According to Safe Work Australia, hand injuries account for 13% of workplace injuries in Australia. Hand injuries include but are not limited to cuts, crushed/broken hand, loss of a hand, nerve damage, carpal tunnel, and burns.
Hand injuries may be severe and limit your daily and work life. Regardless of how you suffered a hand injury, you may be entitled to compensation benefits.
What are my entitlements?
Your entitlements vary depending on where you are injured. You can find the most common hand injury claims below:
Hand injury at the workplace
If you suffered a hand injury during work, you may be entitled to claim
- Medical expenses – including surgeries, physiotherapy, and equipment
- Weekly payments – depending on your capacity for work and average preinjury income
- Lump-sum payment – if your whole person impairment is greater than 10%, or 0% if you are an exempt worker
- Domestic assistance – if your injuries are greater than the 14% whole person impairment
- Common law payout – if your injuries are greater than the 14% whole person impairment and your employer was at fault
Hand injury due to traffic accident
- Medical expenses – including surgeries, physiotherapy, and equipment
- Weekly payments – depending on your capacity for work and average preinjury income
- Future economic loss lump sum payment –if your injury is non-minor and you are mostly not at fault
- Pain and suffering lump sum payout – if your injuries are non-minor, greater than 10% and you are mostly not at fault
How do I claim?
As it’s mentioned above, hand injuries can occur in multiple ways and each injury type has its own legal procedure. However, the majority of the hand injuries are work-related; if you are injured at work, you can call our personal injury lawyers to have a free claim check!
The workplace accident hand injury legal process steps include:
Step 1 – Contact the employer and report the injury.
Step 2 – Seek medical treatment and request your GP complete the Certificate of Capacity. That document should include your GP’s opinion on your capacity to work.
Step 3 – Complete a Work Injury Claim Form and submit it as soon as possible to your employer who should notify their workers compensation insurer immediately.
How long does hand injury claims take?
Generally speaking, work-related hand injuries take approximately 1.5 years however the length is not fixed, and determined by multiple factors. Our personal injury lawyers can help you estimate the settlement time once they understand your claim better.
How much compensation will I get for a hand injury?
Hand injuries can be complicated and make the legal process complex as well. The amount that an injured person may receive depends on multiple factors including the recovery time, economical loss, being able to go back to work, age and so on. Each personal injury claim is different and it’s not accurate to mention a specific amount for hand injuries without knowing anything about the claim. Our personal injury lawyers who provide free claim checks can estimate your compensation benefits and inform you about what compensation benefits you may get for your hand injury.
Frequently asked questions
Hand injuries can be categorised into six types:
- Cuts
- Fractures and dislocations
- Infections
- High-pressure injuries
- Amputations
- Burns
According to Safe Work Australia, manufacturing, retail, construction, hospitality, business services, health services and agriculture industries have the highest hand injury rates in Australia.
Reach our hearing loss lawyers for a free claim assessment
Injury compensation benefits may help you recover from the trauma and continue the life that you go through. Our personal injury lawyers, will explain your entitlements and how to claim them clearly.. If you would like to work with us, then we will ensure you claim the maximum possible compensation for your injury. Our firm works on a No Win No Fee basis; meaning that if you decide to work with us, you will not have to pay any legal fees if we do not win your case.
Issa Rabaya
• Bachelor of Laws
• Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
• Approved Legal Service Provider to the Work Cover Independent Review Office
• Member of the Law Society
