WA Today
Joseph Sapienza
June 29, 2009
Former police officers who were injured on the beat will now finally be able
to claim compensation from their injuries after almost three years of intense
negotiations between police and successive state governments.
But the new scheme will not cover medical expenses for "catastrophic injury
or disease" - these will be funded separately on a case-by-case basis.
From next month, former WA police officers can lodge claims for medical
fees incurred on or after July 1, 2007 for work-related injuries and illness.
Previously, police officers who left the force with residual work-related injuries
and illness were not entitled to recover any of these or other related expenses,
which had the potential to put a considerable financial burden on former officers
and their families.
A police spokesman said this new scheme would mirror the approach adopted
by other police jurisdictions in Australia - where all of them compensated
their former police officers for injury or illness through their respective
worker's compensation schemes.
Under this new scheme, former officers will not be entitled to seek
compensation if they have previously lodged a successful claim for medical
and other expenses related to the same injury or disease. This will include
money received through common law action, motor vehicle third party
insurance, an act of grace payment or criminal injury compensation.
The Insurance Commission of Western Australia has been appointed for an
initial period of three years to assess and manage the claims.
The assessment and management of claims in dispute will be undertaken with
reference to the Workers' Compensation and Injury Management Act -
with former officers being able to access a two-stage dispute resolution
process.
The groundwork on the scheme began in November 2006 by a steering
committee comprising senior representatives from the police, the WA
Police Union and the Insurance Commission.
Comment was being sought from the Police Union.
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