Compensation for workplace injury leading to suicide in Australia

Abstract

Workplace-related death by suicide raises a number of difficult issues in the context of workers compensation. On first reading, workers compensation statutes usually prevent recovery of compensation where an injury is self-inflicted, suggesting that compensation for suicide will be excluded. Additionally, compensation is usually denied when the nexus between employment and injury is broken which is frequently the defence to any claim by the dependants of workers who takes their own life following a work injury. This article examines the Australian landscape in relation to the evolution of principles that apply to consideration of workers compensation claims where suicide is an element.