"*" indicates required fields
If you have been injured in a work related accident in Queensland as a result of someone else’s negligence then you may be entitled to a tax-free workers compensation claim.
Our team of Brisbane based work injury lawyers are Queensland workers compensation experts. Get free advice directly from our team led by Queensland Law Society accredited specialists.
No upfront costs and nothing to pay unless we win. You can have your initial no-obligation meetings at our offices, at your home or over the phone.
We will step you through the whole legal process in plain English. All initial advice is fully confidential and obligation free to check if you may be eligible for compensation.
Common work accident compensation questions:
Employment laws in Australia require employers to cover all employees with workers compensation insurance for workplace accidents. This insurance is designed to help make payments for lost wages and medical expenses in the event that an employee is injured or becomes unwell due to their work.
In the state of Queensland then WorkCover Queensland is the default workers compensation insurer. While the majority of workers in Queensland are covered by WorkCover, some larger organisations such as supermarket chains cover their employers with other insurance companies or insurance policies of their own (known as 'self-insurers').
WorkCover is a no-fault compensation scheme which means you are entitled to claim for a work related injury regardless of fault. For example, this would mean you could open a WorkCover claim for an injury that was your own fault or in a situation that was out of the employers control such as injury on the way to or from work.
WorkCover helps cover the majority of your salary through weekly payments and medical expenses such as:
These payment are temporary and designed to help cover most of your salary and costs while you recover. Where your injuries will have a long term or permanent impact then you can be assessed for permanent impairment and a lump sum offer from WorkCover. This offer may be much lower than what can be achieved using a work injury lawyer if eligible. It's best to seek legal advice as early as possible so you know the pathways open to you.
If you have experienced a work injury that occurred to the negligence of others then you may be eligible for a common law claim which can be run by a work accident lawyer. These claims are made against the insurance policy of your employer (such as WorkCover) and result in a tax-free lump sum payment on successful settlement.
The team at Murphy’s Law are experts in workers compensation claims. Our Brisbane based team helps clients across Queensland and all claims are run on a no win, no fee basis.
You can seek compensation for all the following areas:
Any physical or psychological injury can give rise to a compensation claim for damages as long as they are deemed to be related to the workplace and there was some form of negligence. Our personal injury law specialists can provide free initial advice to see if you be eligible for a compensation payout.
For people working in labour intensive roles, some of the more common injuries include:
For people working in high stress and corporate roles, some of the more common injuries we come across include:
The majority of employers in Queensland are insured through WorkCover Queensland. However, some larger companies are self-insured for worker’s compensation claims.
Regardless of the insurer, the whole process from beginning to end can be summarised as follows:
If your matter doesn’t reach a settlement at this initial meeting, we’ll then discuss your options and plan your next move. Most of the time, your claim will reach a settlement on a following date without needing to proceed to court (very few cases will ever proceed to a trial).
Typically the time limit is 3 years from the date of injury although it’s beneficial to get legal advice as soon as possible to ensure strong evidence can be gathered, you get the most assistance with your injury recovery and to avoid missing any time limits.
For any claim for common law damages, you must submit a Notice of Claim for Damages (Form 280) within 3 years of the date of your injury. If you fail to do so, you will likely lose all rights to pursue a personal injuries claim. Our work injury experts can take care of this process.
Extensions are sometimes available, but can be difficult to obtain. For that reason, we strongly encourage injured workers to seek legal advice as soon as possible before it becomes too late.
It really depends upon the nature of your injuries and your recovery.
If your injuries are less severe, you may find that your claim is finalised within 12 months. For injuries that are more severe or require multiple surgeries, it could take as long as 24 months (or longer).
Our team can provide a more accurate estimate based on your specific situation.
This is a very common question. In short, there is no set answer as it will depend on a range of factors such as past and future loss of earnings, your age, your ability to work, the amount of medical costs and so on.
Example; two workers who both broke an arm at work.
Both workers have the same injury. However, for worker 1 the impact may be a few weeks off work before being able to continue working at full capacity and pay. Worker 2 on the other hand may lose the ability to continue their trade as it required heavy lifting. They may have a much larger claim as they will suffer a very long term loss of earnings.
Our team of Brisbane work injury lawyers can provide free initial advice and will be able to provide a clearer indication of your claim once they understand your individual circumstances. Call us now or request a call-back to see if we can assist.
For small injuries requiring a few days off from work then you may not need a lawyer, just a simple claim through WorkCover.
For injuries likely to cause longer term impacts then a work accident lawyer can help secure suitable compensation. As it’s not always possible to tell if a work injury will have long term impacts it’s a good idea to seek legal advice as soon as possible to protect your rights.
Yes, you are not compelled to continue working with your employer if you decide to pursue a claim against them. However, it is advisable to seek legal advice before doing so.
No, your employer cannot terminate your employment just because you are pursuing a claim against them. An employer doing so would be potential grounds for unfair dismissal.
In order to make a common law claim, you need to serve WorkCover with your completed Notice of Claim for Damages (Form 280).
It sounds fairly simple, but to ensure that you have correctly identified and accurately valued all of your potential damages, it is strongly advised that you seek legal advice before serving WorkCover with a Notice of Claim for Damages.
First and foremost, you should notify your employer immediately. Whilst it might be useful to initially report the incident verbally, we would encourage you to inform your employer in writing of all the details concerning the accident (sending an email can be the easiest way to do this).
In return, your employer should submit a Form 3 Incident Notification Form to WorkCover which details the circumstances of the accident, the person(s) injured and their injuries.
Any superannuation benefits that you have not received (or may not receive in the future) are calculated by your lawyer and claimed as part of your damages.
Any settlement or award for damages from your WorkCover claim will not attract any additional contributions towards your superannuation.
Workers who have been injured whilst working, or who have suffered a work-related illness, may be entitled to make a claim for damages.
If you're self-employed or a subcontractor, it's still possible that you may have a claim for workers compensation.
If you’re an independent contractor, you may be entitled to other insurance claims (depending upon your insurance policy(s) that you hold).
The insurer will be responsible for paying your damages (rather than your employer).
In some instances, once you have brought a claim against your employer the premium that they pay for their insurance policy may increase.
If an employer were to treat you unfairly due to your injuries, that could constitute discrimination.
Just because you have brought a common law worker’s compensation claim doesn’t mean that employers are allowed to hold that against you. You are entitled to be treated equally alongside workers who have not been injured.
As personal injury lawyers, we are not in the best position to provide you with any financial or tax advice.
However, the short answer is no. If your settlement includes an allowance for past and future lost earnings, they are calculated on a net basis (i..e after tax). Once you receive your settlement, there shouldn’t be any tax that needs to be paid.
If you reside outside of Australia you should seek further advice on this issue before accepting a settlement.
Even though you may have been injured away from your place of work, you may still be entitled to make a claim for damages.
For example, if you were injured in a motor vehicle accident whilst heading to or from work, you may still be entitled to bring a claim against your employer.
In some circumstances, you may actually be entitled to bring two claims (a claim against your employer and a claim against the CTP insurer of the driver at fault).
Yes. If you can show that your psychological symptoms are connected with your employment, you will likely be able to pursue a claim for damages. Psychological injuries can include conditions such as PTSD after a traumatic event at work.
If you can’t work due to injury then you may be entitled to a no win, no fee workers compensation claim to help cover your past and future loss of income and costs due to your injury if the injury was work related and your employer or a third party was negligent in some way.
Regardless of fault, if it happened at work then you should be eligible to support via a WorkCover claim if it was work related. This step is needed even if you are also eligible to a lump sum compensation claim. Our work injury solicitors can assess your situation and provide free initial advice on your options.
If you have suffered a non-work related injury and are unable to work then we can assess if any options may be open to you such as a Total and Permanent disability insurance claim via your Super account or if your injury falls under another area of personal injury law such as public liability, road accident injury or medical negligence.
According to the Queensland workers’ compensation scheme statistics 2019–20 report, approximately 91,000 work injury claims are made annually in Queensland.
If you are an employee and are injured or witness an injury:
If you are an employer and one of your employees is injured:
As an employer, WorkSafe Queensland states that all employers must report work injuries sustained by workers for which compensation may be payable by their workers compensation insurer such as WorkCover.
Reporting the injury doesn’t start a compensation claim and should be done regardless of whether the employee plans to make a claim for workers compensation OR whether you think it’s an injury that could result in compensation or not.
Generally, any injury that took place at work or in the course of employment that will require time off beyond the day of injury should be reported.
Note: Murphy's Law Accident Lawyers acts for injured employees and therefore we are unable to provide advice to employers regarding their workers compensation insurance policies or work safety responsibilities. We suggest calling your workers compensation insurer or WorkSafe Queensland depending on the nature of the enquiry.
