If you have been injured during the course of your employment, you will be entitled to apply for a workers compensation payout. Any injured employee/worker is eligible to receive workers compensation benefits.
Who Is Covered?
If you are an Australian worker who is injured, you can lodge an Application for Compensation if you are a:
- casual or permanent employee
- full-time or part-time employee
- self-employed worker
- or person deemed to be a worker (such as jurors, work experience students or some volunteers)
What Types of Injury Are Covered?
A work injury does not have to be physical. It can also be stress-related such as a heart attack, stroke or worsening of a pre-existing disease or condition. Injuries that happen travelling to or from work, while on a break from work, or while working interstate or overseas, may also be covered. Employees might be covered while working from home, as long as their employment is a significant contributing factor to the injury.
There are many different types of injuries covered. They include:
- physical injuries, like lacerations, fractures, burns
- psychological/psychiatric injuries
- injuries that happen over time, like industrial deafness
- injuries that take a long time to show symptoms, like Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis or silicosis
- aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- death from an injury or disease.
Types of Injury or Illness
Physical Injuries
These types of injuries are defined as ‘damage to the body from an external force’ and can be different degrees of seriousness. They can include:
- cuts and lacerations
- burns and abrasions
- penetrating wounds
- broken bones and fractures
Psychological or Psychiatric Injuries
Psychological or psychiatric injuries are conditions that cause abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. They include (but aren’t limited to):
- depression
- anxiety
- post-traumatic stress disorder
Diseases
These are abnormal medical conditions that affect all or part of your body as a result of things like infection, inflammation, or environmental factors. They can include (but aren’t limited to):
- industrial deafness
- Q-fever
- work-related respiratory diseases such as asbestosis, silicosis, and others
Aggravated Injury or Ongoing Symptoms
Sometimes doing your job can make a pre-existing injury worse or more serious. The pre-existing injury could be work-related or non-work-related. Sometimes you might continue to have symptoms from your original injury, even after you’ve gone back to work and your claim is closed. Once it’s confirmed your symptoms are related to your original injury, your claim might be reopened.
Claiming compensation for work related accident injuries is a complicated process. Our Park & Co Lawyers will help you get through a stressful and complex process and will assist you to adequately compensated.
Written by Lynn Kim
If you have any enquiries, contact Lynn at [email protected].
[ Park & Co Lawyers – Disclaimer ]
Please note that the above is to be taken as a general guide only, and does not constitute legal advice in any respect. It does not reflect any changes in the relevant law or authorities since the date of publication.
Contact Us Today
We are experienced in the different areas of personal injury claims. We work on a no-win-no-fee basis which means that if you don’t win, you don’t have to pay our legal fees. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation initial consultation. We will discuss your case and make sure you know about your legal rights.
Contact us: 07 3345 6665 / [email protected]
