How to lodge a workers compensation claim in Victoria

Have you been injured at work, but are not sure what to do next?

Has your doctor told you that you need to take time off work due to your injury?

Certificate of Capacity

The most important thing you need to do is to ask your doctor to provide you with a WorkCover Certificate of Capacity. Your doctor has this form available to them and most doctors are very familiar with how to fill in this form. Your first Certificate of Capacity can be for a period of up to 14 days. After that, your certificate can be up to 28 days at a time.

Appointments with doctors can be hard to get, so book ahead!

Workers compensation claim form

You also need to complete and lodge a workers compensation claim form. The claim form is available on the Victorian WorkCover Authority’s website or at post offices.

We can assist you to complete the claim form, if needed. Please contact our office and request an appointment to help with the form. Your first appointment will be a free consultation.

You can access the Workers Injury Claim Form from WorkSafe Victoria here.

Lodge your claim

You need to lodge your claim with your employer as soon as possible, because it takes time for the insurer to consider and decide upon your claim.

You can lodge your workers compensation claim form by handing it to your employer, posting it to them or emailing it to them. Your employer must forward your claim and certificate to its WorkCover insurance within 10 days. The insurer then has up to 28 days to decide on your claim.

So it can take up to 38 days for your claim to be decided. During that time you may need to rely on sick leave, annual leave, or a Centrelink benefit if you cannot work at all.

How to appeal

If your claim is rejected, you have 60 days to appeal the decision to the Workplace Injury Commission. We can assist you with the appeal, so please make an appointment as soon as possible after you receive the decision, so that we can do the necessary preparation.