Court of Appeal says ‘back to business as usual’ with the Victorian Medical Panel

By: Andrew Seiter and Hope Saloustros   At a glance On 1 May 2023, Judge Fraatz of the Victorian County Court handed down judgment in the Rosata matter, holding that a Medical Panel can only make one determination in the same proceeding to determine whether a claimant’s injuries meet the threshold to claim non-economic loss damages in […]

State of the nation: a guide to personal injury claims in Australia – updated for 2023-24

We’re delighted to share W+K’s State of the nation 2023-24 – our guide to different procedural rules, limitation periods, assessment of damages and recent cases for personal injury claims in each Australian state. Assessments of damages in personal injury claims and the apportionment of damages in property damage/economic loss claims in Australia are governed by […]

County Court decision overturns long-standing Medical Panel process

On 1 May 2023, the Victorian County Court handed down its judgment in the Rosata matter. The decision has taken respondents in Victoria by surprise and may overturn a process that has been bedded down over the last 20 years. In Rosata, the County Court held that the Medical Panel can only make one determination […]

The mystery of the water on the floor: County Court confirms that speculation is not enough

Karlevski v Vicinity Centres PM Pty Ltd & Anor [2023] VCC 482 A recent decision by the County Court of Victoria has reconfirmed that while plaintiffs in personal injury actions can rely on inferential reasoning in the absence of direct evidence to a point, mere conjecture is not sufficient. In this matter, which involves a […]

Changes affecting personal injury claims in Queensland from 31 October 2022

Today, the remaining provisions of the Personal Injuries Proceedings and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2022 (the Amendment Act) came into force. These amend the Personal Injuries Proceedings Act 2002, the Legal Profession Act 2007 and the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003. The amendments, together with the provisions that were already in force from the […]

NSW Supreme Court finds for plaintiff in train platform accident case

Chol v Sydney Trains [2022] NSWSC 1266 The NSW Supreme Court has found for a plaintiff who suffered major injuries after falling between a platform and a train at a Sydney train station. In this matter, the Court accepted that Sydney Trains had a reasonable system of keeping passengers safe. However, it ultimately found Sydney […]

State of the Nation – a practical guide to personal injury in Australia

Assessments of damages in personal injury claims and the apportionment of damages in property damage/economic loss claims in Australia are governed by different state legalisation and regimes. Each regime has unique characteristics that are important in the context of driving claim strategies. To help demystify many of the idiosyncrasies of personal injury litigation, W+K has […]

Queensland to ban claim farming

On 22 June 2022, the Queensland Parliament passed new laws banning claim farming of personal injury claims in the state. The Personal Injuries Proceedings and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2022 (PIPOLA) seeks to end the proliferation of claim farming in Queensland through amendments to the Personal Injury Proceedings Act 2002 (PIPA), the Workers’ Compensation and […]

WA’s new workplace health and safety laws – the importance of a ‘global’ approach to WHS incidents

On 31 March 2022, the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 WA (WHS Act) came into effect. The major change for the insurance sector from the harmonised WHS legislation is that WHS penalties are no longer insurable. For insurers and brokers, this means it is important to ensure renewed policies do not contain terms that […]

When is a dangerous recreational activity risk obvious?

Tapp v Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft & Rodeo Association Limited [2022] HCA 11 On 6 April 2022, the High Court addressed the dangerous recreational activity defence under the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) with its decision in Tapp v Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft & Rodeo Association Limited [2022] HCA 11. In the decision, the majority of the […]