Claims in NSW are made through forms, reports, and notices, which are generally provided in English and contain industry-specific vocabulary. In the case of a person whose native language is something else, each document contains a potential trap that could be missed.
The issue mentioned above is very real. Failure to meet a deadline or misunderstanding of symptoms is enough to make a perfectly legitimate claim weaker. For example, some Sydney firms, such as Stephen Young Lawyers, have attorneys who can communicate in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean.
Small Misunderstandings with Big Consequences
A number of problems appear due to small, seemingly unimportant issues.
Insurance companies analyse all records in detail. Thus, if a report mentions back pain in its severest form while another one describes it as mild discomfort, more questions would arise. The discrepancy may appear due to translation, but it would not help your case anyway.
How Interpreting Assistance Works?
Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National), a division of the Department of Home Affairs, provides assistance to people whose native language is not English and companies/organisations that need to communicate with them. Interpretation is possible over the phone, videoconference, and face-to-face.
Free interpretation is not always possible, though. The Free Interpreting Service provided by TIS National is available only to eligible groups and services under certain conditions. Other organisations should either provide payment for interpretation or organise it themselves. Courts and tribunals may have their own procedures for hearing.
The thing to do in practice is clear; clarify who will organise and pay for interpreting before each important appointment. This will prevent you from being unable to communicate when it is really needed.
Why a Professional Interpreter Is Crucial?
A trained interpreter will get the words right, without adding their own opinions. Family members, no matter how well-meaning, often leave out details, change the story or insert their own take on what happened. And those little changes can actually make a big difference in a compensation claim.
Properly credentialed interpreters make all the difference; they know what all those technical terms mean in English and back in their own language. Words like “permanent impairment” or “what kind of duties can you do” are only as good as the person saying them, and getting them wrong can totally mess up the record.
Just because you can chat in everyday English doesn’t mean you can follow a medical or legal conversation. It makes a lot of sense to ask for an interpreter when you are in an unfamiliar situation, and it’s not a sign of weakness to do so.
Moments When Language Becomes Really Crucial
Some stages of a claim are a lot riskier than others.
Workplace injuries bring an extra layer to the situation. Briefings, injury reports and return-to-work plans all depend on clear communication. When the injured person can’t follow them properly, mistakes can pile up right from the start of the claim.
Questions to Ask Before Any Big Appointment
Having a few questions up your sleeve can turn a stressful appointment into one that’s more manageable. Asking ahead of time keeps you in control of what’s going on.
And don’t forget about dialects. Mandarin and Cantonese may be part of the same culture, but they’re two different languages, and booking the wrong interpreter can defeat the whole purpose of having one in the first place.
Keeping Everything on the Right Track
You can keep yourself safe by getting into a few simple habits. Keep copies of everything you get, and ask for any unclear letters to be explained. Write down what’s happening and when in the language that feels most natural, then share it with your treating doctor.
Accuracy all the way from that first appointment is what keeps everything else from going off the rails. A claim that’s built on clear, consistent records is just that much harder for the other side to dispute, in any language.
