WorkCover and the first 10 days Once your claim has been accepted, the WorkCover insurer should contact you to confirm this. If you have any accounts or receipts relating to medical treatment that you had prior to the claim being accepted, you should send these off to...
Claiming WorkCover How to claim WorkCover Inform your employer about the injury, illness or condition (you should do so but if you don't you can still make a claim). Complete the WorkCover claim form. Lodge the WorkCover claim form - either on the insurer, WorkSafe or...
Does WorkCover cover contractors? WorkCover does cover contractors in certain instances in the event they suffer an injury, illness or a condition related to their employment. Contractors are not automatically covered by WorkCover, however. Whether a contractor is...
How to know whether a WorkCover claim has been made You will know a WorkCover claim has been made in Victoria when a workers injury claim form has been completed and lodged, and you have received confirmation of the claim being received by the WorkCover insurance...
WorkCover claim acceptance letter - what does it actually say? Once you've lodged a WorkCover claim, the WorkCover insurer will spend some time processing the claim before ultimately making a decision to either accept or reject the claim. If they accept the claim,...
Can I claim WorkCover during an employment probation period? You can claim WorkCover during an employment probation period in Victoria. This is the case regardless as to whether you are a full-time, part time or casual worker. It's also the case regardless as to the...
Can you withdraw a WorkCover claim? Yes, you can withdraw your WorkCover claim. However, there's a few things you should keep in mind. The rest of this page will look into how that works and what that actually means. If your claim has just been lodged but not...
What happens when a WorkCover claim is accepted? Once your WorkCover claim has been accepted in Victoria, that will entitle you to two things only. The first is the payment of weekly payments of compensation if your ability to work has been impacted. The second is...
What is a non work related injury in Victoria? There are a number of instances in which injuries will not be considered to be work related for the purposes of a Victorian WorkCover claim. Injuries suffered outside of work One of the most obvious instances is when an...
Will an employee injured at work automatically receive compensation from their employer? No. In some instances, and employer may offer to compensate a person that has suffered an injury at work by way of payment of medical expenses and/or lost wages. However, there is...
WorkCover lawyers in Victoria If you've suffered an injury at work and if you've lodged a WorkCover claim (or perhaps you're thinking of doing so), you may have considered hiring a lawyer to help you. We (Michael and Peter) are both lawyers, but we realise we might...
I had an accident at work but it was my fault If you’ve had an accident at work and suffered an injury - and it the accident was your fault - it might surprise you to learn that you might still be entitled to compensation under the Victorian WorkCover scheme. No fault...
When can you claim workers compensation in Victoria? You can claim workers compensation in Victoria when you suffer an injury, illness or condition that is connected to employment. This page will explore things further. Workers compensation claim criteria In order to...
What qualifies as a work related injury under WorkCover? What qualifies as a work related injury under the WorkCover system is an injury (or condition or illness) that is in some way related to your employment. It can be an injury that occurred as a result of one...
I hurt my back at work what should I do? Work related back injuries are very common. In Victoria, recent WorkSafe Victoria data shows that around 15% of all injuries suffered at work are to the back. Here are your options if you suffer a back injury at work. Get...
Who do you tell if you suffer a work related injury or illness? (Vic) If you have suffered a work related injury or illness in Victoria, you have a few options in terms of who tell. Yes, you should let your employer know and you should report your work related injury...
Is WorkCover a salary? (Vic) In one sense, WorkCover is a salary. If you have an accepted WorkCover claim in Victoria, one of your potential entitlements is the payment of weekly payments to cover some of your lost wages. However, it is important to keep in mind that...
Can a doctor lodge a WorkCover claim (Vic)? No, a doctor is not able to lodge a WorkCover claim on your behalf in Victoria. A doctor can provide you with the WorkCover claim form, a WorkCover certificate (called a certificate of capacity) and they can help you to...
I got injured at work, do I need a lawyer? The reality is that you don't need a lawyer in every matter involving an injury at work. If you are not intending to pursue a WorkCover claim then in most cases you won't need to engage a lawyer. Just make sure the injury is...
WorkCover and an aggravation of a pre existing condition (Vic) I've had clients think that they were not able to pursue a WorkCover claim because they have a pre-existing injury that was aggravated by a work related incident or during the course of their employment...
What you need to know if you have a pending WorkCover claim (Vic) Once you lodge a WorkCover claim in Victoria, it will be sent off to an insurance company who will be responsible for determining the claim. They need to decide whether to accept or reject your claim....
How much do no win no fee lawyers take? When it comes to WorkCover related matters in Victoria, the short answer is that it generally depends upon three factors: the amount of work required to be done the amount spent on disbursements the amount recoverable from the...
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...
How long do you have to lodge a WorkCover claim? There is no specific timeframe in which you must lodge a WorkCover claim. What you do have to do however, is notify your employer of your injury within 30 days. WorkCover explains the time to report an injury as...
Do I have to make a WorkCover claim? No, you definitely don’t need to make a WorkCover claim if you’ve suffered an injury or illness related to your employment. It’s completely up to you whether you wish to lodge a claim or not. You can also elect not to lodge a...
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...
WorkCover: who is a worker? To be eligible for WorkCover an injured person must show that they were a “worker” within the meaning WorkCover legislation in Victoria. If someone is held to not be a “worker” even though they appear to be working, they will not be...
What is a WorkCover certificate? A WorkCover certificate is usually called a certificate of capacity or a work capacity certificate. It is a certificate that is specifically used in WorkCover matters, and is different to a normal medical certificate that you might get...
What injuries does WorkCover cover? WorkCover covers a wide range of injuries, as well as illness and conditions. The legislation says an injury, illness or condition can be physical or mental. It also includes a recurrence, aggravation, deterioration, exacerbation or...
Can an employer dispute a WorkCover claim? Yes, an employer can dispute a WorkCover claim. It's only fair that they get to have their say. No matter what an employer thinks about a WorkCover claim however, they must complete the employer section on the claim form, and...
Examples of WorkCover claims rejected This page will look at a number of examples of WorkCover claims being rejected. WorkCover claims can be rejected for a number of reasons. Many of the common reasons are listed in the examples below. Keep in mind that it's common...
When can I make a WorkCover claim? You can make a WorkCover claim any time after you suffer an injury or illness related to your employment. The sooner the better after suffering the injury or illness. However, you can lodge a WorkCover claim months or even years...
Where to send the WorkCover claim form? Once you have completed the WorkCover claim form, you should give a copy of it to your employer. You can do so either by giving it to them in person, mail or emailing it to them, or faxing it. If for whatever reason you can’t or...
Should I lodge a WorkCover claim? A WorkCover claim isn’t the answer all the time. However, it can be of great assistance if you think you might need medical expenses and or income replacement benefits because your inability to work is impacted due to a work related...
How to report an injury that happened at workThe steps are these: 1. Tell your employer 2. Record it in the register of injuries 3. Get proof that the injury has been registered Tell your employer (or manager/supervisor) Either you, or someone on your behalf, must...
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...
All about obtaining compensation for workplace bullying in Victoria. Workplace bullying is behaviour that is repeated and unreasonable, and is directed towards a worker or a group of workers, and creates a risk to health and safety. Workplace bullying can occur...
Who pays for workers compensation? WorkSafe (WorkCover) and their authorised insurance companies pay for all benefits associated with workers compensation matters in Victoria. This is because every Victorian employer is required to take out a WorkCover workers...
Using sick leave while on workers compensation What’s the difference between sick leave and WorkCover payments? WorkCover is a type of insurance that covers injured workers. If injured workers need to take time off work due to an injury or illness, then generally...
All about WorkCover stress claims in VictoriaDoes WorkCover cover stress leave? If you are suffering from a work related psychological injury or stress injury, you are able to lodge a WorkCover claim in Victoria. Can you claim workers compensation for stress? If you...
WorkCover certificate of capacity What is a WorkCover certificate of capacity? A certificate of capacity is a document that describes your injury or illness. It provides an opinion on your capacity to work and any limitations that you have on performing your work...
I think a WorkCover claim has been lodged but I haven't seen it If you have not seen or signed a WorkCover claim form, then it is highly likely that you do not have an accepted work cover claim. The WorkCover claim form requires the injured worker to sign the form...
