Queensland storm season runs from roughly October to April, and every year it brings the same injuries. A branch comes down on someone walking to their car. A cyclist hits a tree lying across a dark bike path. A driver rounds a bend and there is a gum tree across the road. A neighbour helping … Read more
This August, the Royal Queensland Show, the Ekka, celebrates its 150th anniversary, running from 8 to 16 August 2026 at the Brisbane Showgrounds in Bowen Hills. With more than 400,000 people expected through the gates over nine days, it is one of the largest gatherings in Queensland each year. Events of this scale are, on … Read more
That question may sound blunt, but it reflects an important legal distinction. A person can be genuinely angry, distressed or deeply affected by the way they have been treated without necessarily having a personal injury claim. On the other hand, what initially appears to be ordinary emotional upset may sometimes develop into a recognised psychological … Read more
If you’ve been injured and can barely make it from the car park to the front door without pain, you may be entitled to a disability parking permit – even if your injury is temporary. Most people Googling “how to get a disability parking permit in Queensland” assume the scheme is only for people with … Read more
After a serious workplace injury, people are often surprised to learn that more than one process can start at the same time. Alongside workers’ compensation and any potential common law claim, the workplace itself may come under investigation by the safety regulator. In Queensland, that regulator is Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, commonly referred to … Read more
PLAINTIFF: Dr David Kitchen, ophthalmologist, and his practice CQ Eye Pty Ltd DEFENDANT: Julie Quinlivan, Director of Professional Services Review Agency (PSR). The PSR agency administers the PSR Scheme to investigate Medicare-referred cases of possible inappropriate practice relating to Medicare, the CDBS and the PBS. Most commonly, the PSR agency investigates doctors suspected of “inappropriate … Read more
For Queensland personal injury lawyers, a recent Supreme Court decision provides important clarification on two separate issues affecting the mandatory final offer (MFO) process: what makes an MFO compliant with statutory requirements, and when settlements actually become binding. In Allen v Brother International (Aust) Pty Ltd; WorkCover Queensland v Allen [2025] QSC 129, Sullivan J … Read more
A plaintiff spent 26 years trying to get compensation for what he believed was a wrongful conviction and years of imprisonment. He succeeded only in proving 7 days were wrongfully obtained through an abuse of process (the holding charge). The irony is that most of his suffering – the years in prison – came from … Read more
When is an expert medical report a “material fact of decisive character” that justifies extending the limitation period? Ryan v Gold Coast Hospital [2025] QSC 181 granted a limitation extension where the first expert couldn’t establish negligence but a second expert’s report was decisive in proving the hospital’s failure to warn about surgical risks. This … Read more
Can poverty excuse a 12-year delay in pursuing a medical negligence claim? The Queensland Court of Appeal said yes in Ringelstein v Metro North Hospital [2025] QCA 188, reversing the trial judge who had denied a limitation extension. This case analysis is for medical negligence and personal injury lawyers, examining when financial hardship, health deterioration, … Read more