Have you been injured in an accident at work? We can help you. Every day, we help people across Western Australia get the compensation they deserve for workplace injuries.
We understand that making a claim can be scary. You may be worried about the costs involved, the time it takes, and the impact on your employment prospects. We want to reassure you that you have nothing to worry about.
Under Australian law, your employer has a duty of care to look after your health, safety and wellbeing. Unfortunately, though, accidents at work still happen. When they do, we’re here to help you recover your loss of earnings and get the proper medical support.
In the last year alone, we’ve made claims for people in all kinds of professions: mining, nursing, construction, education and more. With our depth and breadth of legal experience, we’re well-placed to handle any workplace compensation claim.
Below, you’ll get a deeper understanding of the most frequent workplace claims we work on, and how claims tend to vary depending on industry.
37% of our clients received compensation for overexertion injuries
Overexertion injuries are painful sprains, strains and aches that happen when you push your body beyond its limits time and time again.
Unfortunately, many physical jobs demand that people put excessive pressure on their backs, arms and legs. Tasks like heavy lifting, staying in the same position for too long and pushing or pulling heavy objects can all lead to overexertion.
In line with this, last year, 37% of our clients’ compensation claims were for overexertion injuries. Our data shows that individuals working in the mining and construction sectors were most likely to suffer from repeat strains and sprains.
Often, injuries are related to repeated use of heavy machinery and overuse of hand tools like drills, which are known to cause bodily stress over time.
Over one-third of claims were for broken bones
Breaking a bone is an extremely painful and upsetting experience that can have long-term ramifications. You may be unable to work for months, which, in turn, can negatively impact your mental health.
Over a third of the claims we made last year were for broken bones, and most of our clients worked in the construction industry. Falls, machinery accidents and faulty tools make construction a high-risk sector for fractures and broken bones.
Mental health-related claims are on the rise
Bullying, stress and poor working conditions can all severely impact your mental health. We firmly believe that no individual should work in an environment that harms their wellbeing.
Thankfully, recognition of mental health-related issues has improved widely over the last few years, both from employers and employees. In line with this, our data shows mental health-related claims rose from 5% of total claims in 2015 to 9% in 2021.
If you’re struggling with feelings of anxiety, depression, insomnia or stress due to your working conditions, you don’t have to suffer in silence. We can help you with a stress-at-work compensation claim.
One in ten claims were for lacerations
Lacerations are deep cuts or tears to the skin. These injuries range from relatively minor to severe, even causing muscle damage and leaving life-long scars.
Our research found that one in ten claims last year were for lacerations, most of which were made by individuals working in the healthcare sector.
Given the nature of many healthcare professionals’ duties, there is a high risk of suffering lacerations. Working with complex medical equipment, restraining patients, and workplace violence can all lead to physical harm.
Second to lacerations, our data shows that back injuries are common among healthcare professionals, who are often expected to carry heavy equipment, lift and move patients. All of this puts the body under stress.
Machinery and vehicle accidents caused almost one-third of claims
In many workplace settings, employees are expected to operate and work alongside heavy machinery such as cars, tractors and bulldozers. Under law, companies using these machines must take reasonable steps to keep their employees safe when they are using or near them.
However, as our data shows, almost one-third of claims last year were related to machinery and vehicle accidents. In particular, individuals in the mining sector suffered the most machinery-related injuries, closely followed by people working in the logistics industry.
A no-win-no-fee approach to workplace compensation
When you’re impacted by an accident at work, we’ll help you get the full amount of compensation that you’re entitled to on a no-win no-fee basis.
We are committed to helping you through this difficult time. We will take care of all aspects of your claim so you can focus on your recovery.
Don’t wait any longer. Let’s get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today.
