UPDATE: Still no joy from compensation fund
According to Jacobs, they did not bother to look at the further doctors reports on the case that followed.
A MAN who lost his legs due to an accident on the job is still waiting for compensation a decade and a half later.
The RECORD recently did a story on Johan Jacobs from Alberton and his struggle to get assistance from the Department of Labour’s Compensation Fund.
Soon after the story became public it seemed to be getting some attention that we hoped would lead to a positive result but the progress seems to have hit a dead-end yet again.
Initial interest
The department (labour) showed initial interest at the bad publicity and revived work on the case only to state that monies owed to Jacobs had already been paid.
“The Fund has investigated your matter and according to our records, the claim was accepted by the fund with medical expenses and your claim was assessed and you were paid the money due,” Gambush Mpakati, compensation representative told Jacobs in an e-mail.
“The employee is entitled to lodge an objection within 180 days after the final award is issued by the fund. Should the employee feel that there are some developments on an injury that requires medical attention, the employee is entitled to apply for reopening if two years have elapsed and at the moment the fund does not have that request,” added Gambush.
No follow-up
According to Jacobs, they did not bother to look at the further doctors’ reports on the case that followed.
“I have attached documents to prove that on further doctors’ reports, my case would be reviewed, from your offices before you were there but that obviously was not done,” Jacobs replied to Gambush’s e-mail.
“After a thorough search through all my documentation, I came to the conclusion that my facts are right and that I did comply with the time frame you mentioned.
“I had more operations done on my right leg and I know that a case never closes if the doctor wrote in the final report that the injury is ongoing. Please explain to me why the doctors of finding me 66 per cent disabled last year in July 2016 and now you say I have been paid? What happened to the open voucher that I was informed about by your offices?
“Please be so kind as to look at the attachments and tell me where I have gone wrong or don’t understand,” added Jacobs in his reply to Gambush.
See original story here:
Waiting for compensation for 14 years
The RECORD contacted the Department of Labour to ask about the case, but they have failed to respond to our requests.
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