As an injured police or emergency services worker, you may be entitled to claim:
- Workers' compensation benefits for lost earnings, medical treatment, and other related expenses.
- Whole Person Impairment (WPI) compensation, along with pain and suffering damages for physical and/or psychological injuries.
- A lump sum payment for Work Injury Damages (WID) if negligence contributed to your injury, providing compensation for lost earnings.
- A Compulsory Third Party (CTP) claim if you were injured in a motor vehicle accident or suffered nervous shock.
- A Total Permanent Disability (TPD) claim through your superannuation fund and Income Protection.
Workers Compensation Benefits
The insurer provides a statutory weekly payment, subject to CPI increases every April and October, with additional amounts for dependents. These payments continue until age 68.
If you return to work with reduced earnings, the insurer must compensate for the shortfall between your pre-injury salary and current earnings, up to the maximum statutory rate. Earning capacity, not just actual earnings, is considered when determining top-up payments.
The insurer covers reasonable and necessary medical treatment expenses, including travel costs, for life.
Whole person impairment (WPI) lump sum payout
To qualify for a WPI claim, you must have 15% or greater impairment for psychological injuries or at least 1% physical impairment to receive a payment. The higher your impairment rating, the greater your compensation.
Receiving a WPI payout does not affect your entitlement to weekly benefits or treatment/related expenses, which will continue as long as you remain eligible.
A pain and suffering claim is a separate payment assessed and settled alongside your WPI claim. You may be entitled to this compensation if you have 10% or more WPI for physical injuries or 15% or more for psychological injuries.
Work injury Damages (WID) lump sum payment
You may be eligible to claim a WID lump sum if your employer’s negligence contributed to your injury, resulting in a Whole Person Impairment (WPI) assessment of 15% or greater.
CTP claim
If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident while on duty or due to witnessing a motor accident (nervous shock)—you may be eligible to lodge a CTP claim against the insurer of the at-fault driver.
Total Permanent Disablement (TPD) Claim
A TPD claim is a lump sum payment available through an insurance policy linked to your superannuation fund or a separately held policy.
In general, if you have been unable to work for and cannot return to your pre-injury or pre-illness occupation, you may be eligible to make a claim. However, eligibility criteria vary between policies, so the specific terms of your policy must be reviewed.
Income Protection
Income protection provides monthly payments from your insurer to compensate for your inability to work due to injury or illness. However, these payments are typically offset by the statutory rate received under workers’ compensation.
Most policies include a waiting period, but if your incapacity continues beyond this timeframe, you may be eligible to make a claim.
Our Team
We have a dedicated team specialising solely in personal injury claims for Police & Emergency Services workers. Contact us to find out what you can claim.