are injured whilst working, or on your way to or from work, you may be eligible to make a Workers Compensation claim that will help to cover your medical expenses, any lost work time and/or your loss of earnings. You may also be entitled to claim lump sum compensation for permanent impairment.
Your eligibility to obtain financial compensation will depend on many factors, including the extent of your injuries, whether you had a previous condition, and when the injury occurred.
Steps you need to take when an accident happens
If you are injured in the course of your work, we suggest that you follow these steps:
1. Inform your employer as soon as possible after the injury happens. You may be asked to complete an incident report. The employer must keep a register of injuries in the workplace.
2. Seek first aid treatment of medical assistance, as required.
3. If anyone witnessed your injury, for instance a co-worker or customer, ask them for their contact details.
4. Your employer must ensure that their workers compensation insurer is notified of your work injury within 48 hours of becoming aware of your injury.
5. Once the workers compensation insurer has received an initial notification of injury, it must start provisional weekly payments within 7 calendar days unless it has a reasonable excuse not to. The insurer may also commence payments for medical expenses on a provisional basis.
6. A claim form should be completed and lodged with the workers compensation insurer. The claim form must be made within 6 months of your injury.
What if you think the injury is serious?
If your injury is serious or threatens to impact upon your ability to work long term, then there may be options available to you to seek additional financial compensation.
Importantly, financial compensation is not guaranteed. An experienced lawyer can help you to determine your eligibility to proceed with a workers compensation claim, and whether it might be worthwhile, liaise with the insurer on your behalf and provide advice in the event that your claim is disputed.
For more information contact Colin Daley Quinn on ph: 02 8566 2400.