Free claim check. No win, no fee, and the firm funds disbursements
Office
Level 57, MLC Centre, 19 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A personal injury only firm led by director Issa Rabaya, with offices in the MLC Centre on Martin Place, in Parramatta and in Perth. It handles workers compensation, work injury damages, car accident, public liability and TPD claims, and lists police and emergency services claims as a separate area. Issa Rabaya speaks Arabic and is an approved lawyer with the Independent Review Office. The firm can visit you at home if your injury makes travel hard, and claims run on a no win, no fee basis, with the firm funding the costs of a claim as it goes.
Also worth knowing
Director Issa Rabaya speaks Arabic and is an approved lawyer with the Independent Review Office.
Lawyers
Issa Rabaya, Director
Minaa Mohmand, Special Counsel
Esther Ihn, Senior Associate
Isabel Sarcia, Senior Lawyer
Maria Drosos, Associate
Mihana Wen, Associate
Areas of personal injury law handled
Workers compensation
Work injury damages
Motor vehicle and CTP
Public liability
TPD and superannuation
Police and emergency services claims
Office
Level 57, MLC Centre, 19 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Free claim check. No win, no fee, no upfront costs
Office
Suite 1004, Level 10, 46 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A boutique firm opposite the QVB that takes serious injury claims only, and only in New South Wales. Matthew Garling founded it, and the firm says every one of its lawyers is an accredited specialist in personal injury law, so your case is run by one. It handles workers compensation, car accident, public liability and medical negligence claims, plus dust diseases. It won Best Personal Injury Firm in its size bracket at the 2026 Beaton Client Choice Awards. The claim check is free and the firm works on a no win, no fee basis with no upfront costs.
Also worth knowing
All three lawyers are approved by the Independent Review Office for workers compensation disputes.
Lawyers
The firm says all three are accredited specialists in personal injury law (2005, 2022 and 2024).
Matthew Garling, Principal Lawyer
Kerry Byrnes, Senior Associate
Katie Ferrier, Senior Associate
Areas of personal injury law handled
Workers compensation
Motor vehicle and CTP
Medical negligence
Public liability
TPD and superannuation
Dust diseases
Office
Suite 1004, Level 10, 46 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Free first consultation. No fees or expenses if the claim fails
Office
Level 20, 227 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A compensation firm chaired by Tom Goudkamp OAM, a compensation lawyer for more than 40 years and an accredited specialist in personal injury law, according to the firm. He was awarded the OAM in 2005 for services to injured people. Besides the Elizabeth Street office there are ten more across Sydney, regional NSW and Canberra, and for bigger claims the firm says it usually visits clients at home. It also handles travel accidents and institutional abuse. The first consultation is free, and you pay no fees or expenses if the claim fails.
Also worth knowing
Arranges interpreters and translates documents, and usually visits clients at home for major claims.
Lawyers
The firm says Tom Goudkamp OAM is an accredited specialist in personal injury law.
Free case assessment. No win, no fee, including disbursements
Office
Level 23, 270 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A large personal injury only firm with its Sydney office on Pitt Street and 19 more across NSW, Victoria and Canberra. It calls itself Australia's largest specialist personal injury firm, measured by lawyers at firms that do only injury work. Several of its partners are accredited specialists in personal injury law, according to the firm, and partner Chantille Khoury leads a large workers compensation team. The Sydney office is open seven days. Assessment is free, and you pay nothing, not even disbursements, unless the claim succeeds.
Also worth knowing
Twenty offices across NSW, Victoria and the ACT.
Lawyers
Roles as shown on the firm's team pages. The firm says Shane Butcher, Lydia Wheatley, Tanja Maksimovic and Robert Hopper are accredited specialists in personal injury law.
Chantille Khoury, Partner
Shane Butcher, Partner
Lydia Wheatley, Partner
Tanja Maksimovic, Partner
Michele Cheong, Partner
Robert Hopper, Senior Managing Solicitor
Areas of personal injury law handled
Motor vehicle and CTP
Workers compensation
Medical negligence
Public liability
TPD and superannuation
Institutional abuse
Dust diseases
Office
Level 23, 270 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Other details
Other offices
13 more in NSW, five in Victoria and one in Canberra
First 20 minutes free. No win, no fee for matters the firm accepts
Office
Suite 1, First Floor, 154 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A full service firm established in 1968, with a CBD office and four in Sydney's south west. Its injury team works mainly from Campbelltown and is led by managing partner Joe Bonura and partner Tess Danjoux, both accredited specialists in personal injury law, according to the firm. Tess Danjoux is a former president of the Macarthur Law Society. Its staff speak languages including Arabic, Greek, Italian, Mandarin, Serbian and Vietnamese. The first 20 minutes are free, and injury claims run on a no win, no fee basis for matters the firm accepts.
Established in 1968
Also worth knowing
A 24 hour advice number.
Lawyers
The firm says Joe Bonura, Tess Danjoux and Nikolina Kocorep are accredited specialists in personal injury law.
Joe Bonura, Managing Partner
Tess Danjoux, Partner
Nikolina Kocorep, Senior Associate
Sebastian Cannavo, Senior Associate
Monique Celi, Senior Associate
Areas of personal injury law handled
Workers compensation
Motor vehicle and CTP
Public liability
Medical negligence
Dust diseases
TPD and superannuation
Historical abuse
Victims compensation
Comcare claims
Office
Suite 1, First Floor, 154 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Free 40 minute consultation. No win, no fee, with costs paid by the firm until the claim resolves
Office
Level 12, 276 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
One of Sydney's oldest firms, operating since 1905, with a long history of acting for union members. It has been part of national firm LHD Lawyers since March 2026 but keeps its name and team. Partner Ivan Simic runs the dust diseases work, and he and managing director John Abouchrouche are accredited personal injury specialists, according to the firm. It can see you at home or in hospital anywhere in NSW. The first 40 minute consultation is free, and the firm pays the costs of a claim until it resolves, on a no win, no fee basis.
Operating since 1905
Also worth knowing
Part of national firm LHD Lawyers since March 2026, keeping its own name and team.
Lawyers
The firm says Ivan Simic and John Abouchrouche are accredited specialists in personal injury law.
Free first consultation. No win, no fee, conditions apply
Office
Shop 3, 42 Canley Vale Road, Canley Vale NSW 2166
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A south west Sydney firm founded in 2009 by John Truong, who runs it as principal. He has been an accredited specialist in personal injury law since 2020, according to the firm. Its offices are in Fairfield, Canley Vale and Bankstown, with a CBD address on Kent Street, and it has a dedicated CTP claims manager for car accident claims. Home visits can be arranged if you can't travel, and interpreters are available. The first consultation is free, and compensation claims run on a no win, no fee basis, with conditions.
Founded in 2009
Also worth knowing
Home visits for people who can't travel, and interpreters available.
Lawyers
The firm says John Truong is an accredited specialist in personal injury law.
Free initial consultation. No win, no fee, and the firm covers costs along the way
Office
Level 9, 287 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A compensation firm on Elizabeth Street, across the road from the Downing Centre courts, run by co-founders Adrian Barakat and Steven Mousas. Both are accredited specialists in personal injury law, according to the firm. Adrian Barakat also leads its class action work on medical devices such as pelvic mesh. The team speaks a long list of languages, including Arabic, Greek, Croatian, Serbian, Mandarin and Cantonese. The first consultation is free, and the firm covers the costs of a claim as it goes, on a no win, no fee basis.
Also worth knowing
Runs class actions over medical devices such as pelvic mesh.
Lawyers
The firm says both directors are accredited specialists in personal injury law.
Free initial consultation. No win, no fee, subject to review
Office
Suite 22.01, Level 22, 31 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A CBD firm founded by Charbel Azzi, Nazih Touma and Majed Issa, with offices in Liverpool and on the Central Coast and meetings by appointment in 16 other towns, from Parramatta to Moree. Majed Issa leads the compensation work, and the firm says he is an accredited specialist in personal injury law with more than 20 years in the field. Home and hospital visits are free, the first consultation is free, and claims run on a no win, no fee basis, subject to the firm's review.
Also worth knowing
Majed Issa sits on a committee of the Australian Lawyers Alliance, according to the firm.
Lawyers
The firm says Majed Issa is an accredited specialist in personal injury law.
Majed Issa, Director
Charbel Azzi, Legal Practitioner Director
Nazih Touma, Legal Practitioner Director
Areas of personal injury law handled
Motor vehicle and CTP
Workers compensation
Work injury damages
Public liability
Medical negligence
TPD and income protection
Dust diseases
Industrial deafness
Psychological injury
Abuse claims
Office
Suite 22.01, Level 22, 31 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Other details
Other offices
Liverpool and The Entrance, plus meetings by appointment across Sydney and regional NSW
Free consultation. No win, no fee, with fixed fees and costs covered by the firm
Office
Alfred Park Chambers, 10/374 Church Street, Parramatta NSW 2150
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A western Sydney compensation firm that Rad Gajic started in Cabramatta in 1985. It added a Parramatta office in 2012 and now lists more than 30 staff. It's a practical pick if you live out west and would rather not go into the city. The firm employs a Vietnamese interpreter and community liaison, and special counsel Shmeet Dalliwall speaks Hindi, Punjabi, Malay and Indonesian. The first consultation is free, fees are fixed rather than hourly, and the firm covers the costs of a claim, on a no win, no fee basis.
Founded in Cabramatta in 1985
Also worth knowing
The firm covers the costs of a claim, including medical examinations, the firm says.
Lawyers
Rad Gajic, Principal Lawyer
Sareeya Misitano, Special Counsel
Shmeet Dalliwall, Special Counsel
Metita Taefu, Solicitor
Areas of personal injury law handled
Workers compensation
Motor vehicle and CTP
Public liability
Medical negligence
TPD and superannuation
Institutional abuse
Office
Alfred Park Chambers, 10/374 Church Street, Parramatta NSW 2150
Other details
Other offices
Cabramatta, Perth and Adelaide
Languages
Vietnamese (interpreter on staff), Hindi, Punjabi, Malay, Indonesian
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 Sydney personal injury lawyer. It's free and there's no obligation.
How we compiled this list
We include firms with a Sydney 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, but the Law Society of NSW register wasn't available for us to check. Fee terms are as the firm describes them, so confirm them in your costs agreement. 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 by SIRA, the Personal Injury Commission and the NSW courts in October 2026.
Car accident claims under the NSW CTP scheme
If you're hurt in a crash, you claim from the CTP insurer of the vehicle involved, and CTP Assist can tell you which insurer that is. Most people injured can claim statutory benefits for medical costs, lost income and care, whoever was at fault. Exceptions include an at fault driver of an uninsured vehicle, and someone charged with a serious driving offence related to the crash. If you were mostly at fault, which means more than 61%, benefits generally last up to 52 weeks after the crash, though children under 16 keep treatment and care beyond that. If police didn't come to the crash, report it to police as soon as you can, and within 28 days. If they did, you don't need to report it, but get the event number.
28 days: lodge your claim within 28 days to get weekly payments backdated to the day after the crash
3 months: the usual limit for lodging a claim. A later claim needs a full and satisfactory explanation, and generally must still be made within 3 years of the crash, unless it relates to a death or an impairment of more than 10%
52 weeks: benefits for threshold injuries, such as soft tissue injuries like whiplash and some psychological injuries, stop after 52 weeks
If someone else was at least partly at fault and your injury is more than a threshold injury, you may also claim damages, a lump sum for past and future lost earnings, reduced by your share of the blame. You can only get damages for pain and suffering if your permanent impairment is more than 10%. A damages claim must generally be made within 3 years of the crash. The old rule that you had to wait 20 months was removed from 1 April 2023. Weekly payments only continue past 2 years if you've lodged a damages claim by then. Legal costs in CTP claims are capped by regulation.
Workers compensation in NSW
Tell your employer as soon as possible after a work injury, and make your claim generally within 6 months. Most claims are managed by icare through its agents, or by a self-insurer. The insurer must tell you within 7 days whether weekly payments will start.
Period off work
Weekly payments
First 13 weeks
95% of your pre-injury average weekly earnings, up to the maximum weekly amount
Weeks 14 to 130
80% of your pre-injury earnings, or 95% less your earnings if you're back at work 15 hours a week or more, up to the maximum weekly amount
After 130 weeks
Only if you have no capacity to work, or you work at least 15 hours a week and earn at least $251 a week (from 1 July 2026), and you apply in writing
After 5 years
Only if your permanent impairment is more than 20% (different rules apply to psychological injuries, below)
The maximum weekly payment is $2,662.10 until 31 March 2027. If your claim is disputed, the Independent Review Office can fund an approved lawyer for you through its ILARS program, so you don't pay for that advice.
The 2026 changes to psychological injury claims
NSW passed two workers compensation reform Acts, in November 2025 and February 2026. For a primary psychological injury first notified on or after 1 July 2026, the injury is only covered if it was caused by a listed event, such as bullying, sexual or racial harassment, violence or threats, witnessing a traumatic incident or excessive work demands, with a real and direct connection to your work, and work was the main contributing factor. Reasonable management action is excluded. A psychological injury that follows a physical injury isn't caught by these rules. Police, paramedics, firefighters, coal miners and volunteers are treated differently, and the Independent Review Office can't fund lawyers for those workers.
For these psychological injuries, weekly payments stop at 130 weeks unless your whole person impairment is at least 25%. If it's 21% to 24%, you can get up to 52 more weeks at a reduced rate. Work injury damages also need at least 25%. The threshold rises to more than 26% from 1 July 2027 and at least 28% from 1 July 2029, based on when the injury is notified. Injuries notified before 1 July 2026 keep the old rules, including the 15% threshold for damages. If you have a stress or psychological claim, get advice before you lodge.
Public places, medical negligence and dust diseases
Claims for injuries in shops, on footpaths, in public places or from medical treatment fall under the Civil Liability Act. You can only claim damages for pain and suffering if your injury is at least 15% of a most extreme case, and lost earnings are calculated on no more than three times average weekly earnings. The time limit is generally 3 years from when you knew, or should have known, about the injury and who caused it, with a 12 year outer limit.
Asbestos and silica diseases are different. The Dust Diseases Tribunal hears these claims, there's no time limit to start one, and claimants who are gravely ill can ask for an urgent hearing. These claims are separate from workers compensation, and you may be able to make both.
What a Sydney personal injury lawyer costs
Most personal injury lawyers work on a no win, no fee basis, which means you pay their professional fees only if the claim succeeds. A few points to check before you sign:
Uplift fees: a lawyer can charge an extra uplift fee for taking the risk, capped by law at 25% of the legal costs, not counting disbursements
Percentage fees: NSW lawyers can't charge a percentage of your compensation as their fee
Disbursements: ask who pays for medical reports and court fees if the claim fails. Some firms cover them, others don't
The other side's costs: if you lose in court, you may be ordered to pay them
Legal costs in CTP claims are regulated, and for disputed workers compensation claims the Independent Review Office pays approved lawyers directly. Your lawyer must give you a written costs disclosure when you engage them. If you recover $100,000 or less in damages, the law caps your lawyer's costs at 20% of the amount or $10,000, whichever is greater, unless you've signed a costs agreement that says otherwise, so read that part carefully.
Where Sydney personal injury claims are decided
Personal Injury Commission: Level 21, 1 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. It decides CTP and workers compensation disputes and runs medical assessments
District Court: John Maddison Tower, 86 Goulburn Street, Sydney, for most damages claims that go to court
Supreme Court: Law Courts Building, 184 Phillip Street, Sydney, for the largest claims
Dust Diseases Tribunal: Level 12, John Maddison Tower, 88 Goulburn Street, Sydney
Most claims settle without a court hearing, but your lawyer should explain which forum your claim is likely to end up in.
Free help with an injury claim in NSW
CTP Assist (SIRA): 1300 656 919, for help with a car accident claim
Independent Review Office: 13 94 76, for workers compensation complaints and funded legal advice
icare (workers compensation claims): 13 77 22
Personal Injury Commission: 1800 742 679
LawAccess NSW: 1300 888 529, free legal information and referrals
Sydney personal injury law: common questions
How long do I have to make a personal injury claim in NSW?
It depends on the type of claim. For a car accident, lodge your CTP claim within 28 days to get backdated weekly payments and within 3 months, unless you have a full and satisfactory explanation for a later claim. Even then, a late claim generally has to be made within 3 years of the crash. For a work injury, claim within 6 months. For other accidents, the time limit is generally 3 years. Dust disease claims have no time limit.
What does no win, no fee mean?
You only pay the lawyer's professional fees if your claim succeeds. You may still have to pay disbursements, such as medical reports, and if you lose in court you could be ordered to pay the other side's costs. NSW lawyers can't take a percentage of your compensation as their fee.
Can I claim if the car accident was partly my fault?
Usually, yes. Most people injured can claim statutory benefits whoever was at fault, though not an at fault driver of an uninsured vehicle, or someone charged with a serious driving offence related to the crash. If you were mostly at fault, those benefits generally last up to 52 weeks, though children under 16 keep treatment and care beyond that. You can claim damages if someone else was at least partly at fault and your injury is more than a threshold injury, but they're reduced by your share of the blame, for example for not wearing a seatbelt.
What is an accredited specialist in personal injury law?
A solicitor who has passed extra assessment in personal injury law through the Law Society of NSW. It isn't required to practise, but it's a sign of depth in the area. You can search for one on the Law Society's Find a Lawyer service.
Do I have to pay for a lawyer for a workers compensation dispute?
Usually not. If your claim is disputed, the Independent Review Office can fund an approved lawyer through its ILARS program, as long as your matter shows some prospect of success. This doesn't cover police, paramedics, firefighters and some other exempt workers.
What changed for psychological injury claims in 2026?
For primary psychological injuries notified from 1 July 2026, the injury is only covered if it was caused by a listed event, such as bullying or sexual or racial harassment, and work was the main cause. Weekly payments stop at 130 weeks unless your impairment is at least 25%, with up to 52 more weeks at a reduced rate for 21% to 24%. Get advice before you lodge.
How long does a personal injury claim take?
Many claims settle within one to two years, but it depends on your injury. Lawyers often wait until your condition has stabilised before settling, so they know the full effect of the injury.
