If you are injured at work or if work was a contributing factor to your injury, then there are a few things you should do immediately:
- Report your injury to your employer and fill out a 2B form (employees report of injury)
- See a GP and attain a medical certificate
- Get some independent legal advice
Once a 2B form is complete and you have a medical certificate, your employer is obligated to hand those documents to their insurer. There is a specified time frame of five days for your employer to lodge the documents, and a specified time of 14 days for the insurer to respond.
The insurance company will usually respond in one of the following ways:
- Accept the claim
- Deny the claim
- Impend the claim and ask for further information
If possible, it is a good idea to keep a diary or notes of your injuries and what treatment you are receiving. Your GP will refer you to a specialist and manage your treatment. If you don’t have a GP, it would be a good idea to find one. It makes managing a work place injury and the associated claims easier.
If you were injured at work, would you know what you are entitled to? Entitlements go beyond the cost of medical treatment and can cover time off work and a travel allowance to get to appointments in some cases.
An industry body called Work Cover governs worker’s compensation – think of them as the umpire, and the insurer and yourself as the players on the field. The insurer knows all the rules, and it knows how far to push before being pulled up the umpire. Do you know the rules? That’s where getting legal advice will benefit you. Dedicated personal injuries lawyers know the rules and can help you get the result you are entitled to.
If you or anyone you know is injured at work, the best advice we can give them is to go and see a lawyer, the sooner the better.