Top tips for lodging claims for WorkCover

We’ve put together some top tips for lodging claims for WorkCover to try and help dispel some myths about how it all works.

Know your rights and entitlements

Lodging your claim for WorkCover can be a stressful experience and more often than not workers will turn to family, friends and colleagues for advice before lodging their own claim. It’s always a great idea to try and get as much information as you can, especially from people who may have been through the process before, but our experience has been that workers sometimes don’t get access to completely accurate information early in the process and this might lead them to abandon a claim for entitlements they’re not sure they can access.

Firstly, for an injury associated with your job or workplace, there is no time limit for lodging your WorkCover claim form but you are required to lodge it as soon as possible after your injury and while you are still working for your employer. You must also report your injury with your employer within 30 days of the injury but your WorkCover claim form is not the same thing and must be lodged separately. WorkCover claim forms can be downloaded from www.worksafe.vic.gov.au or found at an Australia Post Office.

Often filling out a WorkCover claim form can be an unsettling thing to tackle on your own. Feel free to contact us on 1800 21 22 23 or here on our website for some helpful and knowledgeable assistance. We’re always happy to help.

Lodging your claim form can be done one of two ways. You can either choose to lodge it with your employer or you can send via post. We suggest using registered post to ensure you have a record of when you sent it. The more information you have for your claim, the easy it will be to stay on top of where you are in the process and what you’re entitled to receive or dispute should you need to.

What’s covered by WorkCover?

WorkSafe is a government body dedicated to maintaining safe and healthy workplaces for all Victorians. Their role includes helping workplaces to prevent injuries as well as managing access for injured workers to rehabilitation services, the best medical care, and compensation for short and long-term work related injuries and illnesses.

In our experience, people are not always aware of which kinds of injuries constitute ‘workplace’ injuries. You should lodge a WorkCover claim for any injury you have sustained while undertaking a task required for your work. These types of injuries might include sudden incidents related to a specific task such as lifting a heavy box or operating machinery.

They might also include longer term injuries which have degenerated over time due to repetitive tasks or issues in the workplace. If you are unsure whether your injury qualifies you for a WorkCover claim then you should, in the first instance, discuss your injury with your doctor and seek assistance from a firm like us who understand the intricacies and legalities of WorkCover claims.

What happens after you lodge your WorkCover claim?

After you have completed and lodged your WorkCover claim form by handing it to your employer or via post, your employer has 10 days to forward your claim to their WorkCover insurer. The insurer then has 28 days to advise you of your claim status, whether you have been accepted or rejected.

Should your WorkCover claim be rejected then you have 60 days in which to dispute their decision. This is the best time to seek our help as this can be a stressful time and we can offer specific, tailored advice and assistance with your lodging your dispute.

For more information call us today on 1800 21 22 23.