Free initial consultation, with home or hospital visits available. No win, no fee, and the firm says it sets out other likely costs, such as medical reports and court fees, at the start.
Office
Level 21, 380 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Maurice Blackburn is one of the country's best known plaintiff firms, and the firm says its medical negligence practice has run since 1991. In Melbourne the medical injury team is led by principal lawyers Gabrielle Feery, Samuel Pearce and Tom Ballantyne, who is also an executive director. The firm says Feery is an LIV accredited specialist in personal injury law. The team takes on misdiagnosis, surgical errors, medication mistakes and birth injuries. It suits serious, complex claims that need a well resourced firm. The first consultation is free, home or hospital visits are offered, and claims run on a no win, no fee basis.
Medical negligence practice established in 1991, according to the firm
Also worth knowing
Free first consultations can be held at home or in hospital.
Lawyers
Gabrielle Feery, Principal Lawyer, Medical injury Accredited personal injury law specialist
Samuel Pearce, Principal Lawyer, Medical injury
Tom Ballantyne, Principal Lawyer and Executive Director, Medical injury
Sarah Nassour, Lawyer, Medical injury
Areas of medical negligence law handled
Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis claims
Cancer misdiagnosis claims
Surgical negligence claims
Medication error claims
Birth injury claims, including cerebral palsy and Erb's palsy
Failure to treat claims
Sepsis claims
Heart attack misdiagnosis claims
Home and hospital consultations
Office
Level 21, 380 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Other details
Other offices
Bendigo, Craigieburn, Dandenong, Frankston, Geelong, Mildura, Reservoir, Ringwood, Sunshine, Traralgon and Wangaratta, plus interstate offices
Obligation free initial appointment. No win, no fee on professional fees. Out of pocket costs such as records and expert reports may be covered by a funder, the client or sometimes the firm, and are discussed before they are incurred.
Office
Level 35, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Slater and Gordon is a national plaintiff firm that says it has acted for Australians for more than 90 years. Its Victorian medical law team includes principal lawyer Shari Liby, an LIV accredited personal injury specialist who has worked on medical negligence claims for more than 25 years and once practised as a trial lawyer in the US. The team covers misdiagnosis, surgical and anaesthetic errors, birth injuries, dental claims and faulty medical products. It suits people who want a large firm with regional reach. The first appointment is obligation free, and claims run on a no win, no fee basis.
Practising for more than 90 years, according to the firm
Also worth knowing
She visits Ballarat, Bendigo, Melton, Shepparton and Werribee as well as working from Melbourne.
Lawyers
The firm's Melbourne medical negligence page doesn't name its lawyers; these come from individual profiles.
Shari Liby, Principal Lawyer, Medical Law Accredited personal injury law specialist
Emma Clark, Lawyer, Medical Law (Dandenong, also visits Epping and Ringwood)
Areas of medical negligence law handled
Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis claims
Surgical error claims
Anaesthesia error claims
Birth injury, stillbirth and neonatal death claims
Cerebral palsy claims
Dental negligence claims
Failure to refer claims
Defective medical product claims
Medication error claims
Overseas medical treatment claims
Office
Level 35, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Other details
Other offices
Dandenong, Epping and Ringwood among other Victorian offices, plus interstate
Free first appointment, where the firm explains its no win, no fee arrangement. The firm says there are no hidden fees.
Office
Level 11, 456 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Polaris is a Melbourne injury boutique founded by Nick Mann, who led Slater and Gordon's medical negligence department before starting the firm. The firm says he is an LIV accredited personal injury specialist. The firm publishes write ups of its own medical negligence results, including a County Court verdict in May 2026 over sepsis after gastric bypass surgery and a win against a chiropractor. It also takes claims against physiotherapists, osteopaths and pharmacies. It suits people who want a smaller firm run by a medical negligence specialist. The first appointment is free and claims run on a no win, no fee basis.
Also worth knowing
It has also written up a medical negligence case it won against a chiropractor.
Lawyers
The site doesn't say which lawyers run medical negligence files; Ariella Stephenson is named in a medical negligence client review.
Nick Mann, Founder and Principal Accredited personal injury law specialist
Megan Caines, Managing Director and Principal
Alice Robinson, Principal and Director
Divina Moodley, Principal and Director
Hamish Kelly, Senior Associate Lawyer
Ariella Stephenson, Associate Lawyer
Areas of medical negligence law handled
Surgical error claims
GP misdiagnosis claims
Birth trauma claims
Delayed cancer and heart attack diagnosis claims
Chiropractor, physiotherapist and osteopath injury claims
No win, no fee, according to the firm. Free counselling is available through its Brave Support program. Contact the firm about first consultation terms.
Office
Level 11, 456 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Brave Legal is a Melbourne injury boutique set up by Bree Knoester, a former personal injury partner at Holding Redlich who works as both principal lawyer and barrister. Medical negligence is one of its four practice areas, and Best Lawyers lists Knoester for medical negligence in Melbourne. The firm runs a free counselling program called Brave Support, led by a therapist, for clients dealing with trauma. It suits people who want a small team and extra emotional support through a hard claim. The firm acts on a no win, no fee basis.
Launched around January 2021 (The Lawyer Magazine)
Also worth knowing
The team includes a special counsel and two associates as well as the principal.
Free, confidential, no obligation first consultation. No win, no fee for medical negligence claims; the firm says it usually covers upfront costs such as records and expert reports.
Office
Level 3, 607 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Henry Carus + Associates is a Melbourne injury firm led by principal Henry Carus, with a CBD office on Bourke Street and 16 suburban offices. Its medical negligence page names a team of 11, including three senior associates. The firm covers misdiagnosis of cancer, stroke and heart attack, surgical errors, birth injuries, emergency department failures and botched cosmetic surgery. It suits people in the suburbs who want an office close to home. The first consultation is free and confidential, and the firm says it runs medical negligence claims on a no win, no fee basis.
Also worth knowing
The first consultation is free and the firm says claims run on a no win, no fee basis.
Lawyers
Henry Carus, Principal
Dino Beslagic, Senior Associate
Michael Constable, Senior Associate
David Halhead, Senior Associate
Ryan Moran, Associate
Benjamin Pretty, Associate
Ana Keres, Lawyer
Struan Jansen, Lawyer
Lauren Rimon, Lawyer
Angus Dowling, Lawyer
Amy Yang, Team member (no title given)
Areas of medical negligence law handled
Cancer, stroke and heart attack misdiagnosis claims
Obligation free first consultation. No win, no fee, conditions apply.
Office
Level 4, 277 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Shine Lawyers is a national plaintiff firm with a Melbourne office on William Street and a Victorian medical negligence team. Its Victorian page names more than a dozen people working on these claims, and Melbourne profiles include associate Maryse Andrinopoulos-Tsigolis and senior solicitors Simone Fernandes and Kathlea Tamvakis. The firm covers misdiagnosis, injuries during surgery or procedures, birth injuries and deaths, and has a page on psychiatric care claims against Victorian public hospitals. It suits people who want a national firm. The first consultation carries no obligation and claims are taken on a no win, no fee basis.
Also worth knowing
The page features a birth trauma client story.
Lawyers
The Victorian page also names Ann Meakins, Anya Graeff, Ally Jusufi, Selina Stephens, Darcy Walmsley, Ben McCourtie, Amanda Hoyes, Natalie Merunovich, Dionne Franklin, Daniel Opare, Zara O'Sullivan and Yasmin Khsara without roles or offices.
Maryse Andrinopoulos-Tsigolis, Associate, Medical negligence
Simone Fernandes, Senior Solicitor, Medical negligence
Kathlea Tamvakis, Senior Solicitor, Medical negligence
Areas of medical negligence law handled
Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis claims
Surgical and procedure injury claims
Birth injury claims
Wrongful death claims after medical treatment
Psychiatric care claims against Victorian public hospitals
Super, insurance and TPD claims linked to medical injury
Office
Level 4, 277 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Other details
Other offices
Geelong mentioned for medical negligence; national offices
Free case assessment and no consultation fee for the first call. No win, no fee in most medical negligence cases, and the firm may arrange funding for out of pocket costs.
Office
573 to 577 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Arnold Thomas & Becker is a large Victorian injury firm with a head office on Lonsdale Street in the CBD and offices across the suburbs and regional Victoria. Its medical negligence team takes claims against GPs, specialists, dentists, allied health providers and hospitals. The firm is running a group investigation involving a Melbourne gynaecologist and hospital with individual or group claims possible. It suits people who want a well known local firm. Case assessments are free and the firm says most medical negligence claims run on a no win, no fee basis.
Also worth knowing
Case assessments are free and most medical negligence claims run on a no win, no fee basis.
Areas of medical negligence law handled
Anaesthetic error claims
Birth injury claims
Medication and prescription error claims
Surgical error claims
Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis claims
Failure to refer or follow up claims
Test result error claims
Failure to warn claims
Gynaecological treatment group investigation
Office
573 to 577 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Other details
Other offices
Level 1, 657 Little Lonsdale Street (Melbourne), Richmond, Werribee, Craigieburn, Ringwood, Dandenong, Frankston, Sunbury, Geelong, Ballarat, Warrnambool and Traralgon, plus Sydney, WA, SA and Tasmania
Free, no obligation first consultation in person, by phone or online, and the firm will meet clients at home. No win, no fee.
Office
Level 12, 271 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Margalit Injury Lawyers is a Melbourne injury firm led by managing principal Michel Margalit, an LIV accredited personal injury specialist according to the firm. Its medical negligence practice is led by special counsel Julia Weaver, with associate Sophie Gawi. The team covers misdiagnosis, surgical errors, birth injuries, medication mistakes and hospital and emergency care errors, and the firm says it is investigating concerns about endometriosis surgery by a Melbourne gynaecologist. It suits people who want a mid sized firm with a named medical team. The first consultation is free, in person, by phone or online, and claims run on a no win, no fee basis.
Also worth knowing
The first consultation is free and can be held in person, by phone or online.
Lawyers
Julia Weaver, Special Counsel, leads the medical negligence practice
Sophie Gawi, Associate
Michel Margalit, Managing Principal Accredited personal injury law specialist
Areas of medical negligence law handled
Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis claims
Surgical error claims
Birth injury claims
Medication and prescription error claims
Hospital and emergency care claims
Endometriosis surgery investigation
Home and online consultations
Office
Level 12, 271 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Other details
Other offices
Bentleigh (392 Centre Road) and Sunbury (84 Oshanassy Street)
Free claim assessment by phone or online questionnaire. No win, no fee, and the firm says most claims have no upfront fees.
Office
302 King Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Carbone Lawyers is a family led Melbourne injury firm run by managing partner Tony Carbone, with John Karantzis as head of personal injury. Its medical negligence pages cover surgical and anaesthetic errors, misdiagnosis, pregnancy and childbirth, delayed diagnosis and deaths. It also takes claims over medication errors in aged care. The firm describes a settlement for a man who broke his hip after staff ignored his dizziness following a CT scan. It suits people across Melbourne's suburbs. The claim assessment is free, by phone or online, and the firm works on a no win, no fee basis.
Also worth knowing
It takes claims over medication errors by aged care workers as well as against hospitals.
Lawyers
The site doesn't say which lawyers handle medical negligence matters.
Tony Carbone, Managing Partner
John Karantzis, Partner, Head of Personal Injury
Areas of medical negligence law handled
Surgical and anaesthesia error claims
Medical misdiagnosis claims
Pregnancy and childbirth claims
Medical negligence death claims
Delayed diagnosis claims
Medication error claims, including in aged care
Post operative care claims
Cosmetic surgery claims
Hospital infection claims
Office
302 King Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Other details
Other offices
Bentleigh East, Dandenong, Essendon, Reservoir, Ringwood and Werribee
Free initial consultation, in person, by phone or by video. No win, no fee.
Office
Level 5, 500 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Gordon Legal is a Melbourne plaintiff firm founded in 2009 by senior partner Peter Gordon, known for class actions as well as injury work. Its medical negligence page covers misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, failure to refer or pass on test results, surgical errors, failure to warn and birth trauma, plus claims by families after a death. Senior associate Aylin Genc focuses on medical negligence and public liability, according to her profile. It suits people who want a well resourced firm. The first consultation is free and claims run on a no win, no fee basis.
Founded in 2009
Also worth knowing
Its CBD office is at Level 5, 500 Bourke Street.
Lawyers
The firm's site names only one lawyer as working in medical negligence.
Aylin Genc, Senior Associate, Medical Negligence and Public Liability
Areas of medical negligence law handled
Misdiagnosis claims
Delayed diagnosis and treatment claims
Failure to refer claims
Test result error claims
Surgical error claims
Failure to warn claims
Birth trauma claims
Dependency claims after a death
Nervous shock claims by family members
Office
Level 5, 500 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Other details
Other offices
Melbourne ANMF office (535 Elizabeth Street), Northcote, Geelong, Dandenong and Warrnambool
Firm details come from each firm's own website. Google ratings are shown as published on Google and don't set the order. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Not sure which firm suits you?
Tell us a little about your matter and we'll put you in touch with a Melbourne medical negligence lawyer. It's free and there's no obligation.
How we compiled this list
We include firms with a Melbourne office that run medical negligence claims as a real part of their injury practice, with a page or team for this work. For each firm we read its own website in October 2026 and wrote the description ourselves. Where a firm says a lawyer is an LIV accredited specialist in personal injury law we say so, and you can check with the LIV. Consultation and no win, no fee terms are as the firm describes them, so confirm them in your costs agreement. We don't publish settlement amounts or name doctors or hospitals from firms' case lists. We show Google ratings with the date we checked them.
Firms can pay for a featured listing on some of our pages, which affects where they appear. No firm on this page pays. Payment doesn't buy the write-up. We write those ourselves, and firms don't get to edit them. If something here is out of date, let us know. There's more detail on how we rank law firms.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and amounts are as published by Victorian legislation, the Health Complaints Commissioner, Ahpra and the Coroners Court of Victoria in October 2026.
What counts as medical negligence
Not every bad result is negligence. Surgery can fail, drugs can have side effects and some conditions are hard to spot even with good care. To claim compensation you generally need to show three things: the doctor, hospital or other provider owed you a duty of care, the care you got fell below the standard expected, and that failure caused you harm you wouldn't otherwise have suffered.
The claims the firms on this list take on include:
Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis: cancer, stroke, heart attack, sepsis and fractures that were missed or picked up too late
Surgical and anaesthetic errors: mistakes during an operation, poor follow up care and infections that weren't treated
Medication errors: the wrong drug or dose, from a GP, hospital, pharmacy or aged care home
Birth injuries: harm to a baby or mother before, during or soon after birth
Failure to warn: not telling you about the risks of a treatment before you agreed to it
How the standard of care is judged
The question isn't whether a better outcome was possible. It's whether the care was reasonable. Victoria's Wrongs Act has its own rules on how the standard is set for professionals, and they give weight to what others in the same field accept as competent practice. In practice, almost every claim turns on independent reports from experts in the same specialty. Causation is often the hardest part, because you have to show it was the error, not your underlying illness, that caused the harm.
Victorian public health services are insured for medical indemnity by the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (VMIA), the state government's insurer. The cover includes their employees, and some contracted doctors when they treat public patients. A doctor who treats you as a private patient in their own private practice usually has their own insurer.
What you can claim and the significant injury threshold
A successful claim can cover pain and suffering, past and future lost earnings, medical and rehabilitation costs, and the cost of care. To get damages for pain and suffering under the Wrongs Act, your injury must be a significant injury:
Type of injury
Significant injury threshold
Physical injury
More than 5% whole person impairment
Spinal injury
5% or more
Psychiatric injury
10% or more
Loss of a foetus, loss of a breast, or psychiatric injury from the loss of a child because of an injury to the mother, foetus or child before, during or immediately after birth
Treated as significant without an assessment
Other injuries need an impairment assessment by an approved medical practitioner, although the other side can waive it. The other side can also refer the threshold question to a Medical Panel.
A few limits apply to the rest of the claim. Lost earnings are calculated on no more than three times average weekly earnings. Damages for unpaid care from family or friends are limited: the Wrongs Act sets minimums of 6 hours a week and 6 months, so short or occasional help usually isn't covered. Damages for pain and suffering are also capped, and the cap is indexed each 1 July.
Time limits for medical negligence claims in Victoria
Step
Time limit
Starting a court claim
Generally 3 years from when you knew, or ought to have known, that you were injured, that someone's fault caused it and that it was serious enough to justify a claim, with a 12 year outer limit from the date of the negligent act
Children under 18 and people with a disability
Generally 6 years from when the injury is discoverable, with a 12 year long stop
Complaint to the Health Complaints Commissioner
May be declined if made more than 12 months after the incident without a good reason for the delay
Private provider answering a records request
Up to 45 days
With a missed diagnosis, the clock often starts when you learn that something went wrong, not on the day of the appointment. Courts can extend some time limits, but don't rely on it. Don't assume a complaint to the Health Complaints Commissioner or Ahpra pauses the time limit for a claim either.
Smaller claims up to $100,000 can go to the Magistrates' Court, while the County Court and Supreme Court have no limit.
A complaint or a claim: the Health Complaints Commissioner and Ahpra
A complaint and a compensation claim are different things, and you can do both. A complaint is about getting answers or changing practice. A claim is about money for your losses.
Option
What it does
Contact
Raise it with the provider
Often the quickest way to get an explanation. The Health Complaints Commissioner asks you to try this first
The clinic or hospital
Health Complaints Commissioner
A free, impartial and voluntary process for complaints about registered and unregistered providers, and an alternative to legal proceedings. Outcomes can include an explanation, an apology, a refund or compensation, access to treatment or records, and a change in practice
1300 582 113
Ahpra
Looks into concerns about the safety or conduct of registered practitioners such as doctors and nurses. It regulates individual practitioners, not hospitals or clinics
1300 419 495
Compensation claim
A negotiated settlement or court case under the Wrongs Act, usually run by a lawyer
A lawyer on this list, or the LIV referral service
Outcomes such as an apology, a refund or compensation depend on the provider agreeing to them. The Commissioner can also investigate, and can ban unregistered providers from practising. Conciliation discussions there are confidential and can't be used in any later court case. The Commissioner may refer professional conduct issues to Ahpra. For complaints about fees, access to records or poor service, Ahpra tells you to go to the Health Complaints Commissioner. Ahpra also says crimes such as sexual assault should also be reported to police.
Getting your medical records
Private hospitals, GPs and other private providers: you have a right of access under the Health Records Act 2001. You may be asked to put the request in writing, and the provider has up to 45 days to respond
Fees: capped by regulation. For 2026 to 27, copies cost up to 20 cents an A4 black and white page and supervised inspection up to $20.70 a half hour
Public hospitals: records are released under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic), so make an FOI request to the hospital
If you're refused: the provider must explain why in writing, and you can complain to the Health Complaints Commissioner
When a patient dies: the coroner and family claims
A death must be reported to the coroner if the person died unexpectedly during or after a medical procedure that a doctor wouldn't have expected to result in death. Not every reported death leads to an inquest. An inquest is mandatory only in some cases, such as a death in custody or care that wasn't from natural causes.
Asking for an inquest: families can request one on Form 26 after checking the status of the investigation with the Coroners Court. The coroner replies in writing
If the coroner says no: you can appeal to the Supreme Court
What the coroner won't do: make findings of guilt or apportion blame. Compensation is a separate claim
Under the Wrongs Act, anyone who was wholly, mainly or partly financially dependent on the person can be compensated for that loss. The claim is usually brought by the executor or administrator on the dependants' behalf. Separately, a close family member, or someone who saw what happened, may be able to claim for their own psychiatric injury. To get the person's records, the executor (once probate is granted) or administrator can ask a private provider, and next of kin have rights under freedom of information for public hospital records.
Choosing a Melbourne medical negligence lawyer
Medical claims are expensive to investigate, because they need records and expert reports before a firm can say whether you have a case. Look for a lawyer who does this work every week, not one who takes the odd medical file.
Accredited specialists: an LIV accredited specialist in personal injury law has passed extra assessment through the Law Institute of Victoria. It isn't required to practise, but it's a sign of depth. On this list, Maurice Blackburn, Slater and Gordon, Polaris and Margalit name one
Who runs your file: ask which lawyer will handle it day to day and how many claims like yours they've run
Expert reports: ask who pays for them while the claim is running
Costs
Costs disclosure: if your legal costs are likely to be more than $750, your lawyer must tell you in writing how they'll charge
No win, no fee agreements: must be in writing, in plain language, and set out what counts as success. You may still have to pay disbursements such as medical reports
Uplift fees: allowed only where your lawyer thinks your prospects are good, capped at 25% of legal costs, not counting disbursements
Free help
There isn't much. Victoria Legal Aid doesn't advise on personal injury claims, including medical negligence, and we didn't find a Melbourne community legal centre that takes these cases.
LIV Find Your Lawyer Referral Service: a free 30 minute first interview with a referred firm. The LIV's main number is (03) 9607 9311
Health Complaints Commissioner: 1300 582 113, a free complaints process, not legal advice
Melbourne medical negligence law: common questions
How long do I have to make a medical negligence claim in Victoria?
Generally 3 years from when you knew, or ought to have known, that you were injured, that someone's fault caused it and that it was serious enough to justify a claim, with a 12 year outer limit from the date of the negligent act. Children under 18 and people with a disability generally have 6 years from when the injury is discoverable. Courts can extend some limits, but get advice well before the deadline.
Is a bad outcome the same as medical negligence?
No. Treatment can go wrong even when it's done properly. You need to show the care fell below the standard expected of a reasonable practitioner and that this, rather than your illness, caused the harm. Expert reports usually decide both questions.
What is a significant injury?
It's the threshold for damages for pain and suffering under the Wrongs Act: more than 5% whole person impairment for a physical injury, 5% or more for a spinal injury and 10% or more for a psychiatric injury. Loss of a foetus, loss of a breast and psychiatric injury from the loss of a child because of an injury to the mother, foetus or child before, during or immediately after birth count without an assessment.
Can the Health Complaints Commissioner get me compensation?
It can help you and the provider reach an outcome, which may include a refund or compensation, but only if the provider agrees. It isn't a court and doesn't replace a claim. It may decline complaints made more than 12 months after the incident without a good reason.
Should I report a doctor to Ahpra?
If you're worried about a registered practitioner's safety or conduct, yes, on 1300 419 495 or online. Ahpra deals with individual practitioners, not hospitals or clinics. Complaints about fees, records or poor service go to the Health Complaints Commissioner.
How do I get my hospital records?
For a public hospital, make a freedom of information request. For a private hospital, GP or other private provider, ask under the Health Records Act 2001. Private providers have up to 45 days to respond and their fees are capped. Your lawyer can also request the records for you.
What does no win, no fee mean for a medical negligence claim?
You pay the lawyer's professional fees only if the claim succeeds, on the terms in a written agreement. You may still pay disbursements such as expert reports, which can be large in a medical claim, so ask who funds them along the way.
