The health and safety of employees should be the priority of an employer. In Australia, if you get sick or injured at work, you are entitled to a workers' compensation. The scheme entails payment for medical bills and rehabilitation until an employee can get back to work. Furthermore, workers' compensation takes care of the wages of a worker until they can work again. States and territories have various laws that regulate workers' compensation. When you plan to claim workers' compensation, you need to work with a lawyer. An attorney will guide a worker in making an insurance claim in line with state laws. Here are some tips about claiming workers' compensation.

Workers' Compensation Attorney — Before you can lodge a claim for workers' compensation, you need to consult a workers' compensation attorney. Such a lawyer focuses on workplace injuries and is responsible for helping an injured worker to get benefits. Claims that a lawyer lodges include financial losses as a result of missed work, medical bills and rehabilitation costs. Furthermore, if you have suffered an injury or pain due to negligence on the part on an employer, your attorney will file charges under the workplace laws in your jurisdiction.

Eligibility Criteria — Before an attorney assesses your case for merit, they need to know if your case fits within the workers' compensation claim criteria. Although each state and territory in Australia has its laws related to work-related injuries and disease, there is a common thread in such legislation. Generally, a workers' compensation attorney will take cases involving automobile accidents, falls, equipment malfunctions, injuries caused by lifting things and recurring strain injuries.

Reporting Accidents — For a workers' compensation claim to have chances of success, an injured employee must have reported the incident. Report to your supervisor or employer about the work-related accident as soon as possible. In some jurisdictions, an employer is required to notify their insurer about an incident for subsequent investigation. In other states, your attorney must report the accident to an insurer. Reporting is not only crucial for claiming for compensation, but it also helps in a lawsuit in case of employer negligence.

Claiming Damages — Ideally, a workers' compensation is a 'no-fault' scheme, where an injured worker is entitled to certain benefits without the need to prove that an employer was negligent. However, in certain circumstances where an injury was caused by employer negligence, an injured party can sue for work injury damages claim. Here, you need to work with an attorney because of the legal processes involved in claiming for damages.

For more information, reach out to a workers' compensation lawyer.