Any Queenslander who has been in a workplace injury is entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits can cover lost wages, medical costs, etc., and are provided through your employer by either WorkCover Queensland or an independent insurance provider.
Every employer must provide WorkCover insurance to protect their employees financially if an injury should occur, preventing them from working.
Additionally, this provides an injured worker with the space, peace of mind, and time to heal without worrying about lost earnings.
If you have experienced an injury, illness, or disorder directly resulting from something in the workplace, continue reading. In this article, we will discuss everything from the first steps following an injury to how to file a claim.
First Steps
- The first thing you should do following a workplace injury is to see a doctor. Whether it is a physical injury or a mental health injury, you will need a diagnosis and a completed work capacity certificate.
- Inform your employer of what has happened as soon as you can. Additionally, you will need to provide them with a copy of your work capacity certificate.
- Educate yourself on the criteria required to submit a claim. For instance, do you have sufficient proof that your job was a significant contributing factor to your injury? Are there any additional criteria that need to be met based on the nature of your claim?
- File your WorkCover claim or speak with your employer about filing with their independent insurance provider.
How To File a Claim
Once you have all of your first steps completed, you can make a claim with WorkCover online or by calling 1300 362 128.
A caseworker will then be assigned to your claim. They will reach out to you within a few days to confirm the details of your injury and claim.
They may also want to speak with your employer to discuss wages, hours, etc.
Expected Timeframe
As outlined in legislation, WorkCover aims to deliver claims-based decisions in 20 business days.
The quicker you and your employer are to provide documents, information, or your work capacity certificate, the quicker the process will be, especially when dealing with more complex cases.
If for some reason, a decision cannot be handed down in 20 business days, someone will call you and provide you with a reason as to why a decision was unable to be made.
Next Steps
If your claim is accepted, you will be entitled to different forms of support and compensation, depending on your situation.
If you qualify, you could be provided with compensation for lost wages. Your employer is responsible for compensating your first week of missed wages, while WorkCover takes over the remaining payments until you return to work.
You could also qualify for reimbursement of medical and hospital expenses or coverage for additional therapies.
If your claim gets denied, someone will contact you to explain why in addition to providing it in writing. If you disagree with the decision, you can ask the Worker’s Compensation Regulator to review your case.
If you have any questions in relation to a workplace injury, call our specialist team on 1300 695 299
