Work Injury Help?

[Ralliart]

Hello All, this week i injured my wrist at work, i went to the doctors today and informed him of this.

The doctor gave me a certificate which allows me to have a week off work, will *****, my employer, compensate me for this injury and any costs incurred on my behalf?

Thanks

[Springfield_Johny]

Speak to your supervisor, you should be covered by some kind of workers compensation & the rights and obligations and both employee & employer will be clearly defined.

Sooner the better in case you have any ongoing issues.

[Professor Farnsworth]

firstly, i've edited the name of your employer out for your benefit, best to keep those details private to avoid complications down the road with any claim.

secondly, when i injured my back due to work, i spoke to my boss, and the OHS manager from the HR department, you should do the same. It was paid for (the treatment anyway) by workcover. Don't expect too much in terms of time off pay, that was a lot more difficult to organise. I ended up using annual leave for most of it.

speak to your boss, HR, make a formal note of it, then see your doc and go from there.

[hawke]

Raliart,

If you are in Victoria, and covered by Victorian legislaation, you will be eligable for pay at 95% of your preinjury earnings up to $1,300 per week.

If you dont want to lose pay, have your doctor alter your certificate so you can return to work.

[Pinch]

You at least need to notify your employer of the injury asap. Generally you need to fill in a register in an incident book or similar, but many smaller employers you will just notify your supervisor or manager. Make a note of when you do this though if its verbal.

There are subtle differences between federal employers (most workplaces now) and state employers in different states. Generally you will be covered for medical expenses and time off, and will need to fill in some form of claim form. You will normally need a 'Workcover' type certificate from the doctor - a different format to a general medical certificate.

Need more help PM me, this is in within my professional scope.

Hope it all resolves soon though.

[Thornie]

also would depend on if you reported the injury to your boss when it happened i'm guessing.

[Ralliart]

Originally Posted by Pinch

You at least need to notify your employer of the injury asap. Generally you need to fill in a register in an incident book or similar, but many smaller employers you will just notify your supervisor or manager. Make a note of when you do this though if its verbal.

There are subtle differences between federal employers (most workplaces now) and state employers in different states. Generally you will be covered for medical expenses and time off, and will need to fill in some form of claim form. You will normally need a 'Workcover' type certificate from the doctor - a different format to a general medical certificate.

Need more help PM me, this is in within my professional scope.

Hope it all resolves soon though.

did that this afternoon but sould've done it way earlier, , ive read a few links on what i have to do lodging a claim , ive taken one week off from work which will be sick leave, they have said don't come come back until it all clear from the doctor, i will be getting some medication for it tommow.

[nugget378]

Originally Posted by Tom_Jane

*utterly useless deconstructive witticism*

I wonder how many can keep to the topic, without casting aspersions and innuendo by indirect means?

Ralliart, in NSW an employer has 7 days in which to notify workcover from the date they are made aware of the injury and get the ball rolling, by law..

[Green X]

You'll have and should have told your employer as soon as it happened, otherwise they can dispute if it actually did happen at work.

Also they may opt to bring you in on Restricted duty's to avoid a LTI.

If you have time off work and make a workers compensation claim remember this will go on you record as having been on compensation and can affect future employment.

[ebxr8240]

Make SURE you get a workcover cert [in NSW anyway] sick leave is different..
Though you can take sick leave till it's approved and sorted as work accident...
Yea Vic may have different ways of doing things..

[Ralliart]

a little update with my injury and work cover, my work cover has resently got got accepted, for the last 4 weeks ( Month) i''ve been working during the day doing modifed duties , doing capping 5 days a week : , anyway on the form back from Work Cover, my wage has gone down to 95% , does this happen when your work cover get accepted i''m not worried just wondering thats all, i go back to my Department Finally tonight and finally got back to Fully work on 17/12/09

[svo supporter]

In my field, I'm on a federal award in S.A. When I strained a muscle in my back, I notified my employer straight away, which you should do anyway. I then had to see a doctor to get a medical certificate.

I was given a week off with full pay, with none of my entitlements touched (Sickies or hols), once I supplied the medical certificate. (That was done as soon as I left the docs).

I had to see the doc a week later to get an updated certificate. I was allowed to return to work, on modified duties, with instructions to see the doctor in another week.

The 3rd week after the incident, I was given full clearance by the doc to return to regular duties.

Whether other states differ or not I can't say. But that's how things operate within S.A under the federal award

[onfire]

Just clicking on his myspace link tells us who he works for, and yes they should.

[hawke]

If you are totally incapaciated in Vic, you get 95% of your preinjury earnings for (I think) for the first 26 weeks. However, you state that you are on light duties - no wage loss - so you should see no wage loss.

For those who what to know more, in NSW, you will get your weekly Award rate in the first 26 weeks, or if no Award applicable - 80% of your pre injury earnings.

Dont forget, that while you are off, there no requiremnt for your employer to pay any Superannuation.

[Zed7fiddy]

Mate in QLD here, i got T-Boned on my bike on the way home from work one night, Workcover paid for my Time off (work paid sick leave to me, then workcover paid work back, so i got all my "personal leave" hours back) then Workcover paid for my Physio till my Ankle was better to return to work (i was doing personal security, so involved alot of running and getting in and out of SUV's), and even then whilst i was back at work on light / modified duties i was receiving physio till some dumb doctor wrote the wrong thing down on the form and they cancelled treatment, jsut make sure you are VERY clear when you are feeling fit to return back to work.

[NGN 351]

Workers comp is a no fault system, it is up to the insurance company to prove that you didnt do the injury at work.
When it comes to rehab, it is your employers responsibility that this happens during work hours (if your on a modified or return to work program) as you injured yourself during work hours. You should not be penalised to do this in your own time. This is what happens in WA, hope your state legislation is the same.

[Ralliart]

i"m just going be so glad when all of this done with and Hopefully i NEVER EVER do this to myself again. Ever since this happen my work has completely sucked,

- Working during day ( doing caping for 20 days straight) :
- 2 weeks of facing :

something really strange happen with my pay last week aswell, on my payslip it said that that i some got paid $3000 but this what happen

Work Minused $1300,

Then Work Cover Paid back the sick pay right back to Safeway then they toke away $90 from my money to cover it.

[BENT_8]

Work cover are a pack of...!
They are nothing but a broker for dodgy insurance companies who shaft you any chance they get.
I spent the best part of 3 years fighting these mongrels, unable to get any answers, having my income support cut off for no apparent reason 2 days before our wedding.
When you ring up to talk to your case manager they are either sick, on leave or you've been moved on to another case manager as your previous one is showing signs of compassion towards you.
In the end i had to ring a radio station who was airing a piece on work cover cheats to tell my side of their story and guess what, within an hour i had the manager of the insurer handling my case ringing me asking why i didnt go to them with my issues.
I remeinded her that i had been chasing my case manager for weeks without luck and found it funny that it was now them ringing me.....squeeky wheel gets the grease apparently and boy were they in damage control.

My advice is to get off the round about as soon as you can, knuckle down at work and prey you never have the pleasure to deal with them again.

[muppet]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Work cover are a pack of...!
They are nothing but a broker for dodgy insurance companies who shaft you any chance they get.
I spent the best part of 3 years fighting these mongrels, unable to get any answers, having my income support cut off for no apparent reason 2 days before our wedding.
When you ring up to talk to your case manager they are either sick, on leave or you've been moved on to another case manager as your previous one is showing signs of compassion towards you.
In the end i had to ring a radio station who was airing a piece on work cover cheats to tell my side of their story and guess what, within an hour i had the manager of the insurer handling my case ringing me asking why i didnt go to them with my issues.
I remeinded her that i had been chasing my case manager for weeks without luck and found it funny that it was now them ringing me.....squeeky wheel gets the grease apparently and boy were they in damage control.

My advice is to get off the round about as soon as you can, knuckle down at work and prey you never have the pleasure to deal with them again.

You sir know the system well.
I eventually ( after 2 years of their abuse and just down right dirty tricks) told them all to get stuffed and pulled the pin on my workcover claim. It was quite frankly the worst 2 years of my life, I was made to feel like I was scum and a liar. Even though I had a doctors certificate from their doctor saying I was unfit for duty and never would be' they still just stopped paying me whenever they felt like it. I then had to jump through every hoop in the book to get my pay back. They even had the hide to say to me that I should be back at work because I was on morphine and therefore wouldn't feel any pain. Just think about that for minute me on the road driving on drugs, I told my doctor this and he had a fit and rang my case manager and abused him.
I could go on and on and on , I really don't know how some of these people sleep at night after they have just stopped your pay for 2 weeks just because they think you should be at work even though you have a doctors certificate ,an MRI scan and 5 reports from different specialists that says otherwise. Maybe thay have an award at the end of each month for who can ruin the most lives.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by muppet

You sir know the system well.
I eventually ( after 2 years of their abuse and just down right dirty tricks) told them all to get stuffed and pulled the pin on my workcover claim. It was quite frankly the worst 2 years of my life, I was made to feel like I was scum and a liar.

Sure do mate, and you know what the worst thing is, they bang on about workcover cheats and how they cost the system but they fail to mention that the honest people, left feeling emotionally drained and beaten, dont get the number of years spent fighting them back.
Years when your whole time is occupied with negative thoughts to the point where family comes a distant second.
I too removed myself from the system, asked them to release me which ironically they refused to do without me accepting some form of seperance(hush) money.
I was glad to take it and bought a small business with it to avoid the embarassment that comes with admitting you've claimed workcover to any potential future employers.
A sorry excuse for a system designed to take the burden off private business, effectively encouraging them to stay onshore and leaves it squarely on the shoulders of the injured worker, then insult you by claiming its a no blame system.