Queensland's best known compensation firm, started in Toowoomba in 1976 and now part of ASX listed Shine Justice. Its Brisbane office on Ann Street is one of more than 20 in Queensland, so there's usually one near you. James Hickman heads personal injury for south Queensland, Chris Ng runs head trauma and catastrophic injury matters, and senior special counsel Melissa O'Neill is an accredited personal injury specialist, according to the firm. It handles everything from car and work claims to dust diseases and class actions, and you can meet at home, by phone, online or in the office.
Founded in Toowoomba in 1976
Also worth knowing
Started in Toowoomba in 1976.
Lawyers
The firm says Melissa O'Neill is a QLS accredited specialist in personal injuries law.
James Hickman, Head of Personal Injury South Queensland, Special Counsel
Melissa O'Neill, Senior Special Counsel
Chris Ng, Special Counsel
James Tregenza, Special Counsel
Jennifer Marcato, Legal Practice Manager, Senior Associate
Areas of personal injury law handled
Motor vehicle and CTP
WorkCover
Public liability
Medical negligence
Brain injury
Product liability
TPD and superannuation
Abuse claims
Silica and dust diseases
Travel accidents
Class actions
Office
Level 13, 160 Ann Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Other details
Other offices
More than 20 in Queensland, including Stones Corner, Carindale, Chermside, Springwood, Cleveland, North Lakes, Springfield, Ipswich and Caboolture
A personal injury only firm whose roots go back to 1999, when Faran Gouldson started practising with Kerry Shine, later Queensland's Attorney-General. Faran Gouldson now runs it as legal practice director, with offices in Brisbane, Southport and Toowoomba, and all six of its solicitors list personal injuries law as their area on the QLS register. Special counsel John Harvey is listed in Doyle's Guide for medical negligence, the firm says. It handles car, work, public liability and medical negligence claims, and its lawyers can visit you at home or in hospital anywhere in Queensland.
Practising since 1999, first as Shine Gouldson Lawyers
Also worth knowing
Special counsel John Harvey is listed in Doyle's Guide 2026 for medical negligence, according to the firm.
Lawyers
Faran Gouldson, Principal, Legal Practice Director
Level 16, 15 Adelaide Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A compensation only firm set up in 2017 by Greg Black, Sean Ryan and John Vandeleur, who had worked together as partners at a larger compensation firm. Greg Black has practised only in personal injury law since 1997. It has two Brisbane offices, in the CBD and at Corinda, plus Ipswich, the Gold Coast and Melbourne. It's worth a look for asbestos, silica and industrial deafness claims, and the firm says it's listed in Doyle's Guide for dust diseases. It also handles car, work, public liability, medical negligence, TPD and institutional abuse claims.
Founded in 2017
Lawyers
Greg Black, Director
John Vandeleur, Director
Zach Samuels, Special Counsel
Ray Cayamanda, Senior Associate
Daniel Macpherson, Senior Associate
Max Cai, Senior Associate
Areas of personal injury law handled
Motor vehicle and CTP
WorkCover
Public liability
Medical negligence
TPD and superannuation
Asbestos and silica diseases
Industrial deafness
Institutional abuse
Office
Level 16, 15 Adelaide Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Other details
Other offices
Corinda (Brisbane West), Burleigh Heads, Robina, Ipswich and Melbourne
A Queensland compensation firm with its head office in Fortitude Valley and ten other locations, from the Gold Coast to Cairns. Principal Kerry Splatt has been an accredited personal injury specialist since 1998, according to the firm, and works alongside directors Andrew Splatt and Samuel Kenny. It handles car, work and public liability claims, psychological injury, TPD, income protection and wrongful death, but it doesn't take medical negligence. Home and hospital visits can be arranged by appointment, which helps if your injury makes travel hard.
Lawyers
The firm says Kerry Splatt is a QLS accredited specialist in personal injuries law.
Kerry Splatt, Principal
Andrew Splatt, Director and Executive Practice Leader
A small Queensland compensation firm started by directors Jonathan Wu and Sinaumea Taufao after they left a large national firm, with offices on Eagle Street and in Cairns. The directors run matters themselves, and the firm says a senior lawyer, not support staff, returns every enquiry. It handles car claims including rideshare accidents, WorkCover and workplace stress, public liability, TPD and fatal accident claims. Sinaumea Taufao is vice president of the Pasifika Lawyers Association of Queensland.
An insurance law firm with a large personal injury practice, opened in 2015 by principal lawyer Kate Denning. She previously worked at McCullough Robertson and in house at a CTP insurer, and the firm says she is an accredited specialist in personal injuries. It now acts only for people and businesses, never insurers. That insurance background helps on TPD, income protection and insurance disputes as well as injury claims. Its offices are on Queen Street in the CBD and at Chermside, Hendra and Varsity Lakes.
Opened in 2015
Lawyers
The firm says Kate Denning is a QLS accredited specialist in personal injuries law.
A family owned compensation firm based south of Brisbane, with offices in Springwood and Slacks Creek in Logan and at Labrador on the Gold Coast. Legal practice director Ryan Birch leads a team of nine lawyers, including special counsel Rebekah Lovely and Olamide Kowalik. It handles WorkCover, car, bus, bike and pedestrian accidents, public liability, medical negligence and TPD claims. There's also a Maroochydore office by appointment, and it's a practical choice if you live in Logan or the northern Gold Coast.
Lawyers
Ryan Birch, Legal Practitioner Director
Olamide Kowalik, Special Counsel
Rebekah Lovely, Special Counsel
Craig Bailey, Managing Lawyer
Kim Douglass, Senior Compensation Lawyer
Simone Paget, Senior Lawyer
Areas of personal injury law handled
WorkCover
Motor vehicle and CTP
Pedestrian, bus and bike accidents
Public liability
Medical negligence
TPD and superannuation
Office
Unit 13, 6 Vanessa Boulevard, Springwood QLD 4127
Other details
Other offices
Slacks Creek, Labrador and Maroochydore by appointment
Level 1, 1024 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A compensation firm in Fortitude Valley, opened in 2020 by principal lawyer Ryan Stehlik, who acted for insurers defending claims before switching sides. He was admitted in 2008, according to the QLS register. Alongside the usual road, work and public place claims it lists wrongful death, professional negligence and water sports accidents. The firm says it has been recommended in Doyle's Guide every year since 2021, and special counsel Maileen Hawthorne is part of a small team.
Opened in 2020
Lawyers
Ryan Stehlik, Principal Lawyer
Maileen Hawthorne, Special Counsel
Nicole Paul, Senior Associate
Renee Singh, Associate
Areas of personal injury law handled
Road accidents and CTP
Workers compensation
Public liability
Water sports accidents
Wrongful death
Medical negligence
TPD
Professional negligence
Office
Level 1, 1024 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
A compensation firm with a CBD office on Edward Street and a presence in Logan Central. It handles car, work and public place injuries, institutional abuse, medical negligence and TPD claims, with senior associates Travis Chambers and Gillian McKnight leading its teams. The firm says the lawyer who starts your claim will most likely see it through. One thing to know: it shares an office floor with Trilby Misso Lawyers, and its privacy policy also covers trilbymisso.com.au. Its website doesn't explain the connection, so ask about it.
A plaintiff only injury firm formed in 2016 by Christopher Roche, a former Wallaby who is now retired, and his son Sean Roche, who runs it as legal practice director and manages every case himself, according to the firm. It acts only in Queensland and only for injured people, never insurers, with offices on Eagle Street, in Springwood and at Caloundra. The list is wide, from WorkCover and car claims to dust diseases, mine site and aviation injuries, abuse claims and superannuation death benefits.
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.
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How we compiled this list
We include firms with a Brisbane area office that do personal injury work as a main part of their practice. For each firm we read its own website in October 2026 and wrote the description ourselves. Where a firm says a lawyer is an accredited specialist we say so, and you can check the Queensland Law Society's Register of Solicitors. We show Google ratings with the date we checked them.
Some firms pay for a featured listing, which affects where they appear on this page. 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 in Queensland legislation and by MAIC, WorkCover Queensland and the Queensland courts in October 2026.
Car accident claims in Queensland
Queensland's CTP scheme is fault based. If someone else caused the crash, you claim against the CTP insurer of their vehicle. If you were partly at fault you can still claim, but your compensation may be reduced. A claim is refused if you were totally at fault, or if nobody was at fault, such as in some single vehicle accidents. CTP doesn't cover damage to vehicles or property.
Police: you must call the police if someone is injured. They may give you a QP number, which you'll need for the claim
Notice of Accident Claim: give it within 9 months of the accident (or of symptoms appearing, if they weren't obvious straight away), or 1 month after you first consult a lawyer about a claim, whichever is earlier. A late notice needs a reasonable excuse
Unidentified or uninsured vehicle: claims go to the Nominal Defendant. If the vehicle can't be identified, notice is due within 3 months, and a claim not notified within 9 months is barred
Which insurer: MAIC has an online lookup for a Queensland registered vehicle's CTP insurer
Before you can sue, there must be a compulsory conference with the insurer. If you suffered a serious injury, such as a permanent spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, multiple or high level amputations, severe burns, a permanent brachial plexus injury or permanent blindness caused by trauma, in a motor vehicle accident in Queensland on or after 1 July 2016, the National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland can fund treatment, care and support, in some cases for life, regardless of who was at fault. The injury has to be one of the eligible serious injuries and meet the scheme's criteria.
WorkCover claims
An injury is covered if your work was a significant contributing factor. Lodge your WorkCover Queensland claim within 6 months of becoming entitled to compensation, online, by phone or on the paper form, with a work capacity certificate from your doctor. If you lodge more than 20 business days after the entitlement arises, the insurer only has to pay from 20 business days before you lodged. If your employer is self-insured, you claim with your employer instead of WorkCover Queensland.
Time off work
Weekly payments
First 26 weeks
85% of your normal weekly earnings, or more if your award or agreement says so. If you're not covered by an award or agreement, the greater of 85% of your earnings or 80% of QOTE
26 weeks to 2 years
The greater of 75% of your normal weekly earnings and 70% of QOTE
2 to 5 years
The same, if your permanent impairment could be more than 15%. Otherwise the single pension rate
Payments can't be more than your normal weekly earnings, or, for award and agreement workers, more than the rate you got in the first 26 weeks.
QOTE, the Queensland earnings benchmark used in these rules, is $1,994.50 a week for 2026 to 2027. If you're left with a permanent impairment, you can get a lump sum. If your impairment is assessed at less than 20%, you must choose between that lump sum and suing your employer for damages, and the choice can't be undone. At 20% or more you can take the lump sum and still sue. A psychological injury caused by reasonable management action taken in a reasonable way isn't covered, but PTSD diagnosed by a psychiatrist is presumed to be work related for first responders and some other workers regularly exposed to trauma, unless the insurer proves otherwise.
Public liability and medical negligence claims
Injuries in shops, public places, on someone else's property or from medical treatment come under the Personal Injuries Proceedings Act. Before you can go to court, you give the person you're claiming against a written Notice of Claim in two parts.
Part 1: due within 9 months of the incident (or of symptoms appearing, if they weren't obvious straight away), or 1 month after you first instruct a law practice and the person responsible has been identified, whichever is earlier
Part 2: due within 2 months after the other side responds to Part 1
Medical negligence involving a doctor: you first give an initial notice to the doctor or health service, with the same deadline as Part 1. Part 1 of the Notice of Claim is then due within 12 months after the provider responds to the initial notice, with a report from a medical specialist. Claims against other health providers start with a Part 1 Notice of Claim
Late notice: isn't fatal, but you have to give a reasonable excuse for the delay
The other side then has 6 months to look into the claim and try to resolve it. Before court proceedings can start, there must be a compulsory conference of the parties, unless both sides agree, or the court decides, that there's good reason to skip it.
How general damages are worked out
For most injury claims outside WorkCover, pain and suffering is valued on an injury scale value, or ISV, from 0 to 100. The court gives your injury a score, using ranges for each type of injury set in the Civil Liability Regulation 2025, and the dollar amount for each score is fixed by an annual notice. For injuries from 1 July 2026, an ISV of 10 is worth $21,850, and the maximum, an ISV of 100, is worth $494,150. Injuries from earlier years use the amounts for the year the injury happened.
WorkCover damages claims use a separate table of dollar amounts set by regulation. From 1 July 2026, the top of that scale is $478,105.
Time limits for injury claims in Queensland
Claim
Time limit
Most personal injury claims in court
3 years from the date of the injury
Injured as a child
3 years from turning 18, so generally until your 21st birthday
Asbestos and other dust diseases
No time limit
Sexual or serious physical abuse as a child
No time limit
Notice given before the 3 years ran out
You can usually still start court proceedings within 6 months after the notice, or later with the court's leave
The pre-court notice deadlines in the sections above are much shorter than 3 years, so don't wait for the court time limit.
Legal costs, courts and free help
For CTP and public liability claims, the law limits the legal costs you can recover from the other side on smaller awards. For 2026 to 2027, if your award is $59,300 or less, you get no costs for the work done before court proceedings started, and costs after that depend on how the award compares with each side's final offer. Between $59,300 and $98,890, costs for the pre court stage are capped at $4,960, and if the award falls between the two final offers that cap applies to all your costs. In WorkCover damages claims with an impairment under 20%, costs depend on written final offers. Where a lawyer acts on a speculative basis, the law also caps what they can charge you, unless an approval applies.
Claims of $150,000 or less can go to the Magistrates Court, claims of $150,000 to $750,000 to the District Court, and larger claims to the Supreme Court. From 1 January 2027 the District Court limit rises to $1,500,000, for proceedings started on or after that date. Brisbane's Supreme and District Courts are at the QEII Courts of Law, 415 George Street, and the Magistrates Court is at 363 George Street.
WorkCover Queensland: 1300 927 928, weekdays 8am to 5:30pm
National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland: 1300 607 566
Legal Aid Queensland: 1300 65 11 88. It doesn't give legal advice on personal injury matters, but its Civil Law Legal Aid Scheme may help with some costs of a claim if you're financially disadvantaged
Queensland Law Society: accredits specialists in personal injuries law, and you can check a lawyer's accreditation on its Register of Solicitors
Be wary of anyone who calls or messages you out of the blue to push you into a compensation claim. Claim farming is an offence in Queensland. Report it to MAIC for car accident claims, to Workers' Compensation Regulatory Services for work injury claims, and to the Legal Services Commission for all other injury claims. The Commission also deals with lawyers involved in claim farming.
Brisbane personal injury law: common questions
How long do I have to make a personal injury claim in Queensland?
The court time limit is generally 3 years, but the notice deadlines come much sooner. For a car accident or a public liability claim, notice is usually due within 9 months, and earlier once you've seen or instructed a lawyer. A WorkCover claim must generally be lodged within 6 months of becoming entitled to compensation. Dust disease and child abuse claims have no time limit.
Can I claim if the car accident was partly my fault?
Yes, but your compensation may be reduced. You can't claim against CTP if you were totally at fault, or if nobody was at fault. If you have an eligible serious injury, such as a permanent spinal cord injury or a traumatic brain injury, the National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland can still fund your treatment, care and support regardless of fault.
Do I have to choose between a WorkCover lump sum and suing my employer?
If your permanent impairment is assessed at less than 20%, yes. You must choose between the lump sum and a damages claim, and the choice can't be undone. At 20% or more, you can accept the lump sum and still seek damages. Get advice before you decide.
What is an injury scale value?
It's the score from 0 to 100 that a court gives an injury to work out general damages for pain and suffering. For injuries from 1 July 2026, an ISV of 10 is worth $21,850 and the maximum of 100 is worth $494,150. WorkCover damages use a separate scale.
Someone called offering to help me make a claim. Is that allowed?
Unsolicited approaches pushing you to make a compensation claim, and payments for passing on claims, are offences in Queensland. You can report claim farming to MAIC for car accident claims, Workers' Compensation Regulatory Services for work claims, and the Legal Services Commission for all other injury claims.
How do I find an accredited personal injury specialist?
The Queensland Law Society accredits specialists in personal injuries law. You can check a lawyer's accreditation on its Register of Solicitors, which you can search for accredited specialists by practice area and suburb or postcode.
Does Legal Aid help with injury claims?
Not usually. Legal Aid Queensland doesn't give legal advice on personal injury matters, but its Civil Law Legal Aid Scheme may help with some costs of preparing a claim if you're financially disadvantaged.
