In common with most developed countries, Australia has a lot of settled law that is designed to safeguard workers who may be unfortunate enough to have been injured on the job. With these safety measures in place, financial assistance and proper medical treatment are available as and when needed, but it's important to remember that the correct procedures need to be followed at all times. What are some of the biggest mistakes people make when they find themselves in this situation?
Being Focused
It can be difficult, but you need to focus on keeping records and maintaining accurate details following an injury, even though this can be a traumatic time. Take a few moments to commit your memories to paper and write down in detail what happened. You might not think that some of the details are important at that time, but you never know what you may have to rely on in the future. Your doctor will require a lot of the information so that they can submit their own records and keep some for their files. Don't rely on your family doctor to remember the details for you though, and bear in mind that everybody's memory will fade with time.
Being Guarded
You don't necessarily have to make a full and complete statement to any investigator who may ask you to do so. Some information should be expected, but it's a good idea if you do have a word with your representative before giving some of the finer detail. Under no circumstances should you sign any document that a representative of an insurance company gives you in the beginning of your claim process.
Be Tenacious
Sometimes claims for compensation can be rejected, and you shouldn't panic if this happens to you. Often, these rejections are mistakes or misinterpretations and you should ask an independent counsel to help you wade through this. Conciliation services do exist, but they're not necessarily your only option. In some circumstances, you may need to push your case all the way through a court but shouldn't go it alone.
Don't Worry about the Relationship
Do you believe that you will lose your job or suffer some kind of retaliation if you launch a formal worker's compensation claim? Some people believe that their boss will think a lot less of them if they do so and may hold back a promotion. Most often, this type of thinking is misplaced. Even though an employer is not allowed to discriminate, they have insurance to cover these situations anyway and will simply follow the guidelines.
Have You Thought of Everything?
Finally, make sure that you don't delay when submitting a claim and fill in the paperwork as soon as you can. Even though you may think your entire situation is clear, an attorney specialising in worker's compensation situations may be able to provide you with a stronger case.
Contact a local workers' compensation lawyer for more information and assistance.
Share16 June 2017
Hello, my name is Jenny and this is my probate law blog. I should say now, I am not a lawyer and I have not had any professional legal training. However, I do know a thing or two about probate. I taught myself a lot after the death of my grandma. My grandma left a lot of money and property behind, but unfortunately, she didn't leave a will. This lead to several family members staking a claim on the inheritance. I instructed a lawyer to act on my mother's behalf to ensure that she was not cheated out of her share.