Understanding claim pathways
This comparison is useful for contractors, delivery workers, cleaners, security staff, visiting employees and others injured at a client, venue, shopping centre, building site or third-party premises. This is general information only. The position depends on the claim pathway, facts, evidence, dates and current law or policy wording.
If the injury happened while working, workers compensation may be relevant even when the place was controlled by another business. Public liability may also need consideration if an occupier or other party created or failed to address a risk. Responsibility and available pathways depend on the facts.
Being at work does not automatically make every third party responsible, and being on third-party premises does not automatically establish public liability. Work connection, control, breach, causation and loss are separate questions.
This comparison is useful for contractors, delivery workers, cleaners, security staff, visiting employees and others injured at a client, venue, shopping centre, building site or third-party premises.
If the injury happened while working, workers compensation may be relevant even when the place was controlled by another business. Public liability may also need consideration if an occupier or other party created or failed to address a risk. Responsibility and available pathways depend on the facts.
Check whether you were performing work, who employed or engaged you, who occupied or controlled the premises, what hazard existed, who knew about it and which parties received an incident report.
Start with complete source records rather than a label or summary. Keep employer and site incident reports, inductions, contracts, work orders, photographs, CCTV request details, witness names, roster and wage records, medical certificates and letters from every insurer involved.
Being at work does not automatically make every third party responsible, and being on third-party premises does not automatically establish public liability. Work connection, control, breach, causation and loss are separate questions.
Do not let the employer and venue each assume the other has preserved CCTV, witness details or the incident report. Request and record both pathways early. Keep the original decision or source document and separate confirmed facts from assumptions.
Prepare a short chronology, identify the decision or question causing concern and send only the key records first. If a response date is stated, do not wait for every document before asking what to do next. Check whether you were performing work, who employed or engaged you, who occupied or controlled the premises, what hazard existed, who knew about it and which parties received an incident report.
Send your claim detailsDocuments and records
Premises claims can turn on early incident evidence, so preserve photos, reports and witness details where possible.
Common questions
Short general answers only. The right next step depends on the facts, dates and documents.
Potentially, but employment status and insurance arrangements can be complex. Preserve the contract, invoices, work direction and site evidence, and get advice about the correct parties and pathways.
Keep employer and site incident reports, inductions, contracts, work orders, photographs, CCTV request details, witness names, roster and wage records, medical certificates and letters from every insurer involved. Keep dates, authors, attachments and the complete wording so the material can be read in context.
Being at work does not automatically make every third party responsible, and being on third-party premises does not automatically establish public liability. Work connection, control, breach, causation and loss are separate questions. It organises the issue but does not predict or guarantee a result.
Check whether you were performing work, who employed or engaged you, who occupied or controlled the premises, what hazard existed, who knew about it and which parties received an incident report. Seek prompt advice if you have a rejection, payment change, settlement proposal, missing records or a stated response or review date.
Public liability enquiry
Send the location, incident details, photos or reports if available, and the treatment position. Public liability questions often turn on early evidence.
