Accident Compensation Corporation

Infobox Government agency
agency_name = Accident Compensation Corporation
nativename_r = Te Kaporeihana Āwhina Hunga Whara
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jurisdiction = New Zealand
headquarters = Shamrock House, 81 Molesworth Street, Wellington
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minister1_name = Hon. Maryan Street
minister1_pfo = Minister for ACC
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minister2_pfo =
chief1_name = Dr Jan White
chief1_position = Chief Executive
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website = http://www.acc.co.nz/
footnotes =The Accident Compensation Corporation ( _mi. Te Kaporeihana Āwhina Hunga Whara) is a New Zealand Crown Entity responsible for administering the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Act 2001. [ [http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2001/0049/latest/DLM99494.html Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Act 2001] ] The Act provides support to citizens, residents, and temporary visitors who have suffered accidental injuries.

Features

ACC is the sole and compulsory provider of accident insurance for all work and non-work injuries. The ACC Scheme is administered on a no-fault basis, so that anyone, regardless of the way in which they incurred an injury, is eligible for cover under the Scheme. Due to the Scheme's no-fault basis, people who have suffered personal injury do not have the right to sue an at-fault party, except for exemplary damages. [see, "Donselaar v. Donselaar" [1982] 1 NZLR 97, confirmed by "Auckland City Council v. Blundell" [1986] 1 NZLR 732]

The ACC Scheme provides a range of entitlements to injured people, from contribution towards the cost of treatment, to weekly compensation for lost earnings (paid at a rate of 80% of a person's pre-injury earnings), and even home or vehicle modifications for the seriously injured. The entitlements offered by the Scheme are subject to various eligibility criteria. ACC, as a Crown Entity, is responsible to a Cabinet Minister via its Board of Directors. The current Minister responsible for ACC is Hon Maryan Street.

History

ACC is rooted in the 1900 "Worker's Compensation Act", which established a limited compensation scheme for workers who had suffered injuries where there was no directly responsible party.

In 1967, a Royal Commission report ('The Woodhouse Report') recommended that this compensation should be extended to all injuries on a no-fault basis. Following this report, on 1 April 1974 the Accident Compensation Commission was established, to operate the 1972 Accident Compensation Act, and the 1973 Amendments.

The Annual Report (1989/90) of the Accident Compensation Commission [Annual Report (1989/90) of the Accident Compensation Commission, p.5] proposed that the distinction between "accidents" (which is covered [see "Fenton v. Thorley" [1903] WN 149 for an old definition] ) and "illness" (which is not) should be dropped. But this proposal was not taken up. In 1992 the Accident Compensation Commission changed its name to the "Accident Compensation Corporation".

From 1 July 1999 the Fourth National government allowed private insurance operators to provide work-related accident insurance, and ACC was briefly exposed to competition. Due the election of the Fifth Labour government, this change was repealed, and as of 1 July 2000, ACC was re-instated as the sole provider of accident insurance cover.

ee also

*Tort reform

Notes

External links

* [http://www.acc.co.nz/ Accident Compensation Corporation website]