Public Liability & Professional Negligence

At any point in time, we’ll hold instructions for a large variety of disputes including claims for damages for personal injury, property damage and economic loss, as well as claims for injunctive relief and other causes of action. 

We’ve consequently gained considerable experience in areas such as:

• defending claims made by developers arising out of errors in the subdivision approval process;
• providing advice on indemnity for a complex professional indemnity claim in relation to the contribution of public funding for works conducted by a property developer;
• defending public liability claims on behalf of host employees brought by labour hire employees in conjunction with workers’ compensation claims operating concurrently;
• defending public liability claims for personal injuries brought pursuant to the Personal Injuries Proceedings Act 2002 (Qld) involving public spaces (roads, footpaths, reserves), public transport systems and built assets (community halls and sporting facilities);
• defending professional indemnity claims arising out of engineering works, property and building certifications, zoning evaluations;
• providing advice to various local government clients on development matters pertaining to flooding and storm surge, and the effect of climate change;
• defending bus transport-related claims for personal injuries which fall outside the scope of the Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994 (Qld);
• providing advice to local governments and the LGAQ concerning liability and indemnity on a range of topics affecting local governments;
• drafting indemnity and insurance provisions in commercial contracts for local governments;
• providing advice to the LGAQ concerning proposed State government indemnity arrangements for local governments dealing with asbestos;
• presentations to industry experts on liability issues affecting local governments;
• preparing submissions on proposed reforms to legislation affecting local government;
• providing advice on the interpretation of insurance policy wording;
• acting in the defence of, and prosecuting, claims for defamation in a local government context;
• defending long-tail asbestos claims;
• defending claims for psychiatric injury resulting from the death of family members.

We also routinely provide advice to local governments and the LGAQ concerning liability and indemnity on a range of topics affecting local governments (for example, asbestos), and draft indemnity and insurance provisions in commercial contracts for local governments.

We make presentations to industry experts on liability issues affecting local governments and prepare submissions on proposed reforms to legislation affecting local government, along with providing advice on the interpretation of insurance policy wording. 

The preliminary and formal steps in professional indemnity and public liability matters proceedings are fully automated.  The firm has built extensive and comprehensive precedent libraries, ensuring matters are dealt with efficiently and effectively.