ACC pays out more than $11,000 for sunburn "injuries"

**Madness** · 2nd February 2013, 12:01

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10862933

That's just stupid, innit?.

I mean, it's not like you can go out on a sunny day like we've had all this week to get burned and come back and say "bugger me the sun came out today & I really wasn't expecting it".

**mashman** · 2nd February 2013, 12:49

Depends on whether you were expecting cloud or not innit

**Madness** · 2nd February 2013, 12:56

Originally Posted by mashman

Depends on whether you were expecting cloud or not innit

So you blame Jim Hickey then?

**nakedsv** · 2nd February 2013, 13:02

Whats the bet half of them got drunk and passed out in the sun.

Always nice to see where my taxes get spent

**mashman** · 2nd February 2013, 13:03

Originally Posted by Madness

So you blame Jim Hickey then?

What for? accept that some people may just be expecting cloud

**PrincessBandit** · 2nd February 2013, 13:33

I thought you could still get burnt even if it was cloudy.

**nighthawk** · 2nd February 2013, 13:58

It does not surprise me that ACC would payout for sun burn or insect bites because that would suit their inane thinking process...ie that injury has a name therefore it fits our criteria and we will waste time and tax payer money on people who have limited intelligence or ar just taking the piss.......

Granted there are those who have the legitimate injuries as result of accidents etc but from our experience the thinking processes used by some at ACC is totally blizzare.

As a result of an unfortunate rupture of an old well documented injury last march Mrs NH has been unable to walk since and is so heavily medicated for intense pain that every day is a struggle.

We are not able to get home help,or any form of assistance as ACC took the mind set that it was a syndrome of the injury and we don't treat a syndrome.

Life for her has been sheer hell, it took a formal complaint to both the Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman to get them to enter into dialog with us.

The staff handling our file took the stance that they would ignore the initial inquiries from the Ombudsman,until it was pointed out that their employment could well be jeopardised should they continue.
What should by their" own code of practice "should have taken 21 days is now 11months down the track and waiting.
ACC needs a total revamp both in its code of practice and the staff working for it, as for those who would waste tax payer monies on their own STUPIDITY, try taking some responsibility for your action.

**slofox** · 2nd February 2013, 14:17

Originally Posted by PrincessBandit

I thought you could still get burnt even if it was cloudy.

You can...(DAMHIK

)

**Akzle** · 2nd February 2013, 16:29

Originally Posted by nighthawk

...should have taken 21 days is now 11months down the track and waiting.
...needs a total revamp both in its code of practice and the staff working for it,

...those who would waste tax payer monies on their own STUPIDITY, try taking some responsibility for your action.

so i see you've met the government

taking responsibility?!?! that's the anti-thesis of legislation (governance) in NZ.
if people took responsibility for their own shit, the government would disappear tomorow.

**nighthawk** · 2nd February 2013, 17:28

]so i see you've met the government[/I]

YES

that I have and until yesterday when I gave notice, I worked for an under resourced an heavily regulated section of the public service which is constantly under the microscope

**Oblivion** · 2nd February 2013, 18:26

Some friends of ours went to Hawaii a month or two ago. Apparently they were in the sun every day, for more than 8 hours. No sunblock or hats. They got no sunburn. They arrived back here, and got sunburn within the week.

I know the ozone hole and all that stuff, but it makes you think how much harsher the sun here actually is.

**steve_t** · 2nd February 2013, 19:18

So, we know that there is a strong correlation between sunburn and skin cancer. If I file for a sunburn 'injury', would treatment for skin cancer be considered as 'continuing care'?

**Ocean1** · 2nd February 2013, 20:20

Originally Posted by nighthawk

It does not surprise me that ACC would payout for sun burn or insect bites because that would suit their inane thinking process...ie that injury has a name therefore it fits our criteria and we will waste time and tax payer money on people who have limited intelligence or ar just taking the piss.......

Yeah, they've told me they're not covering the costs of either rotator cuff damage or a torn ACL in the last year, on the basis that they're not injuries, they're age related wear.

**98tls** · 2nd February 2013, 20:42

Originally Posted by Madness

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10862933

That's just stupid, innit?.

I mean, it's not like you can go out on a sunny day like we've had all this week to get burned and come back and say "bugger me the sun came out today & I really wasn't expecting it".

Stacies infatuation with that wine bottle was sooner or later destined to end in tears,taking it to the beach was simply stupid,even wine bottles need time out.

**SMOKEU** · 2nd February 2013, 21:02

Originally Posted by Oblivion

Some friends of ours went to Hawaii a month or two ago. Apparently they were in the sun every day, for more than 8 hours. No sunblock or hats. They got no sunburn. They arrived back here, and got sunburn within the week.

I know the ozone hole and all that stuff, but it makes you think how much harsher the sun here actually is.

The sun in South Africa is nice, too. Instead of getting a burn after an hour you get a mild tan.