Claim farming now banned
Pressuring workers into making a workers' compensation claim through 'claim farming' is now banned under new laws in Queensland from 30 June 2022.
'Claim farmers', also known as 'claims management services', approach individuals to pressure them into giving their personal information or making a compensation claim.
Claim farmers do not support injured workers. They harass people with unwanted phone calls and messages. They breach a worker's privacy, sell personal details, and target individuals to make a profit.
These farmed claims can result in false promises, misinformation about rights and entitlements and can increase legal costs for injured workers.
What has changed?
It is now against the law to:
- cold call or personally approach another person without their consent and solicit or induce them to make a claim; and
- for anyone to pay claim farmers for the details of potential claimants, or to receive payment for a claim referral.
In coming months, legal practitioners will have additional obligations to show that they have not paid a claim farmer for the claim via submitting law practice certificates at various stages of both a statutory and common law claim.
Further information
Further information and resources will be published on worksafe.qld.gov.au in the coming weeks.
Access a copy of the new laws and explanatory notes
The amendments build on similar measures in the Motor Accident Insurance and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2019, which were implemented to stop the increasing practice of claim farming compulsory third party claims.