WorkCover Hub

Foot & Ankle WorkCover Claims NSW

Sprains, fractures, plantar fasciitis, crush injuries — our doctors, physios and podiatrists handle NSW foot and ankle injury claims from first assessment back to full duties.

Every appointment on this page is paid by the insurer under your NSW workers compensation claim. You don't receive an invoice for any of it — not for our doctors, physios, psychologists, rehab providers or compensation lawyers.

Is this claimable?

Yes — foot & ankle injury is a standard NSW WorkCover claim

If work caused or aggravated it, NSW workers compensation covers it. You don't need a single dramatic incident, and you don't need a pre-existing-condition-free history. Here's the short version of what that means for foot & ankle injury.

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Work caused or aggravated it

Sudden or cumulative, new or aggravated — foot & ankle injury from work-related causes qualifies. Our doctors document the mechanism so the insurer can accept the claim.

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02

Every appointment is paid

Doctors, physios, psychologists, rehab providers and compensation lawyers — all paid by the insurer under your accepted claim. You never receive an invoice.

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Disputes are handled for you

If the insurer pushes back, our compensation lawyers step in at no cost to you. You don't fight the system alone.

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Common Causes

How foot & ankle injury happens at work

Most claims in this category come down to a handful of mechanisms. If yours fits any of these, it's almost certainly claimable — and even if it doesn't, book an assessment anyway. The list isn't exhaustive.

  • Slips and trips on uneven surfaces
  • Falls from ladders, scaffolding or vehicles
  • Crush injuries from falling objects or machinery
  • Long periods of standing on hard surfaces
  • Ankle twists during manual handling
  • Foot strain from unsupportive workwear

Not sure if your cause fits? It usually does. Take the 60-second eligibility check →

Symptoms

When to see a WorkCover doctor

Any of these symptoms after a work-related incident or from a work-related activity means it's time to get assessed. Early assessment gives foot & ankle injury the best chance of fast recovery.

  • Swelling, bruising and pain around the ankle or foot
  • Inability to weight-bear after the incident
  • Heel pain first thing in the morning (plantar fasciitis)
  • Pins and needles or numbness in the foot
  • Deformity after a suspected fracture
  • Persistent instability or recurrent ankle sprains

Don't push through. The workers who recover fastest are the ones who see a doctor in the first week.

What's Covered

What NSW WorkCover pays for with foot & ankle injury

Once your claim is accepted (or under provisional liability), the insurer pays for every line below directly. You don't receive an invoice for any of it.

  • GP and specialist consultations
  • X-ray, CT and MRI imaging
  • Physiotherapy and podiatry
  • Orthotics and supportive footwear
  • Casting, bracing and mobility aids
  • Surgery for fractures or ligament reconstruction
  • Weekly payments while you can't work
  • Lawyer support for disputed claims
By the Numbers

What the NSW data says

You would not be the first person to claim for foot & ankle injury. The national and NSW data makes that very clear.

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Falls, slips and trips — share of serious claims

The second-largest cause of serious claims — and the most common source of foot and ankle injuries. Source: Safe Work Australia, 2023–24.

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Body-stressing claims accepted nationally

Overuse foot and ankle injuries sit within this category. Source: Safe Work Australia, 2023–24.

Want the full picture? See WorkCover in numbers →

Our Team

How we handle foot & ankle injury claims

Our doctors, physios, psychologists, rehab providers and compensation lawyers all work under one roof. One phone call gets the whole team involved.

Our doctors assess the injury on day one and order imaging where the mechanism suggests a fracture or ligament tear. Our physios and podiatrists run the rehab — sprain recovery, gait retraining, plantar fasciitis management. For fracture or surgical cases, we coordinate the orthopaedic referral and the post-surgical program so you're back on your feet with as little downtime as possible.

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WorkCover Physiotherapy

The frontline team for foot & ankle injury. Most workers in this category see our workcover physiotherapy team first after the initial doctor assessment.

See our workcover physiotherapy
02

WorkCover Doctors

Part of our integrated foot & ankle injury care team. Looped in as your recovery needs dictate — fully paid under your claim.

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Rehabilitation Provider

Part of our integrated foot & ankle injury care team. Looped in as your recovery needs dictate — fully paid under your claim.

See our rehabilitation provider

Wondering what weekly payments would look like? Use the Payment Calculator →

Keep Reading

Related resources

Three starting points for digging deeper — an explainer on our blog, the eligibility quiz, and other injury types our team handles.

FAQs

Foot & Ankle Injury claims — what workers ask

The same questions come up in every consult. Here are the answers in short form.

Injured your foot & ankle? Start with one phone call.

Our WorkCover doctors book same-week appointments. One call covers the Certificate of Capacity, the insurer paperwork, and the referral to our physios, psychologists or lawyers as needed.

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