Requests by Coroners Court
P.A Hamill made this Official Information request to Accident Compensation Corporation
The request was successful.
From: P.A Hamill
Dear Accident Compensation Corporation,
It is my understanding that when a client of the Accident Compensation Corporation commits suicide that their file is or should be electronically locked so nothing can be changed with it its documents due to the fact that every suspected suicide is put before the coroner's court for investigation of the death.
At some stage the claimants file is closed by the Accident Compensation Corporation That the file does not necessarily say why or how the person died. Due to the fact that on most occasions the Accident Compensation Corporation is usually notified of the claimants death by the GP, with little or no info given to the case manager. So the status of the claim is changed to that of deceased and all everything is ceased such as weekly compensation etc.
Which is possibly why when OIA request have been made in the past regarding the number of deaths attributed to suicide, the Accident Compensation Corporation has not been able to answer how many claimants have taken their own lives.
.
Under the Coroners Act 2006 Police must report every suspected suicide to the coroner.
A Coroner will then investigate the death and make a formal finding, either at inquest or through a hearing on papers.
My request is as follows :-
1 / Has the Accident Compensation Corporation in the past been requested by the coroners court to supply claimant files to the coroners court so they can investigate claimants suicides.
2/ In the previous 12 months how many request for claimants files have been made by the coroners court.
3/ If the coroners court has been provided claimants files, are the claimant files the full electronic file as held by the Accident Compensation Corporation, does the coroners court have access to such areas in the claimants files as internal panel discussion notes, communications between case managers and providers, party status files, shared documents files, fraud investigation files etc.
Or is the file supplied to the coroner the same version of the file as supplied to a claimant when they have requested a copy of their complete file, but has many areas withheld from them. Such as party status files and shared documents, internal communication documents.
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Dear P.A Hamill
Official Information Act 1982 request
On 22 January 2016 you asked ACC for information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act). Your request was made via the FYI website
and ACC notes that you joined FYI in January 2016.
Section 12 of the Act provides that any person may make a request where
they are:
a) a New Zealand citizen; or
b) a permanent resident of New Zealand; or
c) a person who is in New Zealand; or
d) a body corporate which is incorporated in New Zealand; or
e) a body corporate which is incorporated outside New Zealand but which
has a place of business in New Zealand.
ACC requires more information to establish compliance with section 12 and
to determine whether you are eligible to make a request under the Act.
An original of any one of the following items is acceptable as a
demonstration of your eligibility:
- a recent bill from the company who supplies your power, gas,
water, phone or internet services
- Council rates notice
- a letter from the Electoral Office
- travel itinerary
- anything from a government agency that includes your name and
address
- unexpired Rental or Tenancy Agreement
Please respond within five working days from today’s date – no later than
4 February 2016. Once ACC receives a response from you, and is satisfied
that the requirements of section 12 have been met, we will acknowledge the
request and begin to consider a decision under the Act. The 20 working
days for making a decision on your request will begin from the day ACC
receives said confirmation.
Please contact us at [1][email address] if you have any
queries. We will be happy to answer any questions or, if you have any
concerns, work with you to resolve these.
Yours sincerely
Government Services
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From: P.A Hamill
Dear Government Services,
Have ACC verify my eligability to make this request by looking up my current and active claim with them.
Yours sincerely,
P.A Hamill
From: P.A Hamill
Dear Government Services,
Once you have verified I am eligable to make this request.
under s16(2) of the Official Information Act, my preferred way of receiving a response is by email to the address from which ACC received the original request, not by post".
Yours sincerely,
P.A Hamill
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Dear P.A Hamill
Thank you for your response. In order to make sure that we are referring to the correct claim details we require your full name and date of birth details.
If you prefer, you can email these personal details to [email address] instead of replying via www.fyi.org.nz. This way these details will not be made public online.
Yours sincerely
Government Services
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From: P.A Hamill
Dear Government Services,
Get them to use this number 10016019407 its one of the current claims.
Yours sincerely,
P.A Hamill
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Dear P.A Hamill
Thank you for providing us with information to establish compliance with section 12 of the Official Information Act 1982. ACC is working on your request and will be in touch with you as soon as possible, and certainly by 1 March 2016.
If you have any questions I will be happy to work with you to resolve these. I can be contacted via email at [email address].
Yours sincerely
Government Services
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From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Dear Ms Hamill
Please find attached our response to your request under the Official
Information Act 1982.
Yours sincerely
Government Services
Disclaimer:
"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."
From: P.A Hamill
Dear Government Services,
Thank you for your time in sourcing and supplying this information it was very helpful
Yours sincerely,
P.A Hamill
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence
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Anthony Jordan left an annotation ()
Providing a summary of information requested to Coroner potentially leaves ACC open to non-transparency related issues. An example...very close to home, any self harm and suicide incidents were directly related to ACC neglect of intervention subsequently resulting in harm. One could be seen to be Obstructing Justice by writing a summary on behalf of Coroner if there was ever an intention to 'deceive', This shouldn't be acceptable. Unfortunately too many times confidence in ACC has proven the latter
Link to this