Welcome to Roche Legal's legal blog: Your resource for plain-language guides, case reviews, and practical information on personal injury law in Queensland. Whether you have been injured in a road accident, workplace incident, or public place, our articles are written to help you understand your rights and the claims process under Queensland law.
Topics covered include motor vehicle accidents, WorkCover claims, public liability, and total and permanent disability. For a full overview of your entitlements, explore our personal injury law guide.
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
Estate disputes are rarely just about money. They surface decades of family history, competing loyalties, and painful unresolved grievance. What begins as a question about who inherits a house can quickly become a contest over who cared, who contributed, and who is owed a moral debt. We examine three Queensland court decisions handed down in … 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
What happens when defendants withhold critical documents showing other parties are liable for your client’s injuries? Harris v Evans Built Pty Ltd [2025] QSC 104 granted a limitation extension after a signed subcontract wasn’t disclosed until nearly two years after the limitation period expired. This case summary is for construction injury lawyers and personal injury … Read more
A personal injuries lawyer whose own firm was representing her family’s accident claims saw her own psychiatric injury claim dismissed in Lundbergs v Fu [2025] QSC 135. For personal injury practitioners, this case demonstrates why psychiatric injury claims fail when the plaintiff wasn’t present, the accident caused no physical injuries, and multiple life stressors provides … Read more