If you’ve injured yourself at work and you need to see a doctor in order to make a Workcover claim, or you are looking to make a claim through the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) for injuries you sustained during a transport accident, choosing the right medical practitioner is imperative.
What to Do If You’ve Had an Accident at Work
If you have had an accident at work, you need to report it immediately to your supervisor. The company then needs to report the injury to their insurer within 48 hours.
When lodging a claim through Workcover, and if you are away from work for 7 consecutive days, you need to choose a nominated treating doctor (NTD) who you will continue to see throughout the duration of your claim. If you don’t do this, you won’t receive any compensation payments.
What to Do If You’ve Had a Transport Accident
If you were involved in an accident (whether it is car, bike, bus, train, tram) and you’re making a claim with the TAC, you need to be aware that if you have all the right information, you can claim on the following: ambulance, rehabilitation, disability support, medical and therapy services, medication and travel.
How Can Your Doctor Help?
In both instances, your doctor will provide you certificates outlining your capacity to work, but they also play a critical role in helping you return to work.
They will be responsible for the primary care of your injury, monitoring your progress, assessing your capability of returning to work and facilitating that return if and when it does occur, and referrals to other health care services.
Take comfort in the fact that according to WorkCover, while the majority of injured workers don’t take any time off work – out of those that do, 80% return to work within the first 13 weeks.
