really depends on how big a claim you have! i have had small ones but work with people who are or were on big ones. can get pretty stressfull with big ones, as mentioned private eyes watching you, relocations to a job you dont want etc all depends on the claim and the company.
it will depend on your claim, how the accident happened and where the blame lays, get your storey accurate and do the paper work as per the insurance company's request not as how you feel it should be done, keep a copy of every thing you do and the time frame and any witnesses. the insurance will do anything to get out of the liability and also get you back to work on resticted duties
Wish I could say the same. Accused of faking it, little to no help from my firm and told not to come back in the office. Took me ages to get my surgery approved after being told to put up with physio that wasn't working. In the end I did more to help myself than my firm ever did, but I haven't looked back and used the situation to work hard and find a great new career.
been off twice over the years. time off from work total 3.5 years.
they will photo you or watch you. its how it goes. just be honest. some times you have better days than others. cathching big fish certainly makes you forget about the pain.
my old insurers had a pic of me holding up a big mulloway from the paper.
return to work programs can be very good if you have some one who does understand your situ. I had to change jobs, and have not looked back.
if any one has geniune injuries they should not be in a rush to settle but the average time to settle is about 3 years
yeah , going though it myself. lower back injury after slipping on a wet floor at work. was on light duties for a while and then the back cam g00d .played up again , back on light duties, came good again only to flair up again after about 6 months, so back on light duties, kept that way for a while now i have been re-deployed after 4 1/2 years with the same company. currently working at a salvage and hardware place.i can forget about doing any of the jobs that i have done in the past as i have been put on a 5kg lifting limit and it could be that way for some time. doctors said it could take 3 or more years on these limits for the back to come good properly. You know, they talk about company loyalty, what about employee loyalty. even with my injury i still turned up for work every day , all but maybe 2 weeks over all that time
Gives you all the correct info so you know your rights and responsibilites.
Mate deals with this workers comp . As long as you follow the legislation then should not be issue.
Workcover administer the system and it is all based on Legislation which basically follows medical advice. They also have info line and give you independant advice with no affiliation with the insurers, employers.
About surveillance, if they think you are sus and lying about your injury they will do some to either catch you out or confirm what the Dr says. They dont do it all the time due to cost of it (he says about 3% of cases) . Most people think they are under surveillance , more paranoid than anything else.
If you work for a good company that looks after its employees then shouldnt be a drama as long as they can offer you light duties to get back to normal job or if you cant do that, change your job to suit any long term disability.
tripped on uneven paving at work - thanks to Mr Court, Mr Kierath, an employer who had a workmate get her to sign papers while full of painkillers she has had two major operations, 2 prosthetic joints and a shortened crooked arm - payout ? $ 14,500.00 for a lifetime of pain. Compensation? I don't think so.
ok here it is just been thru it and settled 8 weeks ago.
you will get your average pay from the previous 13 weeks for the next 13 weeks from there on they can redude your pay down to 85% of your minimum wage. depending on what you have done to yourself depends on what you will get in a settlement if any at all . you have 184,000 in an amount of whch your pay medical expences are drawn out of and you can negotiate the balance at the end if its serious injury. if you do not get a WPI ( whole person imparement) of more than 15% you will not be able to get $$ for pain and suffering .
If your injury is serious eg broken bones etc go see a lawyer asap they will guide you thru it ask for them to charge insurance company seperatley
what happnd to me is i have hurt myself at work (inpinged nerve in my neck) gone and got an op by myself as the pain was unbearable about 18weeks ago and now the insurance company is trying to blame it on a past footy injury, I am as fit as im going to get and cleared by my dr to go back to work and the work dr has deemed me unfit to return to my normal duties.Im a 4yr apprentice fitter, so now they want to give me a payout(not sure how much) and for me to qwite im up shit creek i have know idea what im goin to do now as i cant work above my head and alike, Im curruntly building a house which is nearing completion and i really have know idea what i can do....Not a great feeling atm im 24 and havnt really done anything else..
just a quick note for you. in regards to a doctor , you dont need to see the work doctor . my sis in law is a top insurance broker and said to me you only have to see your own doctor . good luck .do what you got to do but dont sign anything
dont sign a thing in regards to payout until you have got legal advice from a lawyer . once you sign the papers thats it , all over for you but the pain
All I can say is get good advice, a good doctor and dont sign or agree to anything.
Do as Insurance ask ....but dont be lazy and think they have your best interests at heart....they will do what ever it takes to get out of compo.....
You will have to be pro-active in looking after your interests.
I had a bad injury working over east......had to come back to WA as I couldnt afford the bills.....trouble was different state....different rules and my case fell through the gaps for the insurance company....9 months later I was paying most of my medical bills ...physio etc....cost me heaps
I wasn't assigned a re-hab case worker so missed out on knowing what I was entitled to ....
ended up changing jobs and got on with life but 14 years later the reconstruction job they did on my leg and knee has had it and I need surgery again.....in fact because of the way I walk after the injury it has buggered my good knee....
you only get 7 years after the accident to claim on the original injury....otherwise you are on your own....that then leaves your new employer in a bad spot....in case you flair up the old injury and have to claim on HIS insurance.....its wrong
Like the song goes "Get yourself a lawyer son, you better get a real good one"
i had Recovre as a job placement provider, they are totally useless .
The problem with the work placements is they dont care what you do as long as your doing something. If you are doing some sort of work it is proving a capasity to earn an income which reduces you amount of settlement, you really need to speak to a lawyer. I used PERTH CITY LEGAL and the lawyers name was DENISE she is really good knows her stuff. In actual fact to the above post you only have 1 year in which to get your WPI in order to access common law clam if your % is high enough. I was lucky that i had a previous employer who would take me back doing light work because i had a back injury with impinged nerves etc sergically repaired and was not able to do truck driving any more. Really have a good think on what you would like to do because when the job placement provider gets in contact with you they will ask what you would like to do and if your lucky they might be able to get you something close to what you are asking for.
currently going through workers comp atm with a lower back injury,have had to change my employment due to boss retiring a concrette buisiness and not signing anything just yet,but my bosses insurance has only offered me around 10k ,which isnt enough,but my lawyer has told me not to settle for that amount,when i go fishing or to work,i wear a back brace to help me cope,dont settle just yet you have up to 5 yrs to settle
a lawyer sounds like a great idea.but the $ are tight, my income has dropped by around $300 p/f. realy sux. no one ever realy cares about the average worker, we can be replaced or just brushed aside
Although best intentions are meant by people putting up their opinions, alot of the time they are wrong about the info you get.Like not seeing the work Dr.If you refuse they can make an application to stop your payments.If they want you to see their Dr you have to.
will not charge you one cent they will charge the insurance company at settlement. pm me if you have any further questions as i said i have just been thru the whole drama of it in total 2 years of crap dished out by insurance companys and the previous employer. As for having to attend thier doctor yes you do but only when they ask you to the bulk of doctors visits can be at you regular doctor.
ending my public input from here on as people can read paragraph 64 subsection 2 but until you have been thru the system you have no idea on how it is and how it works
Ferrett should seek independant advice on this from someone who deals in the system and not rely whats written on the net,best intentions of everyone could jeapordise him in these things thats all.
I have a lawyer throught the union thats helping me which is great i just have know idea what im going to do im 6months shy of my trade cert as a mech fitter and had asperation on getting onto maintenance planning which looks to be all out the window!!! havnt ever done anything else
check your union benifits they have a usually income protection clause in there and will pay upto $1000 per month of what you your noraml income is or was before you hurt yourself ( well thats in the CFMEU )
even thou i said i would not public comment anymore thats a biggie
I used a lawyer and they got more than I did.as you say you have all the pain and suffering for bugger all really. workers comp sux in every way. thank god I got a new job that paid more and they are a great bunch to work for. Sorry I cant reckomend a good lawyer but they seem to be all the same, they all want your money
Hi, Have read comments on Fishwrecked in regard to Workers Compensation with great interest and contacted three separate lawyers, once of which was Denise as someone recommended. After talking to her I decided that she would be the one to help me the most. I had no problem in getting my claim approved but since then the company's insurer QBE have been giving very out very misleading information to me. Some of this has been caused by having three different case managers (last two resigned). From information gained at a workers compensation seminar I decided I had no option but to use a lawyer to deal with them. As soon as the lawyer got in touch with QBE, they in turn got in touch with my employer, since then relations with my employer have reached a very strained level even though I explained to them that the only reason I took on a lawyer was because of QBE and not because of anything that they had done. They have got very petty over the whole thing now and have even excluded me from the lotto syndicate that is organised by another employee (they made her feel very uncomfortable and told her not to include me). I am interested to know how anyones claim ended up and your opinion of how Denise handled your claim as a few of you have mentioned that you have used her. Also in regard to costs, Denise said she would negotiate with QBE for her fee, I have not heard of this before so can I ask you if everything worked out ok and you were happy when it all finished. Many thanks . . . . . . . Steve
i am dealing with Denise myself. my workplace made it unbarable before i went to a lawyer. i was put on a work placement elsewhere. QBE have also been a pain to myself and Denise . hopeing things get sorted soon as i am fed up with not knowing whats going to happen as far as the future
hey faulkner the lawyer im using in my negotiations with qbe is donna percy,she is looking after my case atm,she run through your rights regarding workers compensation,her number is 92255100 and fax 93251504,im sure if you call her ,she will help you out and any1 else i forgot you are welcome also,hope this helps
Just finalised my workers compensation settlement with Denise from Perth City legal looking after my claim. I would have to say that you could not find a better lawyer to represent you. She has been brilliant from start to finish and certainly took away all of the stress that the insurer was giving me. The final settlement amount was much more than I could have ever hoped for thanks to her extensive knowledge and negotiating skills. If anyone requires any further information then please email me and I will be happy to expand on my experience.
just a quick note to those that are going through the ringer with workers comp. there is light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to sleepswithfishes for mentioning Perth City Legal . Denise helped with my case, altho i didnt get the outcome i was hoping for it is a lot better than i could have got .Give them a call if you have issues, Denise is a friendly lady and easy to talk to and knows her stuff
Freo_Boi
Posts: 266
Date Joined: 23/02/10
You get plenty of time to go fishing!
But dont post any pics of you hauling in huge fish
....
Cammos
Posts: 606
Date Joined: 30/06/09
Had a good mate whose Dad
Had a good mate whose Dad had a career ending injury. He is living the rest of his life with video cameras of private investigators pointed at him.
lurcha
Posts: 455
Date Joined: 29/12/09
really depends on how big a
really depends on how big a claim you have! i have had small ones but work with people who are or were on big ones. can get pretty stressfull with big ones, as mentioned private eyes watching you, relocations to a job you dont want etc all depends on the claim and the company.
just dhu it
Posts: 1081
Date Joined: 14/05/09
paper work
it will depend on your claim, how the accident happened and where the blame lays, get your storey accurate and do the paper work as per the insurance company's request not as how you feel it should be done, keep a copy of every thing you do and the time frame and any witnesses. the insurance will do anything to get out of the liability and also get you back to work on resticted duties
fishcrazy
Posts: 1235
Date Joined: 27/01/07
comp
i just went through all that tripped at work had a full shoulder recon , had no dramas at all very happy the way it was handled
bear
Posts: 184
Date Joined: 30/03/06
Wish I could say the same.
Wish I could say the same. Accused of faking it, little to no help from my firm and told not to come back in the office. Took me ages to get my surgery approved after being told to put up with physio that wasn't working. In the end I did more to help myself than my firm ever did, but I haven't looked back and used the situation to work hard and find a great new career.
Good luck.
madfishoholic
Posts: 187
Date Joined: 25/03/10
been off twice over the
been off twice over the years. time off from work total 3.5 years.
they will photo you or watch you. its how it goes. just be honest. some times you have better days than others. cathching big fish certainly makes you forget about the pain.
my old insurers had a pic of me holding up a big mulloway from the paper.
return to work programs can be very good if you have some one who does understand your situ. I had to change jobs, and have not looked back.
if any one has geniune injuries they should not be in a rush to settle but the average time to settle is about 3 years
I dont need counselling just a bigger boat
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17867
Date Joined: 11/03/08
yeah , going though it
yeah , going though it myself. lower back injury after slipping on a wet floor at work. was on light duties for a while and then the back cam g00d .played up again , back on light duties, came good again only to flair up again after about 6 months, so back on light duties, kept that way for a while now i have been re-deployed after 4 1/2 years with the same company. currently working at a salvage and hardware place.i can forget about doing any of the jobs that i have done in the past as i have been put on a 5kg lifting limit and it could be that way for some time. doctors said it could take 3 or more years on these limits for the back to come good properly. You know, they talk about company loyalty, what about employee loyalty. even with my injury i still turned up for work every day , all but maybe 2 weeks over all that time
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Happy Hooker
Posts: 307
Date Joined: 12/11/08
Go to this website
http://www.workcover.wa.gov.au/Workers/Default.htm
Gives you all the correct info so you know your rights and responsibilites.
Mate deals with this workers comp . As long as you follow the legislation then should not be issue.
Workcover administer the system and it is all based on Legislation which basically follows medical advice. They also have info line and give you independant advice with no affiliation with the insurers, employers.
About surveillance, if they think you are sus and lying about your injury they will do some to either catch you out or confirm what the Dr says. They dont do it all the time due to cost of it (he says about 3% of cases) . Most people think they are under surveillance , more paranoid than anything else.
If you work for a good company that looks after its employees then shouldnt be a drama as long as they can offer you light duties to get back to normal job or if you cant do that, change your job to suit any long term disability.
7739ian
Posts: 948
Date Joined: 25/06/08
My wife
tripped on uneven paving at work - thanks to Mr Court, Mr Kierath, an employer who had a workmate get her to sign papers while full of painkillers she has had two major operations, 2 prosthetic joints and a shortened crooked arm - payout ? $ 14,500.00 for a lifetime of pain. Compensation? I don't think so.
sleepswithfishes
Posts: 61
Date Joined: 14/12/09
ok here it is just been thru
ok here it is just been thru it and settled 8 weeks ago.
you will get your average pay from the previous 13 weeks for the next 13 weeks from there on they can redude your pay down to 85% of your minimum wage. depending on what you have done to yourself depends on what you will get in a settlement if any at all . you have 184,000 in an amount of whch your pay medical expences are drawn out of and you can negotiate the balance at the end if its serious injury. if you do not get a WPI ( whole person imparement) of more than 15% you will not be able to get $$ for pain and suffering .
If your injury is serious eg broken bones etc go see a lawyer asap they will guide you thru it ask for them to charge insurance company seperatley
ferret027
Posts: 96
Date Joined: 04/03/09
the story
what happnd to me is i have hurt myself at work (inpinged nerve in my neck) gone and got an op by myself as the pain was unbearable about 18weeks ago and now the insurance company is trying to blame it on a past footy injury, I am as fit as im going to get and cleared by my dr to go back to work and the work dr has deemed me unfit to return to my normal duties.Im a 4yr apprentice fitter, so now they want to give me a payout(not sure how much) and for me to qwite im up shit creek i have know idea what im goin to do now as i cant work above my head and alike, Im curruntly building a house which is nearing completion and i really have know idea what i can do....Not a great feeling atm im 24 and havnt really done anything else..
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17867
Date Joined: 11/03/08
just a quick note for you.
just a quick note for you. in regards to a doctor , you dont need to see the work doctor . my sis in law is a top insurance broker and said to me you only have to see your own doctor . good luck .do what you got to do but dont sign anything
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17867
Date Joined: 11/03/08
dont sign a thing in regards
dont sign a thing in regards to payout until you have got legal advice from a lawyer . once you sign the papers thats it , all over for you but the pain
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Salmo
Posts: 913
Date Joined: 15/08/05
Cant say I had a good experience with Workcover
All I can say is get good advice, a good doctor and dont sign or agree to anything.
Do as Insurance ask ....but dont be lazy and think they have your best interests at heart....they will do what ever it takes to get out of compo.....
You will have to be pro-active in looking after your interests.
I had a bad injury working over east......had to come back to WA as I couldnt afford the bills.....trouble was different state....different rules and my case fell through the gaps for the insurance company....9 months later I was paying most of my medical bills ...physio etc....cost me heaps
I wasn't assigned a re-hab case worker so missed out on knowing what I was entitled to ....
ended up changing jobs and got on with life but 14 years later the reconstruction job they did on my leg and knee has had it and I need surgery again.....in fact because of the way I walk after the injury it has buggered my good knee....
you only get 7 years after the accident to claim on the original injury....otherwise you are on your own....that then leaves your new employer in a bad spot....in case you flair up the old injury and have to claim on HIS insurance.....its wrong
Like the song goes "Get yourself a lawyer son, you better get a real good one"
sleepswithfishes
Posts: 61
Date Joined: 14/12/09
do not use recovre
i had Recovre as a job placement provider, they are totally useless .
The problem with the work placements is they dont care what you do as long as your doing something. If you are doing some sort of work it is proving a capasity to earn an income which reduces you amount of settlement, you really need to speak to a lawyer. I used PERTH CITY LEGAL and the lawyers name was DENISE she is really good knows her stuff. In actual fact to the above post you only have 1 year in which to get your WPI in order to access common law clam if your % is high enough. I was lucky that i had a previous employer who would take me back doing light work because i had a back injury with impinged nerves etc sergically repaired and was not able to do truck driving any more. Really have a good think on what you would like to do because when the job placement provider gets in contact with you they will ask what you would like to do and if your lucky they might be able to get you something close to what you are asking for.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17867
Date Joined: 11/03/08
went to see Denise this
went to see Denise this week, nice lady . hopefully things will work out for mw
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
joe amato
Posts: 731
Date Joined: 21/12/08
going through same thing
currently going through workers comp atm with a lower back injury,have had to change my employment due to boss retiring a concrette buisiness and not signing anything just yet,but my bosses insurance has only offered me around 10k ,which isnt enough,but my lawyer has told me not to settle for that amount,when i go fishing or to work,i wear a back brace to help me cope,dont settle just yet you have up to 5 yrs to settle
sleepswithfishes
Posts: 61
Date Joined: 14/12/09
golden rules if you hurt yourself
1. report it straight away
2. get legal advice
3. go to your own doctor.
4.keep a diary of everything daily
5.only do what is in your doctors certificate as to what your allwoed to do
6. never do anything which will aggrivate your injury (especially in public or out doors)
7. go to all appointments the insurance company makes for you
8. keep records of your travel movements for all appointments to claim your fuel costs
9. keep all documents in one place relating to your injury
10. only trust your lawyer and your doctor with anything to do with your injury
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17867
Date Joined: 11/03/08
a lawyer sounds like a great
a lawyer sounds like a great idea.but the $ are tight, my income has dropped by around $300 p/f. realy sux. no one ever realy cares about the average worker, we can be replaced or just brushed aside
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Happy Hooker
Posts: 307
Date Joined: 12/11/08
Ferret.Just go get yourself a lawyer or an advocate.
Although best intentions are meant by people putting up their opinions, alot of the time they are wrong about the info you get.Like not seeing the work Dr.If you refuse they can make an application to stop your payments.If they want you to see their Dr you have to.
sleepswithfishes
Posts: 61
Date Joined: 14/12/09
a decent lawyer
will not charge you one cent they will charge the insurance company at settlement. pm me if you have any further questions as i said i have just been thru the whole drama of it in total 2 years of crap dished out by insurance companys and the previous employer. As for having to attend thier doctor yes you do but only when they ask you to the bulk of doctors visits can be at you regular doctor.
ending my public input from here on as people can read paragraph 64 subsection 2 but until you have been thru the system you have no idea on how it is and how it works
Happy Hooker
Posts: 307
Date Joined: 12/11/08
Agree with everything you said SWF especially the golden rules
Ferrett should seek independant advice on this from someone who deals in the system and not rely whats written on the net,best intentions of everyone could jeapordise him in these things thats all.
ferret027
Posts: 96
Date Joined: 04/03/09
cheers boys every little bit helps
I have a lawyer throught the union thats helping me which is great i just have know idea what im going to do im 6months shy of my trade cert as a mech fitter and had asperation on getting onto maintenance planning which looks to be all out the window!!! havnt ever done anything else
sleepswithfishes
Posts: 61
Date Joined: 14/12/09
UNION MEMBER
check your union benifits they have a usually income protection clause in there and will pay upto $1000 per month of what you your noraml income is or was before you hurt yourself ( well thats in the CFMEU )
even thou i said i would not public comment anymore thats a biggie
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17867
Date Joined: 11/03/08
anyone that has been through
anyone that has been through this got a name of a good lawyer. i need one .
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
madfishoholic
Posts: 187
Date Joined: 25/03/10
I used a lawyer and they got
I used a lawyer and they got more than I did.as you say you have all the pain and suffering for bugger all really. workers comp sux in every way. thank god I got a new job that paid more and they are a great bunch to work for. Sorry I cant reckomend a good lawyer but they seem to be all the same, they all want your money
I dont need counselling just a bigger boat
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17867
Date Joined: 11/03/08
the lawyer that we have has
the lawyer that we have has told me that my money is my money (if any) and then claims hers, she doesnt take her cut from what i get
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
TheGuvner
Posts: 4
Date Joined: 15/08/10
Workers Compensation Experiences
Hi,
Have read comments on Fishwrecked in regard to Workers Compensation with great interest and
contacted three separate lawyers, once of which was Denise as someone
recommended. After talking to her I decided that she would be the one to
help me the most. I had no problem in getting my claim approved but since
then the company's insurer QBE have been giving very out very misleading
information to me. Some of this has been caused by having three different case
managers (last two resigned). From information gained at a workers
compensation seminar I decided I had no option but to use a lawyer to deal
with them. As soon as the lawyer got in touch with QBE, they in turn got in
touch with my employer, since then relations with my employer have reached
a very strained level even though I explained to them that the only reason
I took on a lawyer was because of QBE and not because of anything that they
had done. They have got very petty over the whole thing now and have even
excluded me from the lotto syndicate that is organised by another employee
(they made her feel very uncomfortable and told her not to include
me).
I am interested to know how anyones claim ended up and your opinion of how
Denise handled your claim as a few of you have mentioned that you have used her. Also in regard to costs, Denise said she would
negotiate with QBE for her fee, I have not heard of this before so can I
ask you if everything worked out ok and you were happy when it all
finished.
Many thanks . . . . . . . Steve
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17867
Date Joined: 11/03/08
i am dealing with Denise
i am dealing with Denise myself. my workplace made it unbarable before i went to a lawyer. i was put on a work placement elsewhere. QBE have also been a pain to myself and Denise . hopeing things get sorted soon as i am fed up with not knowing whats going to happen as far as the future
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
joe amato
Posts: 731
Date Joined: 21/12/08
still negotiating with qbe
hey faulkner the lawyer im using in my negotiations with qbe is donna percy,she is looking after my case atm,she run through your rights regarding workers compensation,her number is 92255100 and fax 93251504,im sure if you call her ,she will help you out and any1 else i forgot you are welcome also,hope this helps
TheGuvner
Posts: 4
Date Joined: 15/08/10
Perth City Legal
Hi all,
Just finalised my workers compensation settlement with Denise from Perth City legal looking after my claim. I would have to say that you could not find a better lawyer to represent you. She has been brilliant from start to finish and certainly took away all of the stress that the insurer was giving me. The final settlement amount was much more than I could have ever hoped for thanks to her extensive knowledge and negotiating skills. If anyone requires any further information then please email me and I will be happy to expand on my experience.
sleepswithfishes
Posts: 61
Date Joined: 14/12/09
glad
im glad you guys took the advice i posted and good for you . its a relief and a lot of wieght off your shoulders with someone like denise on your side
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17867
Date Joined: 11/03/08
just a quick note to those
just a quick note to those that are going through the ringer with workers comp. there is light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to sleepswithfishes for mentioning Perth City Legal . Denise helped with my case, altho i didnt get the outcome i was hoping for it is a lot better than i could have got .Give them a call if you have issues, Denise is a friendly lady and easy to talk to and knows her stuff
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together