Former WA Police officer 'gutted' after compensation for horrific injury denied

Former WA Australian of the Year Paul Litherland sustained severe physical and psychological injuries when he was hit by a car while serving in the WA Police in 2004. He says he was told that when he left the force, he would be eligible for post-service medical compensation for his ongoing medical costs, but his claim was recently denied by the state government's insurer. What's next? Police Minister Reece Whitby says he has asked the insurer to look into Mr Litherland's case, describing him as a remarkable man who "has done great service for Western Australia". Former WA Police officer and WA Australian of the Year Paul Litherland says he is "heartbroken" after his claim for post-service medical compensation over injuries he received in the force was denied. Mr Litherland was a serving police officer in 2004 when he sustained horrific injuries after being hit by two cars in succession on the Kwinana Freeway. "I was heading home on my police motorbike, and I'd stopped to help a guy who got bogged in the middle of the freeway," Mr Litherland told Nadia Mitsopoulos on 102.5 ABC Radio Perth. "I was in the right-hand emergency lane trying to help him out. I was calling for a tow truck when all of a sudden, I heard screaming tyres, looked to the left and there was a car heading towards me at 80 kilometres per hour. "He ploughed straight into me, threw me about 10 metres down the freeway and I landed on my back and broke a couple of vertebrae, ruptured three discs, and hit my head on the freeway. "Luckily, I still had my helmet on but I received a quite extensive brain injury and then got hit by a second car as I was lying on the freeway and thought I was going to die." In the aftermath, Mr Litherland required multiple surgeries, years of rehabilitation and also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mr Litherland left the police in 2014 and went on to become a renowned cyber safety educator. He said he still suffered ongoing health problems from his accident 22 years ago, and the medical costs had begun to add up. He estimated he had spent about $135,000 in the past 12 years. "I just thought I'm financially OK, I'm happy to pay them myself and I did that for many years," he said. "Over the last couple of years in particular, it's been quite a strong burden on me financially, so one of my medical professionals suggested putting in a claim." Insurance claim denied In 2012, Mr Litherland received a settlement of $35,000 towards his future medical costs. He said he questioned the amount at the time and was told it was lower because after he left the force he would be eligible for post-service medical compensation (PSM), available to retired police officers through the Insurance Commission of WA (ICWA). But he said he received a phone call yesterday from an ICWA staff member informing him his claim for PSM had been denied. "I've basically been told that because I already received a settlement in 2012 that I am no longer eligible to receive any further benefits. They've basically accused me of double-dipping." He said the decision, and the way it was delivered over the phone, had left him feeling "gutted and let down". "This crash almost broke me, it almost killed me and it's just a phone call to go, not even sorry, it's just 'too bad so sad that's it'." The ICWA said in a statement it would not comment on the matter. "We do not comment on individual cases, as we need to maintain confidentiality. We would encourage Mr Litherland to contact us directly to discuss this matter," it said. 'A remarkable man' WA Police and Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said he would be looking into how Mr Litherland's claim had been handled. "Paul Litherland has done great service for Western Australia as West Australian of the Year but also as a serving police officer previously," Mr Whitby said. "He suffered terrible, horrific injuries and I have enormous compassion for what he's gone through and his lifelong journey with those injuries. "I'm very keen to know more about the circumstances and I'm very glad I've heard today that ICWA are also looking into this." ABC Perth in your inbox Get local news, stories, community events, recipes and more each fortnight.