WorkCover and long term injury If you have a long term injury and you have an accepted WorkCover claim, there are a few important things that you need to keep in mind. Medical expenses for a long term injury The WorkCover insurer will cover medical and like expenses...
WorkCover entitlements (Vic) In Victoria, there are four main WorkCover entitlements. These are: Medical and like expenses Weekly payments Impairment benefit Common law claim Below we summarize all of the four major WorkCover entitlements. You can also look at this...
Are casual employees entitled to WorkCover? Yes, casual employees are entitled to claim WorkCover in Victoria just as any permanent employee would be if they suffer injury related to their employment. Unfortunately, many people are not aware of the fact that the...
WorkCover serious injury applications A WorkCover serious injury application is an application that is made by an injured worker (in most instances, on their behalf by a lawyer) to the Victorian WorkCover Authority. It initiates the serious injury application...
How long does a common law claim take? How long a common law claim takes depends upon how contested the claim is by the other side. A common law claim that is not contested may resolve within the first 120 days after a serious injury application is lodged, for...
The WorkCover common law process The initiating step in the Victorian WorkCover common law lump sum process is for a serious injury application to be prepared and lodged. You will need to obtain what’s called ‘serious injury certificate’. Once done, then you will be...
Unable to return to pre injury duties - what you need to know If you are unable to return to pre injury duties after an injury, there are some options open to you. However, what your options are will vary depending upon whether; The injury is work related and you have...
When can you claim pain and suffering under a WorkCover claim? There are two points under a WorkCover claim in Victoria where you can claim for pain and suffering. The first is an impairment lump sum claim and the second is a common law claim. An impairment claim in...
WorkCover payment rates in Victoria This page covers the WorkCover payment rates in Victoria for each of the benefits you can receive and any minimum or maximum amounts payable. Medical and like expenses rates As with most insurance schemes, the amount WorkCover will...
The WorkCover settlement process (Vic) This page will look at the WorkCover settlement process in relation to each of the main WorkCover entitlements that a person may claim. Medical and like expenses and weekly payments settlement process If the WorkCover insurer has...
WorkCover settlement conferences (Vic) When you refer to a WorkCover settlement conference, in most cases what you're referring to is a conference that occurs in relation to a WorkCover common law claim. This page will explore WorkCover settlement conferences in...
Working while on WorkCover (Vic) Many people believe that if you have a WorkCover claim, you are not able to work. And that if you do work while on WorkCover, your claim is finalised. This is not correct. You are able to work while on WorkCover, whether that be in the...
WorkCover and offers of settlement (Vic) There are a number of occasions during a WorkCover claim where WorkCover may offer you a settlement. This article will explore those occasions and will discuss what you need to know in relation to each. Medical and like...
All about WorkCover statutory counter offers (Vic) During a WorkCover claim you may have heard the term WorkCover counter offer or WorkCover statutory counter offer referred to. This is an offer made on your behalf (usually) by your lawyer, during a common law lump...
All about WorkCover mediations (Vic) If you've been in the WorkCover system long enough, you may have heard a WorkCover mediation being mentioned. This article will explore the WorkCover mediation process, and when a mediation may occur. What is a WorkCover...
How long after a work related accident can you sue? (Vic) Let’s start with this – you can make a claim for WorkCover compensation (medical expenses and weekly payments) as soon as you're injured. Now if we move on to lump sums, the timing of when you can “sue” becomes...
If I get injured at work can I sue? You are able to sue if you get injured at work in some cases. After suffering an injury at work, some people wonder whether they are able to sue. They may want to sue their employer, a manufacturer of a defective piece of machinery...
WorkCover claim settled: now what? When most people refer to their WorkCover claim having settled, what they’re usually referring to is that they’ve settled a lump sum claim. This article will look at what happens once your claim has settled. Impairment benefit...
Is income protection the same as workers compensation? No. While there are similarities between the two, they are different things. Income protection a type of insurance that will pay you a regular income benefit if you're unable to work because of an injury, illness...
WorkCover claims process flow chartBelow is a WorkCover claims process flow chart that outlines the WorkCover process in Victoria. On the left, you have the 'no fault entitlements'. These are entitlements can be claimed by a person regardless as to whether there was...
Injured at work but still working?What you need to know. If you have a WorkCover claim It is possible to be injured at work but continue working with the injury employer while on WorkCover. It is in fact quite common for injured workers to continue working with the...
When does WorkCover offer a compensation payout? WorkCover does not offer a compensation payout just because you have an accepted WorkCover claim. In order to be compensated by way of a lump sum, you need to first have the initial WorkCover claim accepted, and then...
WorkCover make up pay - how it works As you may have read on other articles on our website, WorkCover weekly payments are not paid at 100% of your pre-injury average weekly earnings. Weekly payments commence at 95% of your pre injury earnings and later on drop down to...
Sick leave or WorkCover - what should I take? If you suffer a work related injury, you may consider using your sick leave instead of lodging a WorkCover claim if you need time off work. For example, you may wish to do so if you have a significant amount of sick leave...
An outline of your WorkCover rights (Victoria) People on WorkCover often do not known what their rights are. This is understandable, as for many, they’ve never needed to lodge a WorkCover claim before. Here’s a list of your WorkCover rights as an injured employee for...
WorkCover or income protection? WorkCover is designed to assist people if they’ve been injured or suffered a condition that has some connection to employment. Income protection is a type of insurance that is designed to pay you a regular benefit if you can’t work...
Economic loss and compensation for loss of incomeIf a person suffers an injury at work and their ability to work is impacted, under the WorkCover scheme there are two ways that they can be compensated for their loss of income. The first is by the payment of weekly...
Workers compensation case study (Vic)This case study is designed to give you an idea as to how a workers compensation claim in Victoria could progress. Keep in mind that the case study is an example for illustrative purposes. Every case has its own unique set of...
WorkCover payout for neck injury If you suffer an injury to your neck at work there are a few different options open to you to pursue compensation. We have covered compensation that relates to medical expenses and income replacement benefits elsewhere. The two types...
Can you reopen a WorkCover claim? Yes, a WorkCover claim can be reopened. The key thing is whether you actually have an entitlement to claim something, irrespective of the time that has passed. For example, is there medical evidence to support the need for a...
How long does a WorkCover claim take? In order to answer this question properly, we need to look at the different parts that make up a WorkCover claim. The first thing we need to look at is how long it takes for a WorkCover claim to be processed after it has been...
WorkCover payouts for shoulder injuries Under the WorkCover system, if you succeed in an impairment lump sum for a shoulder injury, you can expect to receive a minimum of $21,000. You may be entitled to more if your shoulder injury is particularly bad (eg: one that...
How long can you be on WorkCover in Victoria? Most people can stay on WorkCover payments for up to 130 weeks. Longer if they have no capacity. They're entitled to medical expenses, generally speaking, for one year after their last weekly payment. However, the above...
WorkCover payout examples (Vic) Below are some WorkCover payout examples. You can use these examples to get an idea as to what you may be entitled to. Keep in mind that the WorkCover payout examples below are just that - they're examples for illustrative purposes....
WorkCover Common law claims What is a WorkCover Common law claim? If you sustained injury during the course of your employment in Victoria, and that injury occurred as a result of someone else’s negligence or contributed to your injury through negligence, then...
All about WorkCover Serious Injury Certificates (Vic) In addition to your no fault WorkCover entitlements of medical and like expenses, weekly payments and an impairment benefit lump sum, in certain circumstances a person may be able to bring a common law claim for...
WorkCover lump sum payments in Victoria Under the WorkCover scheme in Victoria, there's two potential lump sum payments that you may be able to access if you've been injured. The first is called an impairment benefit and the second is called a common law claim for...
