An October 2023 decision of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission highlights the important things to be considered when dependants of a deceased worker are considering applying for worker’s compensation dependency benefits. Ultimately, in this case, the surviving family members were unsuccessful in their claim for death benefits.
It is important to know the “dos and don’ts” when making a worker's compensation claim after a workplace accident or incident. People tend to believe claiming compensation for workplace injuries is an easy process, however, there are strict time restrictions you have to comply with when commencing a claim.
Case review: Judge awards injured worker common law damages in the amount of $825,000. This was in addition to his statutory compensation from Workcover Queensland of $95,000. In total, the injured worker was awarded just shy of 1 million dollars in damages due to his employer’s negligence.