Full Profile
Hannah's experience includes assisting in the management of a wide variety of both litigated and unlitigated personal injury and property damage claims brought against insurers and their insureds. She manages claims commenced in the Local, District and Supreme Courts across the jurisdictions of Western Australia, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales.
Hannah’s claims experience and knowledge covers an array of matters including large scale residential and commercial property damage; multi-party personal injury claims arising from incidents on construction sites, residential and commercial properties, ski fields and universities; disputes arising from contracts between universities and related entities, and students regarding course failures; dust disease claims; and claims management as a TPA.
Hannah has in depth knowledge of both insurance and medicine and is uniquely qualified in managing public liability, personal injury and property damage claims, having studied a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and completed a Bachelor of Medical Science and a Postgraduate degree in Law. Hannah has also had significant exposure to the pharmaceutical industry, including device management and development, medication and the PBS, faulty products and medical device recall, and new market developments.
Experience
Casualty
- Acting in relation to multi-party personal injury claims relating to large scale commercial developments and construction site injuries, including providing advice to clients regarding exposure of liability to the insured, avenues to seek indemnity from other parties, apportionment and the plaintiff damages claim.
- Acting in property damage claims including those involving fire and/or water damage to residential and large scale commercial properties, and electrical damage to properties and loss of data.
- Advising an insurer in relation to a complex claim involving property damage to equipment owned by third party clients of the insured. Successfully obtained indemnity for the damage from a third party.
- Acting in multi-party personal injury claims involving injuries to persons in pubs and hotels, on residential and commercial properties, in large scale factories, at retail and commercial manufacturing sites, and on ski fields, including providing advice to clients regarding exposure of liability, contribution, matter strategy and assessing the damages claimed.
- Acting in Supreme Court multi-party property damage claim for significant loss after hail storm. Re-insurers involved in claim with quantum in excess 50million Euros.
Medical malpractice / health
- Acting in relation to a medical instrument left in patient’s abdomen following surgery and requirement to remove, and the subsequent internal scarring resulting from the same.
- Acting on behalf of LHDs and VMOs in a variety of matters, mainly with respect to personal injury claims which arose out of incidents in hospitals.
- Acting in relation to an emergency department delayed diagnosis and treatment of cerebral haemorrhage in 19 year old resulting in the patient becoming locked in and subsequently in an 80-90% vegetative state.
- Providing advice to clients regarding the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), and ACT and QLD legislation, specifically as to whether the alleged negligent act caused the pleaded injuries and disabilities and whether the client should be held accountable for the same.
- Analysing medical evidence including the injured party’s medical records, expert evidence and psychiatric reports obtained in a claim for nervous shock and psychiatric injury associated with the alleged breach of duty of care.
