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Archive | November, 2011

Workcover insurer use Facebook photos to determine injured workers not depressed

By on November 30, 2011 in Fraud & Abuse, Surveillance, WTF

If someone receiving disability or workcover benefits for a bad back brags on Facebook or Twitter about finishing a marathon, chances are their workcover insurance company will find out and stop the checks [weekly payments]. Now there’s another reason to be careful about what you post on Facebook: Your workcover insurance company may be watching. [...]

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Accident Compensation Act amended mental injury: a first judgment in the Magistrate’s Court

By on November 30, 2011 in Legal cases, Legislation

Further to our blogs and comments about bullying in the workplace, you may be interested to know that the Magistrates’ Court (Vic) has recently handed down its first judgment under the amended provisions of section 82(2A) of the Accident Compensation Act related to mental injury. The Accident Compensation Act section 82(2A), which applies to “mental [...]

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police fight for their workcover compensation rights

By on November 30, 2011 in Media, News

Up to 5000 uniformed police officers rallied outside NSW Parliament in Macquarie Street on 22 November  in protest against the government’s plans to slash compensation payments to officers who are injured or disabled in the line of duty.The officers are furious at planned changes to the state’s Death and Disability Scheme, which would restrict some [...]

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Workers at war: a case of bullying

By on November 29, 2011 in Bullying & Stress, Media, News

IN a federal government office where she worked as a receptionist, 18 floors above Adelaide’s city centre, Charmaine Pickett was barely on speaking terms with her colleagues. Over seven years she had made bullying and harassment claims against seven fellow public servants, complaining their behaviour had left her stressed, humiliated and depressed. Her supervisors, in [...]

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Returning injured workers to work: expert suggestions

By on November 29, 2011 in Media, Return to work

Following today’s interesting, earlier post about the disillusions and realities about rehabilitation and return to work, there may just be some hope should employers (and of course, workcover case managers) of injured workcover victims follow (some of) Dr Benner’s expert advice regarding return to work. Let’s face it, every employer has – at some stage- [...]

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Disillusioned workcover rehabilitation clinician’s speaks out

By on November 29, 2011 in Fraud & Abuse, Stories

An anonymous rehabilitation service provider clinician, who undertakes many injured workcover victims rehabilitation and vocational assessments on behalf of various workcover insurance agencies, has kindly (thank you!) shared her/his insights in dealing with workcover case managers via our “share a story” page. Here is his/her story about his/her experience in dealing with workcover case managers. [...]

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Union urges NSW government to exempt the Dust Diseases Tribunal and workers compensation board from its plan to amalgamate the state’s tribunals

By on November 28, 2011 in Media, News, Politics

Our loyal reader and contributor “None” has kindly sourced this interesting article (thank you!). “None” rightly tells us that we have here (yet another) inquiry that will inevitably lead to a reduction in workcover benefits. “None” also refers – ironically-  that John Howard once said that “you don’t call an inquiry into something unless you [...]

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Some workcover insurance violations and wrongdoings

By on November 28, 2011 in Fraud & Abuse

Here is an extensive list of well known and reported workcover insurance companies’ violations and wrongdoings. Please feel free to add any more wrongdoings to the list! [source: personal emails from injured workcover victims, personal experience, multiple workcover related national and international websites]  

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Compensation payments for injuries by insurance companies reduced yet again

By on November 27, 2011 in Legislation, Politics, Ramblings & Whinges

Don’t move to Queensland! On 1 July 2011, a compensation regime which imposes Civil Liability Laws on Queensland workers came into effect. At the same time, the Civil Liability Law itself was also tightened. These changes caused yet again compensation payments by insurance companies, including WorkCover, to be reduced again. Civil Liability Laws were enforced [...]

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Serious injury application cases may be heard much quicker now

By on November 27, 2011 in Legal cases, Serious injury, WorkCover, WorkSafe Vic

Whilst we’ve been talking about “serious injuries“…Earlier this year, the County Court of Victoria had announced that it proposes to implement Judicial Settlement Conferences in serious injury cases from 2012. Two pilot programmes of these judicial settlement conferences have been conducted by the Court, however with mixed results. These conferences were (are) informal, but held [...]

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The legal abuse syndrome – it’s real

By on November 26, 2011 in WTF

The legal abuse syndrome really exists and basically can be compared to post traumatic stress  (PTSD) from going through the court system! And by constantly being “hit in the knee” (being re-injured!). Watch this interesting video (an interview with a PTSD expert) …. So, I guess for those poor buggers, like “Ben”, who are currently [...]

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Xchanging denies taxi travel based on the misuse of selective medical information

By on November 26, 2011 in Diary entries, Fraud & Abuse, WTF, Xchanging

Well, well, I had just about recovered from smashing my head in with that baseball bat regarding the most unpleasant dealings with my complaint raising issue with WorkSafe, when I – today – miraculously – received – at last (!) – a very nauseating rejection letter from Xchanging, denying me taxi transport to and from [...]

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WorkSafe Victoria accused of being unsafe

By on November 25, 2011 in Fraud & Abuse, Media, News, OH&S, WorkSafe Vic

I am not sure if you are aware but “Brodies Law” (legislation) was introduced not long after Victorian teenager Brodie Panlock tragically committed suicide after having been bullied by her colleagues at a cafe she worked in. WorkSafe Victoria, the very organisation that has recently been campaigning itself silly for an increase in the reporting [...]

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About WorkSafe complaints: F-off approach

By on November 24, 2011 in Diary entries, WorkSafe Vic, WTF

Following yesterdays post about Xchanging sending the debt collectors in my neck, because those pathetic penny-pinchers have been refusing to pay for a most reasonable medical blood test, prescribed by my treating upper limb specialist surgeon on 24 August and undertaken on 5 September, for the sole purpose of evaluating an infection in my shoulder. [...]

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People who should get disability benefits aren’t getting it

By on November 24, 2011 in Media, Politics

Well, given that I lay awake anyway in extreme shoulder pain, and was thinking about federal fraud and Medicare, I surfed the net and stumbled on this Wall Street Journal, which recently published an interesting article about the Social Security Administration (aka SSA). The Wall Street Journal reports that the SSA is so very frustrated [...]

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Xchanging sends the debt collectors

By on November 23, 2011 in Diary entries, Fraud & Abuse, Xchanging

I am furious, frustrated and about to take a baseball bat to my head. Xchanging, well, I guess my case manager from hell, has been refusing to settle a blood test account since 5 September, and as a result I have now received a final notice of the -now long overdue account- stating that if [...]

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