Unfortunately, for some workers, they not only suffer a single
injury at work but will sometimes develop a further injury as a
result of that injury. These latter injuries, also known as a
'Secondary Injuries,' while not always sustained at work,
can still entitle workers to compensation entitlements.
For a worker to be entitled to compensation for a secondary
condition, the worker must prove the initial injury materially
contributed to the development of the secondary condition. The
relationship needs to be established between the first and second
injury rather than its relationship with the workplace (unlike the
test for an initial work-related injury).
Under the Workers Compensation Act (the Act), a worker
who has developed a secondary condition is entitled to receive
statutory benefits in the form of weekly compensation (wages) and
medical treatment expenses. A worker should utilise the same claim
number as the initial injury when making requests for
