Whole Person Impairment Compensation

If you are injured at work, you might be entitled to compensation in the hundreds and thousands of dollars.

It’s important to seek legal advice if you are being assessed for your whole person impairment. 

A whole person impairment payout is a lump sum payment to compensate you for the overall effect your work injury has had on your life. This lump sum payout is in addition to any weekly payments, medical and related expenses that you may have received.

If any of the below questions apply to you, read on for everything you need to know about how we can help you with your whole person impairment assessment.

1. Are you due to have an impairment examination to assess your whole person impairment?
2. Have you already had an examination and have been disappointed with the impairment percentage result?  
3. Have been told by Workcover that you have a whole person impairment of 20% or less? 

What is Whole Person Impairment

Whole person impairment (WPI) is a measurement of permanent damage to a person’s body caused by an injury or illness. It’s expressed as a percentage.  

What can cause WPI? 

• Physical injuries like  back injuries, bulging discs, shoulder tears, knee injuries, fractures, brain injuries, amputations and severe burns  

• Psychological injuries like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)  

Why Impairment Assessments are Important 

• You could be entitled to a lump sum payment in addition to weekly payments, medical expenses, and other benefits  

• To receive an impairment benefit lump sum for physical injury you must show that you have suffered at least a 10% whole person impairment  

• To receive a “no fault” impairment benefit lump sum for psychological injury you must show that you have suffered at least a 30% whole person impairment  

• To be seen to have suffered a “serious injury” for pain and suffering damages and lost wages you must show that you have suffered at least a 30% whole person impairment (or you have to go through a different test) 

• To stay on weekly payments after 130 weeks you must show that you have suffered at least a 21% whole person impairment  

How Whole Person Assessments Work In Victoria

• Assessments are conducted by specially trained doctors called Independent Impairment Assessors (IIAs). 
• When disputes arise about whole person impairment assessments, we recommend that you seek advice from our lawyers who can advise on issues such as liability and apportionment.

When should I seek legal advice or go to a Medical Panel?  

If you have been asked to attend a medical examination, or feel your WPI is not accurate you may wish to obtain expert legal advice. You have options such as appealing to a Medical Panel or pursuing the claim in court.  We can help you achieve an outcome which can have a significant impact on your compensation entitlements.

• The difference between an 18% impairment and a 21% impairment can be the difference between a lifetime of weekly payments, or being cut off after 2 and half years.  
• The difference between a 10% impairment and a 30% impairment for psychological injuries can be the difference between $0.00 in no fault lump sum compensation and in excess of $85,000.00 for a “no fault” impairment benefit and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars for pain and suffering damages and lost wages.  
• The difference between a 2% impairment and 10% impairment for physical injuries can be the difference between $0.00 in no fault lump sum compensation and in excess of $10,000.00 for a “no fault” impairment benefit and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars for pain and suffering damages and lost wages. 
• Only an experience and qualified lawyer can provide you with detailed advice of when you should appeal an impairment determination to a medical panel.  

For your fee and no obligation assessment, take action today. 

How to get advice about your Whole Person Assessment?

For free, no obligation advice about an impairment assessment that you have been asked to undergo or you have already had, take action today and contact us below.  

You could be missing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars.