Getting hurt at work throws a lot at you at once — pain, medical appointments, missed income, and a claims process that can feel like it’s written in a different language. If you’re staring down a workers compensation claim in NSW and don’t know where to start, this guide walks through it in plain English, step by step.
You don’t need to have this all figured out today. Knowing the shape of the process and the mistakes that trip people up makes a real difference to how smoothly things go from here.
Step 1: Report the injury straight away
The very first thing to do is tell your employer or supervisor that you’ve been injured, and do it as soon as you reasonably can. This isn’t just good practice — it starts the formal record that your claim will rely on. Delayed reporting is one of the most common reasons insurers push back on claims, because it gives them room to question whether the injury really happened at work. We go into more depth on this in our guide to reporting a workplace injury to your employer.
Your employer has an obligation to record the notification — see our article on an employer’s obligation to record an injury notification if you’re unsure whether that’s happened properly.
Step 2: See a doctor and get a workers compensation certificate
See your GP or, if it’s urgent, present at a hospital or urgent care clinic. Tell the treating doctor clearly that the injury happened at work. This matters more than it sounds like it should, because your medical certificate needs to reflect a work-related cause. Ask specifically for a workers compensation medical certificate, which is different from a standard sick certificate and is required to support your claim.
It’s also worth notifying your GP of the injury as soon as possible even beyond that first certificate, so your ongoing medical file properly documents the connection between your work and your condition. Our article on notifying your GP of a work injury explains why this timing matters.
Step 3: Lodge your claim
Your employer’s insurer needs to be notified of your claim, generally through a claim form your employer helps you complete, along with your medical certificate. Alternatively, you may submit your own claim form. From here, the insurer has statutory timeframes to make decisions about liability and to start paying weekly benefits and medical expenses if your claim is accepted.
If you’re not sure whether your situation even qualifies, our overview of how you know if you’re entitled to a workcover claim is a good starting point, as is our broader work injury guide.
Step 4: Understand what you can actually claim
Depending on your circumstances, a NSW workers compensation claim can cover:
- Weekly payments to replace lost income while you can’t work or can only work reduced hours.
- Medical and treatment expenses, now assessed under the “reasonable and necessary” test following recent reforms — see our explainer on that specific change.
- Permanent impairment lump sum compensation, if your injury results in a lasting impairment once your condition stabilises. Our fully updated 2026 guide to permanent impairment compensation covers current thresholds in detail.
- Work injury damages, a further avenue of compensation where your employer’s negligence contributed to your injury, in addition to statutory entitlements — see work injury damages in NSW.
Step 5: Keep working with your treating team, and stay employed where possible
Wherever it’s medically appropriate, staying connected to the workplace even through modified duties tends to support both your recovery and your claim. It’s a myth that you have to stop working entirely to have a valid claim; many workers remain employed, on reduced or modified duties, while their claim proceeds. Our article on claiming workers compensation while remaining employed covers this in detail.
If your employment is terminated while you’re receiving workers compensation, that raises separate legal questions worth getting advice on quickly — see our guide on being terminated while on workers compensation.
Common pitfalls that derail otherwise valid claims
Waiting too long to report or see a doctor. As covered above, delay creates doubt, and doubt creates disputes.
Assuming a knockback is final. Insurers decline or dispute claims for all sorts of reasons, some of which don’t hold up on review. You have rights to challenge a decision — our guide on how the Independent Review Office can help covers the practical steps.
Not accounting for a pre-existing condition properly. Having a pre-existing condition doesn’t automatically disqualify a claim, particularly where work has aggravated it — our guide on pre-existing conditions in personal injury claims explains how this is assessed.
Underestimating psychological injury. Physical and psychological injuries are treated differently under recent reforms, with a higher threshold now applying to psychological injury lump sums. If you’re dealing with a psychological workplace injury, get advice early — see our guide on workers compensation for mental health in NSW.
Not getting advice before signing anything final. Settlement offers and releases can close off entitlements you didn’t realise you had. A quick review before you sign costs you nothing under a No Win No Fee arrangement and can prevent a costly mistake.
Do you actually need a lawyer?
Plenty of straightforward claims proceed without a dispute. But the moment there’s any friction — a delayed decision, a dispute over liability, a permanent impairment assessment that seems low, or an employer who isn’t being cooperative — having someone on your side who knows the system changes the trajectory of your claim. And because compensation lawyers in NSW generally work on a No Win No Fee basis, getting that advice early doesn’t carry the financial risk people often assume it does.
Why clients in Western Sydney choose Gajic Lawyers
We’ve supported injured workers across Sydney for 30+ years, with a strong, longstanding presence in Western Sydney through our Cabramatta office. For clients who are more comfortable communicating in Vietnamese, our in-house interpreter service means your claim can be discussed properly in the language you’re most confident in — no relying on a family member to translate complex legal detail. If you’re closer to Fairfield, Liverpool or Parramatta, our Cabramatta workers compensation lawyers page and Parramatta personal injury lawyers page have location-specific detail.
Practical takeaways
- Report the injury to your employer as soon as possible.
- See a doctor and get a workers compensation medical certificate specifically.
- Lodge your claim through your employer’s insurer without unnecessary delay.
- Understand the full range of what you might be entitled to — weekly payments, medical expenses, permanent impairment, and potentially work injury damages.
- Keep your treating team in the loop, and don’t assume you must stop working entirely.
- Get advice before signing any settlement or release.
- If English isn’t your first language, ask about interpreter support — it’s available and it matters.
Where Gajic Lawyers fits in
We’re a technology-driven, fully paperless firm, which means we can manage your claim efficiently from wherever you are in NSW, with telemedicine options available and no need for a stack of paperwork on your kitchen table. We work on a No Win No Fee basis and offer a free consultation to talk through your situation with no pressure and no cost to find out where you stand.
Talk to us before you deal with the insurer alone
If you’ve been hurt at work in NSW, don’t navigate the claims process solo. Call Gajic Lawyers for a free consultation, or get in touch through our contact page — we’ll explain your options in plain English and take it from there.
