Related Links
- Can we help you?
- What to do if you have a crash
- Compulsory Third Party Insurance
- Workplace injuries - What to do?
Can we help you?
We can assist you with information about the following (click on the links below):
- What to do if you’re involved in a crash
- What to do if you’re injured at work
- Injury assessment, treatment and rehabilitation
- SA compensation schemes
- Where to access legal advice
- Trauma and injuries (such as Whiplash Associated Disorders[WAD])
What to do if you are involved in a crash
For a step-by-step guide describing what to do after a road crash, visit our page called What to do if you have a crash.
What to do if you are injured at work
If you are injured at work, or you become sick because of your work, you should:
- Get assessed by a medical practitioner as soon as possible
- Tell your employer about your injuries within 24 hours
- Fill in an Incident Report Form
For further information visit our page called Workplace injuries – What to do?
Injury assessment, treatment and rehabilitation
When someone is injured on the road or in the workplace, it’s important to get assessed by a medical practitioner as soon as possible.
This may seem like an obvious thing to do but some people put off seeking medical advice due to concerns about their car, getting to work on time or even whether people will believe they were injured.
Regardless of how you are injured, evidence shows that prompt accurate diagnosis followed by early commencement of treatment leads to better recovery.
If you need assistance finding the right health professional, check out the Human Services Finder website as this can help you find an appropriate person in your area.
For further information on injury and rehabilitation from a workplace injury, click here to visit the WorkCover SA site.
People can be injured in a variety of circumstances, some of which may lead to compensation.
While there are several forms of compensation, the two main compensation schemes operating in South Australia that TRACsa deals with are:
- Personal injury compensation for road accident victims – known as Compulsory Third Party (CTP) compensation, which is regulated by the Motor Accident Commission (MAC) with claims managed by their agent, Allianz
- Workers compensation covering workplace injury or illness – regulated by WorkCover SA with claims managed by Employers Mutual
TRACsa is focused on improving health and social outcomes for people with compensable injuries by ensuring evidence-based best practice assessment and treatments are available to all South Australians.
The current priority for TRACsa is soft tissue injuries e.g. sprains, strains, non-specific pain, WAD, lower back pain etc. In other words, injuries where there are no obvious signs of a break and are not catastrophic in nature.
For more information, visit our pages about Compulsory Third Party Insurance and Workplace injuries – what to do? For further information on injury and rehabilitation from a workplace injury, visit the WorkCover SA website.
Some people prefer to consult a lawyer to assist them through the claims process.
If you require legal assistance, the Law Society can help you find an appropriate lawyer. Click here to visit their website or call them on (08) 8229 0288.
Trauma and injuries (such as Whiplash Associated Disorders)
The majority of injuries sustained on the roads and in the workplace are soft tissue injuries. The most common road injuries are whiplash and associated disorders of the neck and shoulder, also known as ‘WAD’. These account for approximately 45% of Compulsory Third Party (CTP) claims and around one-third of costs to the CTP scheme.
Although most people recover from WAD, both the symptoms and recovery time varies considerably from person-to-person. Symptoms may appear immediately after the incident or have a delayed onset of a few hours or days.
TRACsa is currently working on evidence-based best practice guidelines on the management of WAD, due to be released in early 2008. These guidelines will include information about self-management for those who have sustained a WAD injury, as well as providing guidelines for health service providers.
While you wait for these guidelines to become available, we can tell you that current evidence suggests people who return to normal daily activity have better recovery rates than those who reduce their activity level. Focus on recovery and keep as active and mobile as your injuries comfortably allow. Try to continue working if possible, as prolonged absences from work can be worse for your overall health.
For further information, visit our Whiplash Associated Disorders page and Resources page.