Even though keno wins steal the show, some worker compensation claims have made Aussies equally rich. These larger than life payouts didn’t come from casinos, but they rival anything the best punters rake in. Ironically, all these claims were caused by people cashing in on horrific accidents. Guided by their lawyers, they were able to milk the system for what it was worth. While it’s undeniable that they suffered, the larger than life payments they received will help ease the pain.
By turning a negative into a positive, these clients inadvertently embody the gambling spirit. While millions of punters hit the tables in search of improving their financial situation, these people turned to lawyers. Their ability to seek justice is admirable, since someone has to hold big corporations accountable.
To truly understand how massive Australia’s compensation payouts can get, it’s essential to explore the biggest ones. These cases made history, since they proved that clients can strike back. To give our readers a view of the magnitude of these cases, we compiled this list. Enjoy the biggest compensations in Australia’s history, they truly are impressive!
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Biggest Compensation Payouts in Australia
Compensation Payout #3: Rodney James Carr ($1.9 million)
One fateful day, Rodney Carr suffered serious injuries when a bulldozer he was driving hit an obscured metal post. When the dozer hit the hidden post, it flung to the right and caused him to be thrown around like a rag doll. Ever since the incident, Carr has been unemployable. He still experiences intense pain that has made him a liability to future employers.
This massive compensation payouts in Australia was achieved after Mr Carr sued his employer, Wagga Mini Mix and Pre-Cast Concrete Pty Ltd. He alleged that the injuries could have been prevented since no spotter was at work that day. Since the person who was supposed to identify potential hazards was absent, the court ruled in his favour. He gets compensation covering the rest of his lifetime wages. It was an impressive financial victory, but Carr remain disabled for the rest of his life.
Compensation Payout #2: Dale Hargreaves (Unreported but estimated in the millions)
Dale had a dream job working for Telstra from home two days a week and the rest in Telstra’s office. Unfortunately, working outside the office has its drawbacks. She suffered two injuries while falling down the stairs at her home. At first, Telstra did not accept the liability, but the tribunal state the injuries were work-related. Dale log into the Telstra system and only move away temporarily from her computer.
This disaster occurrs during a normal work break, so she get weekly compensation. Including the cost of her medical bills, this weekly compensation until her retirement adds up to millions of dollars. It was an interesting catch-22 that worked to her favor.
Compensation Payout #1: Zachary Quinn ($9 million)
Out of all the stories of medical negligence, this one is truly tragic. Due to a simple oversight, Zachary Quinn was born with severe learning difficulties and cerebral palsy. While pregnant with Zachary, his mother went to the hospital complaining of lack of fetal movement. They dismissed the claim and sent her home.
Unfortunately, this miscalculation proved to be disastrous. Zachary get a slew of health complications. These confined him to a wheelchair, made tube feeding necessary, eliminated his ability to talk and reduced his life expectancy.
After a heated court battle, the tribunal awarded his mother $9 million. This was the biggest medical negligence payout in Australia’s history, and will help care for Zachary. Hopefully this money will improve his life as much as possible, since he was completely innocent.
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