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Queensland man's compo claim gets the chop after karate video emerges online

A Queensland man had his $950,000 work-injury compensation claim quashed in court after video of him doing karate was found on social media.

Paul Thomas Kennedy was working for the Queensland Alumina Limited metal refinery in 2012 when he was scolded by caustic solution on his left ankle.

He described the sensation in documents tendered to the Rockhampton Supreme Court as a "jolting" and "electrical" type pain, ninemsn reports.

Paul Thomas Kennedy's compo claim was chopped down because of this karate video. Source: Facebook/Tony Arandale
Paul Thomas Kennedy's compo claim was chopped down because of this karate video. Source: Facebook/Tony Arandale

Mr Kennedy, who was 26 at the time, also said "any knock to my ankle is also really painful and sometimes causes a burning/nerve type pain which shoots up the back of my calf".

He said the pain was "something above seven out of ten".

But the court had more pain install for him when it knocked back his claim after a video emerged of him sparring at Gladstone's Silat Langkah Baru martial arts school surfaced on Facebook.

Mr Kennedy know understands the pain of social media. Source: Facebook/Tony Arandale
Mr Kennedy know understands the pain of social media. Source: Facebook/Tony Arandale

The video posted by instructor Tony Arandale shows an able-bodied, "relaxed and comfortable" Mr Kennedy hard at it in the dojo.

“There is no sign on the video of any symptom of pain as described there or any problem with balance," Justice Duncan McMeekin said.

Mr Kennedy always took partial responsibility for the accident, but thanks to the video, his $950,000 compo claim was chopped down to just $191,061.