Toowoomba, 8 September 2025
| Date | 8 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Charges | Charges 1 and 2 – Section 534 WCRA – Providing False Information |
| Court | Magistrate Morice; Toowoomba Magistrates Court |
| Plea | Guilty |
| Case | Business owner fined for lying to WorkCover |
| Facts | A worker crushed his hand in a wood splitter on his first day of a “work trial”. He had one finger amputated, and lost functionality in two other fingers as a result. A WorkCover application form was lodged by the Toowoomba Base Hospital on his behalf. When WorkCover contacted the defendant to verify the claim, the defendant falsely told WorkCover on two occasions that they didn’t know the worker and that he had never worked for the defendant’s business. WorkCover rejected the worker’s claim for compensation on this basis. Ultimately, following a review process, WorkCover accepted the injured worker’s claim for compensation approximately 9 months after the date of injury. |
| Penalty | $3,500.00 |
| Restitution | N/A |
| Costs | $3,209.07 |
| Common Law rights extinguished? | N/A |
| Conviction | Not recorded |
| Consideration for Prevention | Employers should be honest in their dealings with WorkCover. |