Could you cope financially if you suffered a workplace injury?

If you work on a construction site, or regularly handle dangerous materials, you may expect your job to be dangerous with a higher propensity to workplace accidents and injuries.

However, it’s a scary fact that accidents and injuries could happen in every single workplace in Australia – yes, even if you sit at a desk for most of the day. The most common work related injury is to the back, and can be caused by lifting heavy boxes (of printer paper for example) slipping, tripping or falling. If you regularly commute as part of your job role, you are at risk of motoring accident during working hours. Injury claims can also include psychological or psychiatric injuries (PPI) which includes work related stress, anxiety or depression.

Employees may also be covered while working from home, as long as the injuries arise out of – or in the course of – employment, and the employment is a significant contributing factor to the injury.

Having to take time off because of a workplace injury can have a devastating effect on families, both financially and mentally. Quite often injuries sustained at work can affect someone for the rest of their lives, and some people can never return to their normal duties again.

 
Claiming for Compensation
As a general rule, if you’ve been injured at work you will be able to claim for compensation. However compensation amounts vary from state to state, and unless you’re a specialist injury lawyer, working your way through the maze of red tape and legal complications can challenging and confusing.

Types of Compensation Claims
There are three main types of compensation claims:

• Workplace physical claims – these can be anything from stains, industrial accidents, heavy lifting injuries, and fatalities
• Permanent Impairments – Usually assessed by WorkCover who will request an independent doctor to provide assessment
• Common Law Claims – The most important part of the claims process if severely injured, which is why it is so important to discuss your legal rights and options with specialist personal injury lawyers before signing anything

Getting back to work
Getting back to work is an important step in recovering from work-related injury, and means you can return to a normal life, often reducing the financial and emotional impact on you and your family.

Returning to work may mean going back to your old job, or it could mean starting a new job. However, being injured at work doesn’t always mean time off work. Working throughout your rehabilitation if at all possible is often the best option. This could mean working reduced hours, or undertaking lighter duties.

Employers always have workers compensation insurance
It is mandatory for all employers to take out Workers Compensation insurance to cover their staff. It is the employee’s responsibility to notify their employer at the time of having an accident, and is also important to seek medical advice as soon as possible to have the injury investigated and formally documented.

Workplace injuries can be life changing so it is vital to discuss what options are available to you when in this position. Companies like www.hcalawyers.com are specialists in injury law and will be able to talk through your individual circumstances and advise the best options.