Helen Skippen Terry White Ian Brusasco Bill Ludwig Rowena McNally Ron Monaghan Christine Lohman Irene Violet Trever Barrenger Sharon Stratford Tony Hawkins Peter Worthy David Heley

Statistics

We received 92 390 statutory claims this year, insured more than 156 000 employers, and managed over 89% of workers’ compensation claims in Queensland.

Statutory and common law payments

  2009 2008
  $M %  gross $M % gross
Statutory claims        
Weekly compensation 240.3 24.0 233.4 26.7
Medical/rehabilitation 156.2 15.6 133.5 15.3
Lump sum 144.0 14.4 133.0 15.2
Hospital 58.8 5.8 36.3 4.1
Travel 6.6 0.7 6.5 0.7
Legal 0.9 0.1 2.3 0.3
Funeral 0.6 0.1 0.9 0.1
Gross statutory payments 607.4   545.9  
Common law claims        
Settlement out of court 352.5 35.1 294.8 33.7
Settlement in court 1.7 0.2 1.7 0.2
Legal costs for defendants 30.9 3.0 24.4 2.8
Outlays for defendants 9.1 0.9 6.7 0.8
Legal costs for plaintiffs 1.5 0.1 1.2 0.1
Outlays for plaintiffs 0.2 0.0 0.3 0.0
Gross common law payments 395.9   329.1  
Total gross payments 1 003.3 100.0 875.0 100.0

Statutory claims payments have increased by 11.2% and common law claims payments have increased by 20.3%. The increases can be attributed to the settlement of a number of long duration statutory claims, the rise in the number of common law claims lodged, wages growth inflation, and increases in the cost of medical and rehabilitation expenses.

Statutory claims and payments by industry classification table

  Number of new statutory claims Statutory claim payments
  2009 2008 2009 2008
  No. % No. % $M % $M %
Accommodation, cafes, and restaurants 4 747 5.1 4 746 5.1 24.3 4.0 21.2 3.9
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2 124 2.3 2 120 2.3 23.7 3.9 24.0 4.4
Communication services 317  0.3   303 0.3 2.9 0.5 2.8 0.5
Construction 12 555  13.6 12 341 13.3 105.2 17.3 86.1 15.8
Cultural and recreational services 1 495 1.6 1 343 1.4 10.9 1.8 9.6 1.8
Education 2 622 2.8  2 493 2.7 16.3 2.7 14.5 2.7
Electricity, gas, and water supply 755 0.8 696 0.8 4.2 0.7 4.9 0.9
Finance and insurance 658 0.7 628 0.7 3.5 0.6 3.0 0.5
Government administration, and defence 5 220 5.6 4 890 5.3 29.2 4.8 28.4 5.2
Health and community services 9 837 10.6 9 147 9.9 63.6 10.5 52.8 9.7
Manufacturing 21 163 22.9 23 532  25.3 104.6 17.2 103.5 19.0
Mining 2 069 2.2 1 998  2.2 22.5 3.7 18.8 3.4
Personal and other services 4 591 5.0 4 137 4.5 31.7 5.2 27.5 5.0
Property and business services 6 890 7.5 7 020 7.6 43.1 7.1 37.1 6.8
Retail trade  7 789 8.4 7 605 8.2 41.3 6.8 36.5 6.7
Transport and storage 4 292 4.6 4 397 4.7 49.0  8.1 47.5 8.6
Wholesale trade 5 266  5.7 5 399 5.7 31.3 5.2 27.7 5.1
  92 390 100 92 795  100 607.4 100 545.9 100

Statutory claims have decreased by about 1% this year. The manufacturing industry accounts for 22.9% of recorded claims, however claims in manufacturing have remained stable. The construction industry accounts for 13.6% of claims.

Statutory claims and payments by injury nature

  Number of new statutory claims Statutory claim payments
  2009 2008 2009 2008
  No. % No. % $M % $M %
Burns 2 098 2.3 2 143 2.3 3.8 0.6 3.9 0.7
Contusion 6 443 7.0 5 814 6.2 21.0 3.5 16.0 2.9
Deafness 607 0.7 535 0.6 5.7 0.9 4.5 0.8
Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue 792 0.9   817

 

 0.9 2.1 0.3 2.1 0.4
Dislocation 881 1.0 983 1.1 11.6 1.9 10.8 2.0
Disorders of muscles, tendons, and soft tissue 32 182 34.8 32 993 35.5 179.8 29.6 164.4 30.2
Foreign body 4 262 4.6 4 678 5.0 2.3 0.4 2.4 0.4
Fracture 5 071 5.5  5 518 5.9 90.0 14.8 90.1 16.6
Hernia 1 751 1.9 1 839 2.0 25.5 4.2 22.5 4.1
Multiple injuries 202 0.2 175 0.2 11.1  1.8 11.0 2.0
Nerve root and plexuses disorders 814 0.9 883  1.0 12.6 2.1 11.6 2.1
Open wound 13 749 14.9 13 973 15.1 24.9  4.1 23.2 4.2
Other diseases 5 673 6.1 5 453 5.9 48.0 7.9 40.1 7.3
Other injuries 4 434 4.8  4 170 4.5 44.0 7.2 33.4 6.1
Psychological injuries 3 044 3.3 2 592 2.8 34.1 5.6 28.6 5.2
Respiratory conditions (incl. asbestos related) 366 0.4 366 0.4 36.2 6.0 28.9 5.3
Strain/sprain 9 111 9.9 8 851 9.5 53.5 8.8 51.1 9.5
Superficial injuries 910 1.0 1 012 1.1  1.2 0.2 1.3 0.2
  92 390 100 92 795 100 607.4 100 545.9 100

Disorders of muscles, tendons, and soft tissue are the most common type of claims at 34.8% and open wounds account for 14.9%.

Statutory claims and payments by injury location

  Number of new statutory claims Statutory claim payments
  2009 2008 2009 2008
  No. % No. % $M % $M %
Ankle 4 331 4.7 4 153  4.5 21.9 3.6  19.3 3.5
Back 17 251 18.7 17 198 18.6  108.7 17.9 104.4 19.2
Ear 885 1.0 804 0.9 6.2 1.0 5.4 1.0
Elbow 2 163 2.3 2 188 2.4 12.7 2.1 11.8 2.2
Eye 5 302 5.7 5 892 6.3 4.4 0.7 4.8 0.9
Foot and toes 2 965  3.2  3 041 3.3 13.4 2.2 13.5 2.5
Hand and fingers 16 467 17.8 17 217 18.6 52.5  8.6 47.2 8.6
Head and face 3 894 4.2 3 896 4.2 26.5 4.4 22.1 4.0
Hip 535 0.6 552 0.6 4.6 0.8 4.1 0.8
Knee 6 317 6.8 6 075 6.5 54.1 8.9 46.6 8.6
Lower limbs 3 907 4.2 4 034 4.3 26.7 4.4 23.7 4.3
Multiple locations 2 187  2.4 1 895 2.0 25.1 4.1 19.8 3.6
Neck 3 860  4.2 3 960 4.3 25.1 4.1 23.2 4.2
Shoulder 7 236 7.8 6 994 7.5 77.9 12.8 70.5 12.9
Systemic 3 709 4.0  3 247 3.5 38.2 6.3  32.1 5.9
Trunk other 4 129 4.5 4 215 4.5 63.3 10.4 54.3 9.9
Upper limbs 3 140 3.4  3 343 3.6 16.3 2.7 15.9 2.9
Wrist 4 112 4.5 4 091  4.4 29.8 4.9 27.2 5.0
   92 390 100 92 795 100 607.4 100 545.9 100

The back (18.7%) and hand or fingers (17.8%) are the two most injured parts of the body.