In 2020, WorkSafe Victoria established the Workers Compensation Independent Review Service (WCIRS) to review decisions of the WorkSafe Insurer that remained unresolved after Conciliation. The
If you have been injured at work but delayed making a WorkCover claim it may not be too late to do so. While it is
Many injured workers are unaware they may have a claim for a lump sum compensation payment for permanent impairment under WorkCover (the WIRC Act 2013).
If injured, labour hire workers retain significant legal rights to workers compensation for injury, as well as employment protections. In this blog, I explain what
In this blog, I explain what steps are involved should you wish to proceed with a Common Law claim for serious injury, in addition to
Having practiced in workers compensation law for many decades, I’ve noticed that it is often small things, like keeping a medical diary, that can make
WorkSafe is ensuring the safety of workers by laying charges against employers who do not provide the required safety measures to prevent injuries and fatality
Getting WorkCover to accept a claim for a psychological injury can be challenging, even as psychological injury claims are spiking as a result of working
Injured workers who have had their Centrelink payments reinstated or who rely on payments while awaiting a Common Law settlement are having to wait long
As Injury lawyers, we are often asked questions about Workplace injury close to retirement age. The answers lie within the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation
Injured but scared of losing your job? You really should lodge a WorkCover claim quickly. Making the claim before losing your job means you get
It had long been a source of frustration among injured workers that, having suffered the pain of an often job-ending workplace injury, they then had
As Victorian businesses gear up for staff returning to the office, employers are encouraged to consider recent changes to workplace manslaughter laws. As recently as
If you’re a casual worker, you are covered by WorkCover for any accident or injury which occurs in the workplace. The fact that you are
Impairment versus Common Law claims If you are an injured worker lodging a compensation claim for a work-related injury, you need to understand that there
Clients on WorkCover returning to work after injury often have questions about their on-going benefits or flare-ups of an injury. Here are some common questions
As expert WorkCover lawyers, our team has advised thousands of injured clients, many of whom were reluctant to lodge an injury claim because they feared
Key points It is illegal to stop a casual worker lodging a WorkCover injury claim Replacement income and medical benefits are available through WorkCover It’s
If you are injured and your WorkCover claim is accepted, you are generally entitled to receive weekly payments for a maximum of 130 weeks. In
Stress and associated psychological injuries are growing and are likely to spike due to the affects of the pandemic and employment restrictions. In this blog,
According to media reports, the Coronavirus has been responsible for a spike in WorkCover claims, especially among teachers and health workers. In this blog, I
A question that we often get asked is whether someone is able to resign their employment while they are getting WorkCover weekly payments or other
I recently spoke with a new client who had sustained a shoulder injury at work. He was getting his medical and like expenses paid by
Are you entitled to receive WorkCover support if you have aggravated a pre-existing injury at work? The short answer is “yes”. This blog explains how best
We have a lot of our WorkCover clients ask us questions regarding the “52 week period” whereby employers are generally obliged to provide suitable employment
The question of what happens to your job when you’re on WorkCover is a common one. It is complex as it involves not only WorkCover
You might be facing redundancy and have been asked to sit an “exit medical” by your employer. Do you have to comply? And if you
A common question that clients receiving weekly payments of compensation for a WorkCover injury ask is “What happens to my employment after I have been
Unfortunately for some of our clients, and injured people in general, by the time they receive a lump sum settlement in their claim, they have
We often see workers who have sustained an injury at work but who did not lodge a WorkCover claim (‘a claim’) immediately. Often this is
A common question that clients receiving weekly payments of compensation for a WorkCover injury ask is “What happens to my employment after I have been
If you have a WorkCover claim, and the WorkCover insurer has made a decision that you don’t agree with, it is important that you are
Injured workers have recently gained the additional financial protection of being able to accrue annual leave while on WorkCover. Two cases heard by the Fair
Plaintiffs are sometimes unaware of the time limits to bring personal injury claims and find out all too late. Their claims are statute barred unless
Regular readers of our blog will know that anyone who suffers an incapacity for work as a result of work-related injury will be entitled to
You can sue for unfair dismissal generally if you are an award employee. If you’re not an employee covered by an award, then you generally
If you think you’ve suffered discrimination at work, you might be able to sue for compensation for financial loss and for pain and suffering. You
Given the reduction in the number of full time jobs, more and more people in industry and certainly in hospitality are working as casuals. Increasingly
Calculating WorkCover weekly benefits or payments can be tricky. There are also some pitfalls, depending on when you choose to attend medical appointments. Here is
Many people who are paid cash in hand while working and are then injured ask me if they are still covered by WorkCover. The short
You do not have to be treated by the company’s doctor of choice. You can choose your own GP. Not only do you have the
If you are injured at work, there are laws to protect your rights. This is why almost all Victorian employers have WorkCover insurance. In fact,
When Victorian schoolteacher Peter Doulis was awarded nearly $1.3m in damages in September, the story attracted star billing in the media. You could almost hear
According to media reports, injured workers are increasingly being forced to undergo irrational medical examinations. Sometimes their employers even attending medical appointments with them. So,
Our usual Blog authors are lawyers employed by Ryan Carlisle Thomas and/or its associated entity, Stringer Clark.
From time to time, we may also publish blogs authored by other staff members or guest bloggers. Where this is the case, it will be made clear. Any advice applies to Victorian State law as at the date of first publication. The information is a general guide only and is not a substitute for legal advice applicable to a user’s own circumstances.
Residents of other Australian States or Territories or countries are advised to seek legal advice from a lawyer practising in their own area, as laws may vary from region to region.
