All workers in New South Wales are covered under workers compensation insurance, including full time, part time or casual employees. This means that if you have suffered an illness or injury due to your work, then you may be entitled to workers compensation benefits. This article outlines what you can claim under workers compensation, the types of benefits you may be entitled to and how your workers compensation may be paid if your claim is successful.
What can you claim workers compensation for?
Under workers compensation you are entitled to claim benefits on any illness or injury caused during or as a result of your work. Some common claims that workers are entitled to pursue compensation benefits for include:
- Physical injuries like back injury compensation,
- Accidents, including falls, trips and slips at work,
- Injury or illness caused by exposure to substances such as chemicals or other dangerous elements such as electricity, sound or pressure,
- Mental stress and psychological injury.
What compensation benefits are you entitled to as a worker?
If you have suffered injury or illness as a result of your work, then you may be eligible for workers compensation benefits. These benefits include:
- Benefits for lost income,
- Reimbursement for medical expenses,
- Reimbursement for travel expenses and domestic assistance incurred as a result of the injury or illness,
- Lump sum compensation for impairment.
How will your workers compensation be paid?
The amount you will be paid will depend on the extent of your illness or injury, the amount of time you need to take off work to recover and any expenses that have paid or will need to be paid as a result of your condition. If you are unable to work as a result of your injury then you may be eligible for workers compensation benefits, paid to you on a weekly basis including:
Provisional payments while liability is being determined,
Up to 95% of your pre-injury average weekly earnings or the maximum compensation amount during the first entitlement period, which is from weeks 0-13,
And up to 80% of your pre-injury earnings from weeks 14-130 if you have no capacity for work.
If your illness or injury has resulted in total and permanent disability, and that injury or illness stops you from returning to your profession or any profession that you have the right skillset, training, experience and education for, then you may also be eligible for a total and permanent disability claim. This claim, also known as a TPD claim is a lump sum payment made by your TPD insurer to compensate you for your inability to pursue paid work due to a total and permanent disability, such as losing a limb or going blind. This claim is separate to your workers compensation claim.
If you have suffered an illness or injury as a result of your work, then it is best to reach out to a workers compensation lawyer that can help you navigate the complexities of lodging a claim and maximise your chances of securing a successful outcome.