Tag: WorkCover

WorkCover and TPD, Can you claim both at the same time?

If you’re unable to work due to an injury or illness there are a number of compensation options available to you depending on how the injury or illness came about. When talking about a work-related injury, some of the most common …

Welding Safety: A new standard for fume control

On the 18th of January the Work Health and Safety Ministers agreed to an immediate reduction in the workplace exposure standards for welding fumes. The exposure standard for welding fumes has been reduced from an 8- hour time weighted average of 5mg/m3 to 1mg/m3.

Since 2019, three Victorian workers have died due to diseases caused by being exposed to welding fumes. Zaparas Lawyers currently act for a number of terminal welders suffering from lung cancer and therefore unfortunately this death rate will continue grow.

These reductions of the previous standards have been made to protect those who work within industries that are exposed to the fumes. WorkSafe Victoria have used this announcement of the changes as an opportunity to urge Victorian employers to assess their control measures for managing welding fumes.

Fighting for our client, while inadvertently fighting for all injured Victorians: Vicinity Centres PM Pty Ltd -v- Arik [2023]

What started out as an investigation into whether a Medical Panel determination in a Public Liability Claim was invalid by way of jurisdictional error, proceeded to and continues to disrupt the Personal Injury sphere across Victoria.

In Victoria, whether you are permanently injured in a public space, at work or in a transport accident, your injuries will be assessed in accordance with the American Medical Association Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment 4th Edition (‘the AMA Guides’). The AMA Guides allow for a determination as to percentage of whole person impairment (‘WPI’) that can be attributed to injuries of the injured person. The WPI impacts the compensation entitlements one may be entitled to under the Wrongs Act 1958 (VIC), the Transport Accident Act 1986, and the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation Compensation Act 2013.

Seeing your own Doctor after an injury at work

Workplace injuries can have profound physical and psychological effects on employees and their families. It is every worker’s right to expect a safe work environment, and if an injury does occur, taking the right steps is crucial for appropriate and timely treatment and potential compensation.

Client Success Story: Damages for Retail Worker Assaulted by Suspected Shoplifter

Zaparas Lawyers successfully assisted an injured retail worker to obtain damages following an assault by a suspected shoplifter.

In 2017 near the end of the workday, our client, a Retail Sales Assistant working by herself, was assisting a customer in a clothing shop when a Shopping Centre Security Guard indicated that a person who had just entered her shop was acting suspiciously and had put something in her stomach region. Our client finished serving the customer and tidied some racks when the suspicious character removed an item of clothing that she had hidden in her own clothes, threw them on the ground and as she went to leave the store she grabbed our client, forcefully pushing her to the ground.

Tradies health risks and rights to compensation

Trade occupations represent nearly 60% of serious workers’ compensation claims in Australia despite only making up about 30% of the workforce.

Occupational Exposure to Benzene can result in Adverse Health Effects

Benzene, an aromatic hydrocarbon, is mainly derived from petroleum and is used as an intermediate in the chemical industry as well as a solvent in paint, inks, dyes, thinners, adhesives, and coatings. It is also commonly used in the production of polymers, resins, synthetic fibres, and rubber products.

COVID-19 Dependency Claim Settlement

In 2021, our client’s father, the deceased, worked as a Sales Manager with a manufacturing company. During the deceased’s period of exposure to COVID-19, the Greater Melbourne area was subject to its 6th lockdown, with orders made by the Victorian Government that limited amongst other things what work premises could be open, who could attend them and what measures needed to be in place to limit or seek to limit the spread of COVID-19 infections. The deceased only left his residence to attend his work’s premises during the weekdays or once a week to go grocery shopping. The deceased tested positive to COVID-19 and unfortunately passed away about two weeks later due to complications from the infection. Shortly after the deceased tested positive to COVID-19, about four of his colleagues also tested positive. His daughter subsequently lodged a WorkCover dependency claim which was rejected by the WorkCover insurer.

Know Your Rights: Understanding the 28-Day Liability Determination Process for WorkCover Claims in Victoria

WorkCover claims are important for workers who have suffered injuries or illnesses as a result of their work. It is essential for those injured at work to understand the process in making a WorkCover claims as they aid an individual financially during such a stressful time.