HOW WE HELPED | Lin

Lin had been working in Tasmania for about two years when she had a fall at work and hurt her hand and shoulder. She went to the Accident and Emergency department of her local hospital for treatment and was given a workers compensation medical certificate.

When the certificate ended, Lin went back to the hospital. The doctor told her she needed two more weeks off, but Lin refused a medical certificate because she needed to be at work. She went back to work but the pain continued. Lin went back to see the same doctor, who gave her a new workers compensation medical certificate.

She had difficulty making her claim and was confused about the next steps, so she contacted Worker Assist for help. We explained that she had a gap in her medical certificates, which created a problem with her claim. We then told the insurer the reasons for the gap, including Lin’s difficulties with English and her reluctance to be on workers compensation.

HOW WE HELPED | Martin

Martin made a workers compensation claim after years of constant verbal abuse from his manager. His doctor supported his claim. However, his manager disputed his claim. Martin got a section 81A referral in the mail – a legal letter saying that the insurer doesn’t think they should pay compensation – and didn’t know what the next steps were.

We explained his options and let him know about the process with the Tribunal. After the dispute was made, Martin’s weekly payments and medical expense payments were stopped. We helped Martin make a referral to the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Tribunal and his weekly payments and medicals were reinstated.

HOW WE HELPED | Gemma

When Gemma hurt herself lifting boxes at work, her doctor told her she would need at least three weeks off and referred her for further scans. She wasn’t sure what to do with the workers compensation certificate her doctor gave her, or what to do about her injury. After a night searching for answers on the internet, Gemma contacted Worker Assist to find out the next steps.

We explained how the Tasmanian workers compensation process works. We also sent her all the forms she needed to make her workers compensation claim and told how to tell her workplace about the accident. Gemma has now recovered from her injury and returned to work.

HOW WE HELPED | Tammy

Tammy was worried about an upcoming appointment with her employer’s medical specialist. She wasn’t getting the answers she needed, and wanted to talk things through with someone independent before taking the next step.

We looked at Tammy’s workers compensation claim and the medical management she had been given so far and told her about she could do. Tammy stayed in contact, talking to us about other issues she was having with the claim process.

HOW WE HELPED | Jimmy

After his compensation payments for a knee injury suddenly dropped down, Jimmy, a casual mechanic, had lots of questions. He wasn’t sure how his payments were calculated and didn’t know who to talk to about the next steps.

We spoke to the insurer about his payments and worked with them to check his current rate of pay. We talked to Jimmy about the payment structure and explained when the next changes to his payments would happen and why. Based on our work, the insurer reviewed the payments and then altered Jimmy’s pay.

HOW WE HELPED | Alexandra

After 2 years off work because of bullying, Alexandra was getting ready to return to work. Her appointments with her rehabilitation provider and doctor were making her very anxious. She had also been to lots of specialists for the insurer, but hadn’t seen any of the reports. She needed someone to help her take the next steps, including managing her return-to-work plan.

Worker Assist showed her practical ways to manage her return-to-work plan with her rehabilitation provider and doctor. We also explained her rights when attending appointments with her doctor, and in getting copies of her medical reports.

HOW WE HELPED | Frances

Frances injured her shoulder on a school excursion when she returned to work from maternity leave. Her doctor gave her a steroid injection in her shoulder, which made her arm swell up. She was then given a referral for an ultrasound of her swollen arm.

Her claim was accepted but the insurer disputed the ultrasound, saying it wasn’t directly related to her injury. This left her about $400.00 out of pocket for medical expenses. Because of her injury, she couldn’t live her normal life and was unable to work or drive.

Frances didn’t want to talk to a lawyer, so she asked Worker Assist what the next steps were. We told her that she needed to get medical proof that the treatment was linked to her original injury, and explained how to give this to the insurer. We then helped her work through the dispute and explained her options.