Injured worker receives super payment after 18-month ordeal

His right arm was left severely damaged following a workplace accident in 2017.

John Sims is having a battle with QSuper after he was involved in a workplace accident. Picture: Rob Williams

AN 18-month ordeal of trying to access his superannuation following a workplace accident has ended happily for one Goodna man.

John Sims' right arm was left severely damaged following an accident while riding a lawnmower in April 2017 when he worked as a groundskeeper at a Brisbane school.

The injuries he sustained meant Mr Sims, who has experience in heavy manual labour and truck driving, is unable to return to work.

This has also impacted his mental health and he had to resort to asking his mother for financial assistance.

"My mum had to put her own hand into her own pocket to help me," an emotional Mr Sims said.

"There were times when the cupboards in the kitchen were almost empty."

RESOLVED John Sims is relieved QSuper allowed him to access his super after a workplace accident left him unable to work. Picture: Rob Williams

The 49-year-old lodged a Total And Permanent Disability compensation claim with the help of Shine Lawyers to QSuper in a bid to access his money to help him get back on his feet and pay his bills.

"I sent in all the required documents, but it was going nowhere," Mr Sims said.

Frustrated, Mr Sims and Shine Lawyers reached out to the QT to share Mr Sims story as the long process was causing him emotional and financial stress.

After Mr Sims spoke to the paper, and a call was made to QSuper for a comment, his claim was accepted almost instantly.

"The whole thing wasn't handled very well. It shouldn't have taken so long to access what is mine," Mr Sims said.

"This is the money I am supposed to live off for the rest of my life. It's my money."

Mr Sims thanked Shine Lawyers and the QT for helping to bring the stressful ordeal to an end.

A QSuper spokesperson told the QT: "QSuper cannot comment on the individual circumstances of its members but treats all claims seriously and deals with them on individual merit."

"It has a record, demonstrated by industry data published by the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA) and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), of bettering industry average in accepting and processing claims.

"Ninety per cent of Total and Permanent Disablement claims are accepted (industry average 86.3 per cent), they are dealt with on average in four months (industry average 5.5 per cent). And only 0.3 claims per 100,000 people insured are subject to dispute."