r/WorkcoverVic

So, I've been recently contacted by my lawyer about potentially being eligible for TDP. I haven’t signed or agreed to anything yet, and I'm really hesitant.

​They're asking for 20% + GST, which sounds like a huge chunk to me. Honestly, I'm wondering if this is something I can just manage on my own. Is the process incredibly complex, or is it something manageable with a bit of effort and research?

​To make things more complicated, I'm currently looking for work (I have a 1-2 day capacity per week). From what I understand, starting a job could affect my TDP eligibility. I’m worried about kicking off this whole process now, only to find a job in three months. What happens in that scenario?

​For anyone who has been through this in Victoria, especially if you did it yourself or used a lawyer with lower fees, I’d love your input. Is a lawyer really necessary, or am I overthinking this? And how long does the whole process usually take?

​Any advice would be helpful! Thanks y'all

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to hear from people who’ve been through a Victorian WorkCover claim for a serious shoulder injury, particularly labral tears and cartilage damage.
I injured my right shoulder over a year ago after slipping on wet, muddy metal stairs at work and bracing my fall with my right arm. My WorkCover claim was accepted.
I had pan-labral stabilisation surgery in April 2026, aged in my 30s. There was also significant cartilage loss in the shoulder, which my surgeon described to me as roughly 60% “bone on bone”, along with a partial-thickness subscapularis tear. There were degenerative changes, but I hadn’t had shoulder symptoms/ injury before the fall.
I’m still dealing with pain, reduced strength and restricted movement. My surgeon has advised moving away from heavy overhead work because of the condition of the joint and the risk of needing a shoulder replacement in future. This affects the type of work I can do and my earning capacity.
For anyone who’s had a similar injury in Victoria:
What was your final whole person impairment (WPI) percentage?
How long after your injury or surgery were you assessed?
How long did the claim take to resolve?
What payout did you receive, and was it an impairment benefit, common law settlement, or both?
If it was common law, did it include pain and suffering, loss of earnings, or both?
Were the figures before or after legal fees?
How did returning to lighter duties or a lower-paying job affect your claim?
I understand every case is different. I’m just looking for firsthand experiences to get a realistic idea of the process and timelines.
Thanks to anyone willing to share

I applied for conciliation and got an automatic reply that they will endeavour to allocate a conciliation officer within 6-8 weeks.

Im reading a lot of posts where the whole process seems to take 12 months or more and I’m wondering what it is that takes up so much time. Is it 6 months or more to get to conciliation for example? Do people wait for internal reviews first and there’s lots of delays?

I only made a work-cover claim last month and a couple of weeks ago they rejected it. Ive applied for WIC bit obviously I am completely naive and inexperienced at this stage especially around timeframes and process.

It would be really useful for me to know if I should expect this to take 6-12 months as I don’t know if I have the capacity/energy.

Hi, just comparing law firms and wondering if anyone has had experience with Zaparas lawyers in Melbourne, and what their fee structure is like? Specifically do they charge uplift fees? And do they use interest based litigation funders for their disbursement fees?

got an upcoming IME for a WPI assessment and I’m wondering what people’s experiences of them have been? do they differ much from the usual IME?

I’ve had 3 IME’s over the last few years, most recent one being 5 months ago - are they likely to ask much about my history and my life story (childhood & prior to work place injury, etc) again?