The plaintiff suffered injury to his lower back in a car accident which occurred in 2019, when he was 14 years of age. He was 20 at the time of the trial. The accident was not too serious, but the plaintiff almost immediately started complaining of pain and discomfort in the lower back, which has continued over the years. The…
Plaintiff wins $2.5M in damages
The Supreme Court of Queensland recently awarded $2.5M in damages to a tow truck driver who suffered severe crush injuries. A Mitsubishi bus rolled on him while he was underneath it to try and attach a towing device. Pleasingly, in addition to economic loss damages, the Court award included fairly generous allowances for pain and suffering as well as domestic…
Compensation claim fails against driver of unidentified vehicle
In the recent case of Greentree v Nominal Defendant [2024] QDC 99, the injured plaintiff was travelling along the Bruce Highway at Sippy Downs (Sunshine Coast). He alleged that an unidentified white car overtook him, then veered back into his lane and suddenly braked. This caused the plaintiff to brake, to swerve to the right, over-correct, lose control and veer…
How social media can torpedo a personal injury claim
In the recent decision of Clements v Margalit & Ors [2025] QDC 197, the Queensland District Court ordered that the claimant, Ms Clements, disclose all of her holiday and travel photos and related social media material to the insurance company after she had uploaded some photos from her trips. The plaintiff was involved in a car accident in July 2019.…
A case study: injured cyclists’ claim reduced from $401,353.05 to $73,663.91
The plaintiff suffered injuries in an accident when he was riding a bicycle at Palm Beach and was struck by a car. The District Court significantly reduced his damages award. This case demonstrates why it is so important to be truthful with medical experts and also when giving evidence in court.
What is Pain and Suffering in a Personal Injury Claim?
Why is it that some personal injury cases are far more valuable than others? What is the main factor that increases the value of a case? Thanks to US tv shows most people think it’s as simple as juries coming in at the end of the trial awarding huge sums in damages. Or in other words: the more traumatic…
Recent Successes for Our Clients
We have had some great ou tcomes for our clients just before the Christmas break. We have resolved several personal injury cases, including a car accident leading to whiplash injuries, a shopping centre slip and fall as well as a workplace accident. Whiplash injuries are quite common after car accidents, but they can be difficult to prove. There…
How Much Should Your Car Insurer Know About Your Driving?
Would you be willing to give up some of your privacy in exchange for discounted car insurance premiums? It’s happening in America and it may well happen in Australia too. Pricing car insurance In theory, the price of car insurance should largely depend on the likelihood that you will be involved in a car accident. For example, when you…
US Government Files Anti-Trust Lawsuit Against Google
Does anyone remember Netscape Navigator? (If you don’t, here is a quick recap: after Al Gore invented* the Internet, Netscape was the dominant internet browser.) Microsoft in turn started shipping Windows with Internet Explorer (Microsoft’s browser) preinstalled on it. It also put pressure on computer retailers not to install different browsers on new computers. Eventually, Microsoft pretty much killed Netscape…
Do You Lose Your Rights When You Sign A Wavier?
When we go to a theme park or to undertake some “extreme” sport, we are often asked to sign a “waiver”. They usually say that whatever happens, we can’t sue the company that provides services to us. Does this really mean we lose all our rights? This is the very issue which has recently been considered by the Supreme…
