The rate of common law claims within WorkCover Queensland has dropped from 7000 in 1997 to 2700 last year, but lawyers are still making it far too expensive. GM Paul O’Connor said that while the number of common law claims isn’t high compared with the total number of claims handled, the legal bill is still 10 times higher than the cost of the statewide rehabilitation scheme. 

That’s a powerful incentive to get the number of common law claims down, and Mr O’Connor said reducing the number of common law claims required changes in the way people are treated post-injury.  He said market research shows that injured employees just want fair compensation. 

“Employers and WorkCover need to focus on providing employees with early settlements,” he said. This would ensure that only a small percent reach the courts and the lengthy litigation process.