• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Injured Workers Online

Injured Workers Online

Working Together for Justice

  • Blog
  • Sign Up
  • About
  • Twitter
Working Together for Justice
  • Workers’ Compensation
    • History
    • Law Reform
    • Workers’ compensation bills
    • Chronic Pain Victory
    • Research and Education
    • Bancroft Institute
    • Meredith Conference: “No-Half Measures”
    • RAACWI
  • Issues
    • Appeals
    • Benefits
    • Experience Rating
    • Funding
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Return to Work
    • Stigma and surveillance
    • Universal Coverage
  • Community
    • Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups (ONIWG)
    • Workers’ Comp Is a Right campaign
    • Injured Worker Groups
    • IW Speakers School
    • Injured Workers’ Stories
    • Organizing and Action
    • Arts & social justice
  • Events
    • Calendar View
    • RSI Awareness Day
    • Day of Mourning
    • Justice Bike Ride
    • Injured Workers Day
    • December demo
    • Labour Day – a workers’ festival
  • Media
    • In the News
    • Press Releases
    • Fact Sheets
    • Headlines on workers’ compensation
    • Videos
  • Resources
    • Law and Policy Submissions
    • Reports, Articles & Papers
    • Practical guides & booklets
    • IWHP Bulletins
    • Library
    • Find Legal Help
    • Links
Home / Blog / Appeals / Ombudsman hears from more injured workers

Ombudsman hears from more injured workers

July 25, 2016

“Provincial watchdog sees major spike in injured worker complaints” / Sara Mojtehedzadeh (Toronto Star, Jul. 23, 2016)

With 600 complaints in the period Apr-Mar 2015/2016 to the Ombudsman about Ontario’s workers’ compensation board, the numbers are up almost 20% over last year – “at a time when doctors, labour groups and injured-worker advocates are calling for a formal investigation into the WSIB, alleging “systematic disregard” for medical advice given by accident victims’ own doctors… That, critics say, often leads to workers being unfairly kicked off benefits…”

Injured workers are just being cut off benefits …They’re being denied treatment that they need, they’re being denied medication that they need.” (Aidan MacDonald, Injured Workers’ Consultants Community Legal Clinic)

Complaints to the Ombudsman about the independent workers’ compensation Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT) have also risen sharply over the past year – 23% (from 99 to 128).

Related articles in the Toronto Star investigative series:

  • Jul. 21, 2016. “Injured Workers Routinely Cut Off WSIB by Improper Rulings”
  • Jul. 10, 2016. “WSIB Stands by Use of ‘Paper Doctors’ After Call for Ombudsman Probe”
  • Jul. 3, 2016. “Fewer Workers Getting Help for ‘Serious Injuries,’ Statistics Show”
  • Jun. 13, 2016. “Doctor Hired by WSIB in U.S. Legal Battle Over Slashed Medical Benefits”
  • Jun. 10, 2016. “WSIB Critics Say Spending Cuts are ‘Devastating’ Injured Workers” (Responses – WSIB ; Toronto Workers’ Health & Safety Legal Clinic )
  • Apr. 6, 2016. “Fair Appeals for Injured Workers Under Threat, Experts Warn”

Filed Under: Appeals, Claims, In the News

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Stay connected – get our blog updates
Copyright © 2023 Injured Workers Online
  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy

The information in this website is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for legal advice. For legal advice, see Find legal help