WIRO is the Workers Compensation Independent Review Office. It is an independent body established by the NSW Government to provide assistance to injured workers who wish to pursue their workers compensation entitlements. The WIRO assists by:
- Providing funding of legal fees to allow injured workers to access a lawyer to assist with the investigation and prosecution of their workers compensation claim.
- Dealing with complaints made by or on behalf of an injured worker against an insurer/employer.
Funding of legal fees is not accessible to all lawyers. WIRO only provides funding to Approved Lawyers (such as those at Lionheart Lawyers). In order to become a WIRO Approved Lawyer, the lawyer must demonstrate to the WIRO that they have extensive experience and are well versed in the field of Workers Compensation.
The WIRO will fund the legal costs and disbursements associated with the investigation and prosecution of the injured worker’s compensation rights and entitlements. This means that the injured worker will not be required to pay any legal costs or disbursements (such as medical report fees). The legal costs funded by the WIRO are separate to the benefits paid by the insurer to the worker and do not reduce the workers’ entitlements.
The WIRO also fund an injured worker’s travel (and related) expenses in relation to attending a medical assessment. The related expenses can include the cost of parking, air fares and accommodation. This is particularly beneficial to injured workers who reside some distance away (such as interstate and regional NSW residents) from the rooms of a medical assessor.
Our WIRO Approved Lawyers at Lionheart Lawyers are ready to fight for you – call us today on (02) 9299 0112 to discuss your rights and entitlements.