Work injury leads to amputation and decade-long road to recovery October is National Safe Work Month, held annually in October, to encourage all individuals and organisations to prioritise work health and safety (WHS) and take preventative action to reduce the number of work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities. This year’s theme is “Safety is everyone’s business” which promotes a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right across all industries and occupations. At Arnold Thomas & Becker, we fight for the rights of thousands of injured workers across Victoria. ATB lawyer Joseph Ridley said, “Everyone has the right to come home from work safely. The ripple effects from preventable injuries are huge; not only for the individual but for their family and friends.” “Workplace negligence is a failure of the employer to provide a duty of care. Your employer has a responsibility to keep you as safe as possible, no matter what job you perform.” When people think of workplace injuries, they may think of the most common kinds of injuries – ones that arise from pushing, pulling, or lifting, and incidents involving machinery. While these are certainly some of the most common ones we see, there are other injuries that may seem uncomplicated on the surface but can be catastrophic. David’s decade-long story One July day in 2014, our client, David, was loading his car to go onsite and some tasks like he had done many times before. On this day, as he was loading the car, he stepped into an old hole and slipped on the gravel that was in it, and consequently fractured his ankle and compressed lower discs in his back. When the injury wasn’t resolving after three months, David visited a specialist and had scans that showed he still had fractures in his ankle. Two surgeries later, David’s ankle still was not healing as it should. He went through yet another, more drastic surgery, which was also, sadly, unsuccessful. By this time, the stress of all the surgeries and psychological trauma was compounding. David began investigating the unimaginable: amputation, as it meant far less pain for him in the long run. In November 2019, the amputation was completed with no issues. Six months later, David continued to face problems – this time, with the scar tissue around the amputation site, which involved another four surgeries and a staph infection that almost resulted in more of his limb being amputated. After what appeared to be a ‘simple’ injury one day at work over a decade ago, to this day David still faces complications and a long road ahead. We can help you get compensation you deserve If you have been injured at work in Victoria you will be entitled to compensation under the Victorian WorkCover system. This is a ‘no-fault’ scheme. You can still make a claim even if the accident was your fault. We know that suffering an injury at work can have a catastrophic effect on your health, emotional well-being, quality of life and financial security. We also know that dealing with large government agencies can be challenging, which is not what you need when you should be focusing on your recovery. With Arnold Thomas & Becker WorkCover lawyers on your side, you can be sure you will get the maximum compensation you are entitled to, including lump sums, medical expenses and weekly payments. Let us eliminate the stress and frustration while you get better. For more information, visit our Workers Compensation page. Contact us For more information on our WorkCover lawyers, or any of our other legal services including superannuation and road accident claims, pop into one of our offices in Victoria or phone us on 03 9626 9541.