Disability support worker receives $700k for psychological injuries.

14 May 2024

For Stephen, a duty of care and passion for supporting disabled children in the community had been second nature for years. So after experiencing a debilitating set of psychological injuries, the idea of receiving support back in kind was completely foreign to him.

But with help from Law Partners, Stephen came to understand it was OK for him to receive care and assistance, too. We were able to get him money for vital care and treatment, along with a compensation payout to help support his family and get his life back on track.

Carers deserve care, too.

Caring for troubled children in bleak circumstances had begun to take a toll on Stephen. He’d been managing care for a child in a particularly difficult case for some time and had reached out to his employer and the care sector for support. Unfortunately, help didn’t arrive, and Stephen – feeling traumatised and isolated – was diagnosed with an acute mix of depression and PTSD.

Encouraged by friends and family, Stephen called Law Partners for help with workers compensation. As a care worker, he felt guilty about seeking compensation or support for himself, and was unsure about suing the disability care sector, feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

We convinced Stephen that he was only human, and explained that workers compensation is a no-fault scheme. That means if you’ve been injured physically or psychologically, you’re entitled to support, payments, and wages while you recover. We really got to know Stephen, to fully understand the impact of his injuries on his life, so we could maximise his compensation entitlements.

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Recovering and supporting his family.

Law Partners was able to get Stephen a total payout of over $700,000. This covers wages and medical treatment expenses, an initial lump sum of $50,000, and a final Work Injury Damages (WID) claim of approximately $500,000. This is compensation that helps Stephen to fully recover and support his family while he plans the next phase of his career and life.

The insurance company disputed our findings, going so far as to capture Stephen taking his kids to the beach via surveillance to prove he was fit to work. Fortunately, we successfully disproved the insurer’s opinion by gathering medical reports and clinical notes from his doctors. This evidence showed that Stephen was encouraged to do outdoor activities, like going to the beach with his family, as part of his mental health recovery.

Our medical evidence also helped demonstrate a full picture of how Stephen’s psychological injury was affecting him, in all areas of his life.

As Stephen says, “Law Partners, Kiran Malai and the team stuck by my side and really helped me get through an incredibly tough time. I’ll forever be grateful for their help, as I could never have managed this by myself.

“Money doesn’t solve everything of course, and I’m not sure what the future holds career wise. But I can now finally look ahead and feel more positive, invest some savings for my family, and get on with life again. I don’t feel so alone anymore, thanks to Law Partners.”