Danielle Skinner

Full Profile

Danielle has specialised in insurance litigation since 2012 and manages a general liability practice acting on instructions from insurers, underwriters, brokers, third party administrators  and corporate insureds in litigated and unlitigated general, public and product and sports liability claims as well as enquiries and investigations. 

She has specialist expertise in public and product liability and has successfully defended a diverse range of property and injury claims. She has advised on matters involving worker to worker claims, contractual recovery, claims against residential, strata and commercial premises, and slip/trip and fall incidents against owners and property and facility managers. 

Danielle has advised and defended nervous shock and compensation to relatives claims, recovery actions under the workers compensation regime, catastrophic injury cases and labour hire and high value construction disputes. She is also experienced in handling contract and negligence claims against allied health practitioners and professional insureds and has conducted subrogated recovery actions on behalf of government agencies and insureds. 

With litigation experience across various Australian jurisdictions and appellate Courts, Danielle has also been involved in numerous coronial inquests. She has represented insurance providers, major public sector clients, religious organisations, voluntary and not-for-profit associations and businesses of all sizes across multiple legal domains - including insurance, construction and contract law. 

Danielle provides commercial, pragmatic and timely legal solutions and adopts a holistic approach to claims management involving all stakeholders, whilst being cognisant of relevant business operations and interests and the challenges facing today’s legal services market. 

Danielle has been recognised by Doyle's Guide as a Recommended Leading Public & Product Liability Lawyers (Defendant) - New South Wales, 2023 and by Australasian Lawyer as a 'Rising Star', 2014. 

Experience

• Extensive experience with significant 'worker to worker' claims including advising and representing a head contractor and scaffolder in relation to claims by injured workers, nervous shock claims by family members and workers’ compensation recoveries arising from SafeWork NSW Prosecutions involving a highly publicised workplace fatality.
• Defending a major coal producer as occupier/operator of various mining sites in multiple separate matters in the Dust Disease Tribunal.
• Acting for a labour hire employer in proceedings brought by a family member of an injured worker alleged to have suffered pure mental harm in response to the workplace accident and advising on a potential pro hac vice employment claim.
• Defending a range of slip/trip and fall claims against commercial building owners, supermarkets and retailers and pursuing contractors for indemnity.
• Acting on behalf of a strata audit contractor in response to a catastrophic personal injury claim brought on behalf of a minor who suffered extensive injuries following a fall from the window of a tall apartment complex.
• Advising on prospects and defending a nervous shock claim involving a novel duty of care and on the basis that no duty of care was owed in the circumstances of the case. 
• Defending a national construction company in multiple separate litigated matters involving workplace accidents with related contract claims for dual insurance, indemnity and breach of contract.
• Management of hospitality claims for hotels, clubs, security contractors and restaurant owners for personal injury and property damage, including fire damage and assault;
• Conducting subrogated recoveries on behalf of commercial property owners and government agencies for fire, water ingress and subsidence claims.
• Acting for manufacturers and distributors in product liability and product recall matters in defence of product defect, personal injury and property damage claims concerning supplements, white goods, tyres and mechanical componentry and involving interaction between the Australian Consumer Law and the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW). 
• Defending workers compensation recovery actions under section 151Z of the Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) by the Nominal Insurer, self-insurers and Coals Mine Insurance.
• Defending claims against sporting venues and recreational activity operators.
• Experienced in complex causation and quantum issues including concussion, Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome and recognised psychiatric injuries. 
• Experienced in investigations and prosecutions by NSW SafeWork and complaints to, and disciplinary proceedings brought by, the Health Care Complaints Commission and the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority.  
• Appearing at multiple Coronial Inquests for Interested Parties concerning fatalities whilst under State care and motor vehicle accidents.
• Experienced in providing streamlined coverage advice under general liability and professional indemnity policies of insurance.