IDI ACC Injury Claims data

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) is the Crown entity set up to deliver New Zealand's personal on-fault injury insurance scheme as set out in the Accident Compensation Act 2001 (the Act). ACC data collection is completed through the Claims Management System (CMS).

The data collection records all claims to ACC that have been accepted under the Act. This includes claims for injuries caused by accidents, occupational overuse conditions, and sexual assault or abuse. For each claim, information is recorded about medical treatment received and the injury incurred. Items recorded include: • client's personal details • details of the accident and injury caused • medical diagnosis • employment details • general details such as cover status and claim type • details of others associated with the claim, such as providers (medical, vocational, or social rehabilitation), employer, or others (eg accountant, lawyer) • entitlements, transactions, and reimbursements • records of any contact with the client and/or associated parties, including documents issued or received.

The ACC data within the IDI includes only claims made for work-related injury. The definition of work-related is agreed by Statistics NZ, ACC and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). It is defined as: all fatal and serious non-fatal injuries that occur while a person is at work in New Zealand.

This definition excludes some injury events that are of interest to overall workplace health and safety reporting, but for reasons of data quality are not included in this definition. These include: • injuries classified as occupational disease or illness (gradual process) • injuries to bystanders (members of the public, customers, or clients injured as a result of someone else’s work activity) • injuries to unpaid workers and volunteers • injuries to workers commuting to and from work • injuries to workers as a result of suicide or intentional self-harm • injuries to workers resulting from natural causes • injuries to workers who are working outside of New Zealand for a New Zealand organisation (for example, defence forces and New Zealand Police) • injury claims made to ACC where the scene is on a farm but the claim cannot be systematically identified as occurring while at work.

This definition of work-related injury is to be used consistently for national level outputs about work-related injury in New Zealand. It is used in the Serious Injury Outcome Indicators, which is the primary tool for measuring the impact of the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy (NZIPS). Work-related injury is a priority area in the NZIPS.

This data dictionary documents the content of ACC datasets provided to Statistics New Zealand. Detail is provided on the variables contained in the datasets including technical information and descriptions. The CMS data is used to determine an individual’s eligibility for a claim, and which ACC account should fund particular claims. It also facilitates case management, and the process of setting premium levels. The CMS is the most complete and comprehensive source of national statistics on injuries that have not resulted in hospitalisation.