Our office regularly receives instructions from injured workers who had sustained injuries during the course of their employment as carers of the elderly or disabled. Injuries in this industry are quite frequent. Like nurses, our community need carers to help those who cannot help themselves and their role is essential.
The role of a carer is inherently difficult, and incidents and accidents happen quite often. These incidents and accidents occur in ways where the carer is not responsible. A carers’ role assisting the elderly or disabled includes a variety of tasks. One role itself can involve many tasks in the process.
For instance, showering an elderly or disabled person involves a number of tasks in the whole process and at each point, the carer is at risk of injury. The carer may need to assist the elderly or the disabled from their bed to the shower. To get them out of bed, physical exertion would be required, and on many occasions, the elderly or the disabled can be quite heavy. They are then assisted to the shower itself. The carer will then shower and then assist in the drying up process thereafter. The elderly or disabled is then taken back to their bed and assisted onto the bed.
During the showering, it would not be unusual for there to be excessive water splattering, which inadvertently makes the bathroom floor slippery. After the elderly or disabled is then assisted back to their bed and helped up onto their bed, the carer would then have to return to the shower area in order to mop and clean up the shower and the bathroom from excess water.
This whole process involves exertion on an individual’s shoulders, back and knees. Added to that, is the risk of slipping and falling either by themselves or whilst they are assisting the elderly or disabled person to or from their bed.
For one of our clients, she had to undergo this whole process and thereafter mop down and clean the bathroom area following the showering. Due to the excessive splattering of water, the floor was slippery. She had slipped as a result of the slippery floor causing an injury to her lower back, knees and one of her shoulders when she outstretched her arm to avoid the fall or at least to cushion the fall.
It was expected that the workers compensation insurer would accept her workers compensation claim, and they did. In running her lump sum claim for her impairment and eventual Work Injury Damages claim (Common Law negligent claim), our client was able to secure over $300,000.00 in tax free compensation. It was an amount that she never anticipated receiving because although the insurer accepted the claim and injury, they did not accept her level of impairment. Noting her commitment to her work and humble attitude, this client was certainly deserving of this compensation.
Some forms of employment are more essential than others. Some forms of employment are more inherently hazardous than others. The role of a carer is both essential in our community and in many ways inherently hazardous.
It is our motto here at Alliance Compensation Lawyers to assist all injured workers and we are most compassionate to those humble people who make every effort to work hard and help others.
If you or a family member or friend have a similar issue that had occurred at work, we are always contactable to help you throughout the process. Just call us on (02) 8764 1776 or you can visit our Facebook page or see our website at www.alliancecomplawyers.com.au