What is Fair and Reasonable?

[artme]

A bloke is working and breaks his ankle. Workcover springs to his aid!

Several months of healing and poor tretment pass. An operation is needed and the bloke will miss more work.
Workcover says (basically) "that's the way the cookie crumbles.

"Bloke is at local shopping centre, Sitting just minding his own business. Little old lady has a bad asthma attackbut doesn't have a puffe

No one else around to help so bloke hobbles to chemist and gets lady a puffer.As a result of this activity the ankle is further aggravated.

Back to Workcover. Sorry, you caused the problem. No help until after the op. and then only if our assessment shows the original injury was the real cause of your problem.


What was the bloke expected to do?? Leave the sufferer of the asthma attack to suffer more/
Seems like being a good Samaritan has risks we don't want to know about!

[wheelinround]

Look deeper to who the insurer is in the first case.

having been there done that yes cost me $$$$ that was way back in 98 so nothing new.

Yet a Police sgt falls downs steps not once but 13 times has been paid out $250k more than once.

Stress leave payouts in Gov depts payouts $$$$$$$$$$$$$

[specialist]

After having been subject to a work cover claim for a broken leg, I found there is ALMOST NOTHING fair and reasonable with workcover. And just as a side note, there ABSOLUTELY NOTHING fair and reasonable about wh&s either.

I had to make sure that every thing that I did was documented and to the letter of what was required by workcover for the entire 4 and a half months that I was off work and then the 4 weeks of light duties and then they washed their hands of me. I had to wear a pair of boots that were 1.5 sizes too big to allow me to get on my foot, it took another 3 or 4 months to get a normal sized boot on and another 2 years for me to get most of my strength back and be almost pain free.

I guess, as a foot note, they do a job and have to follow the rules, be them what they may.

Them's my thoughts.

Robert

[ozhunter]

Ah yes. I'm convinced that part of the training to work for an Insurance company that deals with Workcover (WC) is that at all costs, make life as difficult as possible for the claimant - to the point where the claimant stops trying.

In 2006, whilst working in Special Operations with Corrective Services (15 years at that time), I was injured during a training exercise. I was role playing an offender and got up ended by three officers on a concrete floor. Long story short, I broke most of the fall with my arms and elbows, but ended up with a perforated disc at c6/7 and a fair degree of nerve impingement.

As a result of the injury, I was deemed unfit for any further participation in dealing face to face inside the walls.

The bull that the insurance company carried on with (and still are) is mind blowing. I lost a promotion I had just gained because of the injury. Because I couldn't work with crims anymore, they referred me to a rehabilitation mob to try and employ me elsewhere. Without going into the finer points, at the time of the injury, I was earning pretty good money (we worked for it though, dealing with the extra special individuals that had the means and contacts on the outside to make life very, very difficult) The rehab mob tried to get me to take a job as an apprentice stock & station agent, what a flaming joke. In the finish, I was medically retired and shown the door. No pay outs, no nothing.

Then the fun started, more than once the insurance company tried to get me to supply sworn documents, reflecting things that didn't happen or where borderline illegal (illegal from the point that what was in the Stat Dec was false). Didn't get paid for 10 months, and I reckon that was their aim, to frustrate me to the point where I would just give up.

I dug my heals in and went at them, and got a result that suited me (only took 3 months). That was at the end of 2007.

I still have to jump through their hoops to get paid about a third of what I was on before the injury and probably a quarter of what I could be earning now with promotions and so forth.

I had a solicitor, and I received the grand total of $5000 as a "payout". BFD

My injury will get slowly worse as I get older, but I haven't let it get to me. I work harder now than I have for a long time and enjoy it very much. Mu neck gives me trouble occasionally, but you've just got to push on.

My long winded point is sharpened by a mate who was in the coppers and was medically retired due to stress (what he experienced at accidents over a couple of years would be enough to send anybody off the rails. He is one of the throw your hands in the air victims. The insurance company rode him like they rode me and he gave up, and now gets no money from them. Stress leave payouts aren't what they used to be (especially if you are pre '88.)

To anyone in a similar situation, please don't give up. Stick it right up the mongrels and you will get some joy, and some is better than the position my mate is in. Stay strong.

Sorry for the long reply, that is really the first time I've put into print what I went through (and still go through) with the insurance company.

Keep your chin up and keep at them.

[fenderbelly]

Lets be honest we all know work cover isn't there to look after you, it's there to save the government money.

They will make it as hard as possible for you just to make you give up.

[wheelinround]

Had some thoughts on this today.

Government created this department to care and look after the interests of those who became injured, it created positions with in the Gov workforce all of these people are covered well and truely in and for compensation. They are now going out of their way to make sure those whom they should be helping do not get what they deserve.

Would that then make this department being paid for what they do false. Should this department now be closed down and all employed made to leave gov positions and go work in private industry.

Either way KARMA happens.

[Tonyz]

My side to the story.

In '98 amputated 1st didget off little finger, cut 1/2 way through bone on middle finger and mangled index finger so bad had to be removed at 2nd knuckle.
Had sense to know cold water would stop bleeding so yelled out 'accident call ambo'...walking past another workbench dopey bugger is splayed out on floor, 'what the hells his problem' thought I... my little finger had landed on cabinet he was assembling.
This was a Wed 2pm operated on at 6pm out of hospital Friday arvo. 2 weeks later I was ready to return to work, yes I knew Id need time off for physio & stuff.

Do you think worksafe would let me back, "no way man you need to restore your body" was there written reply "i'll restore my body a lot bloody quicker working than stuffing around with little toys 3 times a week.

They were the biggest pain up the peverbial I'd ever met, but I got them in the end. Refused their payout offer, Lawyers were going to cost $200 an hour so joined union 1st time in my life ($85.) only cause members had free use of their lawyer, banged worksafe for another 20K then resigned from union after 5 weeks use and got $75 back bonus.
Judge liked the fact couldnt tie shoelaces, couldnt cut a decent steak and couldnt pick me nose... poor bugger fell off his chair laughing

Workcover actually hindered my return to work.