How language assistance is arranged
A workers compensation matter can be difficult to explain when the insurer notice, medical reports and legal process are in English. These pages explain the NSW system in Chinese, Japanese and Korean so that you can identify the decision, the documents and the questions that need attention.
Language ability can differ between the person who first receives an enquiry and the lawyer responsible for the matter. State your preferred language in the form. Before an appointment, the firm will confirm what communication arrangement is available for that matter. Important advice, instructions and decisions should also be confirmed in writing so that the meaning is clear.
Chinese, Cantonese and Mandarin enquiries
People searching for a “Chinese workers compensation lawyer NSW” may need either Cantonese or Mandarin rather than generic Chinese assistance. Traditional and Simplified Chinese information is available on this site. If you prefer Cantonese (粵語／廣東話) or Mandarin (普通話／普通话), say so in the enquiry rather than assuming the allocated lawyer speaks that dialect.
Japanese enquiries
The Japanese page explains NSW claim concepts in Japanese. Include whether you can read insurer documents in English and whether you need a language arrangement for a telephone or video appointment.
Korean enquiries
The Korean page explains the same claim and dispute pathways in Korean. Identify any urgent insurer notice and your preferred way to communicate when you submit the form.
What a NSW workers compensation claim may involve
A person may be able to claim if they are a worker for the purposes of the NSW legislation and employment caused or materially contributed to an injury or disease under the applicable legal test. The answer can depend on the type of injury, the work connection, employment status, notice, medical history and the date of injury. Compensation is not automatic merely because symptoms arose while a person was employed.
Common matters include lifting and manual handling injuries, falls, machinery and vehicle incidents, repetitive work, occupational disease, psychological injury and aggravation of an earlier condition. The diagnosis and the way the work caused or contributed to it should be supported by clinical and workplace evidence.
Weekly payments and medical treatment
Weekly payments may replace part of lost earnings where a compensable injury causes incapacity. Reasonably necessary medical, hospital and rehabilitation expenses may also be payable. Payment rates, work capacity, causation and the need for treatment are common areas of dispute.
Read the weekly payments guidePermanent impairment and WPI
Whole person impairment (WPI) is assessed under the NSW permanent impairment method after the condition is sufficiently stable. A diagnosis, scan or operation does not create an automatic percentage. The accepted injury, assessment method, objective findings and any deduction for pre-existing impairment need to be checked.
Understand permanent impairment assessmentPsychological injury
Primary psychological injury claims can raise questions about diagnosis, work causation, reasonable management action and, for some post-1 July 2026 claims, the relevant-conduct pathway. A psychological condition arising after a physical injury may have different consequences and should not be treated as the same claim category.
Read the psychological injury guideWork injury damages
Work injury damages are separate from ordinary statutory benefits. The pathway concerns employer negligence and economic loss and has additional requirements. Settlement can end further statutory weekly payments and medical, hospital and rehabilitation expenses for the injury, so claim-specific advice is important before settlement.
Review the work injury damages pathwayWhen the insurer disputes the claim
Keep the insurer notice and identify exactly what was decided. The dispute may concern liability, weekly payments, work capacity, treatment, permanent impairment or another entitlement. A useful response deals with the insurer’s stated reasons and the missing evidence rather than sending an undirected bundle of documents.
Many unresolved workers compensation disputes are within the jurisdiction of the Personal Injury Commission (PIC), but not every matter should be filed there immediately. Review requirements and other statutory steps can apply. Certain primary psychological injury disputes about alleged relevant conduct may first require a determination in the Industrial Relations Commission.
Work capacity decisions
Compare the Certificate of Capacity, actual duties, sustainable hours, wage evidence, rehabilitation material and the insurer’s assumptions about suitable employment. Physical ability to perform one task is not necessarily the same as a sustainable capacity for a whole job.
Check the work capacity decision guideLiability and section 78 notices
A section 78 notice should explain the reasons for disputing liability and identify the material relied on. The response depends on whether the issue is injury, causation, notice, employment, management action or another statutory ground.
Review a section 78 noticePIC proceedings
Before starting proceedings, the disputed decision, evidence, orders sought and correct jurisdiction should be clear. Depending on the issue, the process may involve written evidence, a conference, medical assessment or a determination.
Understand the PIC dispute processIRO and ILARS funding is conditional
The Independent Review Office (IRO) administers the Independent Legal Assistance and Review Service (ILARS). An IRO Approved Lawyer may apply for a grant for an eligible injured worker. A grant may cover approved professional fees and reasonably necessary disbursements, such as medical report costs, within the scope approved by IRO.
Funding is not automatic. The lawyer must assess the matter and make the application, and IRO decides whether the current criteria are met. A grant may be refused, limited or subject to approval for particular work or expenses. Language or interpreting arrangements should also be confirmed rather than assumed to be funded.
IRO and ILARS fundingDocuments to prepare
You do not need a perfect file before making contact. Start with the records that show what happened and what changed in the claim:
- the claim number, injury date, employer and insurer details;
- the claim form, injury report and any section 78 or review decision;
- current and earlier Certificates of Capacity;
- GP, specialist, imaging, psychological or rehabilitation reports relevant to the issue;
- treatment requests, approvals, refusals and independent medical examination reports;
- payslips, rosters, wage records and the insurer’s PIAWE calculation if weekly payments are disputed; and
- a short chronology, including return-to-work attempts and the date each insurer notice was received.
Practical next steps
1. Identify the decision
Send the most recent insurer letter or notice and note when you received it.
2. State your language preference
Write Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese or Korean in the enquiry and explain whether you can read the English claim documents.
3. Send the key evidence
Attach or list the medical, capacity, wage and treatment records that relate to the decision.
4. Confirm the arrangement
The firm will confirm the available communication arrangement, conflicts, capacity to act and any funding application before legal work begins.
Claim guides related to this service
Questions about language and legal assistance
Can I ask for workers compensation assistance in Chinese, Japanese or Korean?
Yes, you can state your preferred language when making an enquiry. The firm will confirm what communication arrangement is available for the matter before an appointment. The translated pages provide information but do not guarantee that every allocated lawyer personally speaks that language.
Can I request Cantonese or Mandarin?
Yes. Write Cantonese, 粵語 or 廣東話 for Cantonese, and Mandarin, 普通話 or 普通话 for Mandarin. This prevents a general request for “Chinese” from being misunderstood. The available arrangement must still be confirmed.
Do I need to translate every insurer and medical document first?
Usually not before the first enquiry. Send the English insurer decision and the main available records. Explain which parts you do not understand. The lawyer can then identify what needs to be explained, translated or obtained for the next step.
Is legal assistance free because I need language support?
No. Language preference does not itself determine costs or ILARS eligibility. An IRO Approved Lawyer must assess eligibility and apply for a grant, and IRO decides whether and to what extent funding is approved.
Can I have a telephone or video appointment?
A first review can often be arranged by telephone or video, and documents can be provided electronically. The firm will confirm the communication method and whether an in-person appointment or assessment is later required.
What if a response date appears on the insurer notice?
Send the notice promptly and identify the date it was received. Different decisions and procedures have different requirements, so do not assume a translated summary replaces claim-specific advice about a time limit.
Practical next steps
In the message field, state your preferred language and dialect. We will confirm the available communication arrangement before an appointment; this page does not claim that every lawyer personally speaks each listed language.
Free claim check · Contact NSW Work Injury Claim
Last reviewed: 2026-07-21. This information is general in nature and is not legal advice. You should obtain advice about your own circumstances. Language arrangements, representation and IRO funding must be confirmed for the individual matter.