Compensation - Latest News
9/05/2013 | GOVERNMENT CHANGES TO NSW COMPULSORY THIRD PARTY SCHEME Maurie Stack OAM, former president of the NSW Law Society and chairman of Stacks/The Law Firm, warned changes to the compulsory third party scheme introduced in NSW parliament will have a devastating impact on people injured...
8/05/2013 | MOTORISTS HURT BY GREEN SLIP CHANGES 2GB's Steve Price speaks with Maurie Stack (Chairman, Stacks/The Law Firm) about the changes to the compulsory third party ‘green slip’ scheme introduced in NSW parliament and explains the devastating impact it will have on...
24/04/2013 | THE 5 FALLACIES BEHIND CHANGES PLANNED TO GREEN SLIP SCHEME The O’Farrell government is planning major changes to the Compulsory Third Party scheme – the green slip insurance you pay every time you register a vehicle. The government says the changes will cut the average CTP payment...
17/04/2013 | LAST CHANCE OF JUSTICE FOR NUCLEAR VETERANS An appeal to the Australian Human Rights Commission by Australian military veterans arising from Britain’s nuclear bomb tests in the Outback is gaining momentum. Lodged by Stacks human rights lawyer Joshua Dale representing...
3/04/2013 | DANGER SIGNS IN NSW GOVERNMENT’S CTP GREEN SLIP CHANGES You are driving along obeying speed limits when suddenly a vehicle drifts to the wrong side of the road slams into you head on. You are thrown hard against the seat belt, the airbag bursts into your face, your knee slams into the...
27/03/2013 | WEDDING PIX MISS THE KISS – CAN LAW SORT THE MESS? The bride was furious. Wedding pictures taken by the professional photographer she’d hired for the big day hadn’t captured the big moment as she’d imagined. The post-vow kiss was a disaster. All you could see was the back of her veiled head and the groom looking like a...
6/03/2013 | GOULBURN LAWYER APPOINTED TO WORKCOVER REVIEW POST Goulburn lawyer Mark Howard, managing director of Stacks/The Law Firm, has been appointed to a key new post helping local people with WorkCover claims. Mr Howard is now an Approved Legal Service Provider for WorkCover’s Independent Legal Assistance and...
5/03/2013 | MARALINGA HAS LEFT A TOXIC LEGACY ON QUEENSLAND 4BC Mornings: Greg Cary talks about something no wants to talk about, a toxic legacy that is the Maralinga story. Stacks/Goudkamp Lawyer Joshua Dale speaks with Greg about this forgotten part of Australian history and how an application to the Australian Human Rights Commission...
27/02/2013 | GREEN SLIP CHANGES WILL HIT ALL MOTORISTS Victims of motor vehicle accidents will be the losers under plans announced by the NSW government to cut benefits under the Compulsory Third Party insurance scheme. The government is reviewing the entire CTP scheme saying the ‘green slip’ insurance motorists have to pay when registering their vehicle is getting too expensive. Savings being offered are...
23/02/2013 | AUSSIE NUKE TEST VICTIMS SEEK JUSTICE Ordered by their government to fly through the mushroom cloud of a nuclear test over 50 years earlier, 300 Australian veterans exposed in various ways to atomic testing have appealed to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) to condemn...
22/02/2013 | MARALINGA VETERANS APPEAL TO HRC FOR JUSTICE Veterans of the Maralinga nuclear tests are appealing to the Australian Human Rights Commission in a last ditch effort for justice after exhausting almost all avenues for compensation.
22/02/2013 | MARALINGA VETERANS IN LAST-DITCH BID FOR COMPENSATION Human rights lawyer Joshua Dale of Stacks/Goudkamp is representing the Veterans of the Maralinga nuclear tests in a last ditch effort for justice by appealing to the Australian Human Rights Commission after exhausting almost all avenues for compensation.
22/02/2013 | MARALINGA VETERANS APPEAL TO HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Former Australian servicemen have launched what is seen as their final attempt to win compensation over British nuclear tests conducted in SA and WA more than 50 years ago.
22/02/2013 | MARALINGA VETERANS SEEK JUSTICE AT LAST Sixty-one years after Australian servicemen were deliberately exposed to the fury of nuclear bomb testing at Maralinga, lawyers are seeking a ruling by the Australian Human Rights Commission on behalf of of 295 survivors...
22/02/2013 | MARALINGA VETERANS COMPLAIN TO AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Hundreds of Maralinga veterans and their families have today made a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission over exposure to nuclear testing in the 1950s and 1960s...
22/02/2013 | VICTIMS OF ATOMIC TESTS WANT JUSTICE In his log book for October 3, 1952, former HMAS Murchison chief petty officer John Quinn noted the following: "Atomic bomb exploded on HMS Plym." The log book recorded the facts of the first of 12 British atomic tests in Australia in the 1950s, but this week Mr Quinn...
21/02/2013 | NUCLEAR VETERANS APPEAL TO AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Lawyers representing 295 military veterans and their families afflicted with terrible health problems due to the British nuclear tests carried out in Australia between 1952 and 1963 are taking the case to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
24/12/2012 | LOCAL LAWYERS APPOINTED TO KEY POSTS WITH WORKCOVER Lawyers from Port Macquarie’s Stacks/The Law Firm are taking the lead when it comes to providing legal advice for those injured at work. Senior director Jason Smith and associate director Jodie Thurgood have been appointed to key new...
12/12/2012 | WORKCOVER APPOINTMENTS Four leading Taree lawyers from Stacks/The Law Firm have been appointed to key new posts helping people with WorkCover claims. They will provide free legal advice to injured workers who have had their claims rejected or challenged by...
6/12/2012 | FORSTER LAWYER AWARDED KEY WORKCOVER POST A leading Forster lawyer has been appointed to a key new post helping people with WorkCover claims. Digby Dunn of Stacks/The Law Firm will provide free legal advice in the Forster-Tuncurry area to injured workers who have had their...
24/11/2012 | LEGAL EAGLE GOES THE EXTRA MILES Travelling abroad to meet victims and take down their statements is all part of the job for this young lawyer, writes Matthew Benns...
14/11/2012 | GOOGLE DEFAMATION CASE COULD OPEN FLOODGATES If you’ve ever searched your own name on the Internet and been shocked to find it popping up in less than salubrious company, you can understand why Milorad Trkulja sued Google. Not only had the former Melbourne music promoter been shot...
20/08/2012 | KEDDIES LOSES NEGLIGENCE APPEAL The Court of Appeal has upheld a judgement in the professional negligence suit against law firm Stacks, echoing the primary judge’s finding that Keddies made “many disturbing departures … from acceptable and proper conduct”...
4/07/2012 | WORKERS COMPENSATION CHANGES HURT THE MOST VULNERABLE Within days of the NSW government passing controversial legislation severely cutting back the rights and entitlements of workers injured at work, a fork lift tipped over at Sydney markets killing the driver. It was one more statistic...
20/06/2012 | MEDIA RELEASE FROM STACKS/THE LAW FIRM ON CHANGES TO WORKERS’ COMPENSATION The changes to workers’ compensation being pushed through the NSW Legislative Council today are far more draconian than the O’Farrell government foreshadowed in their Issues paper and its recommendations...
20/06/2012 | CRITICS DISPUTE O'FARRELL COMPO CLAIMS Lawyers and unions have disputed NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell's claims that his changes to WorkCover aren't retrospective, saying workers with existing claims will be affected by the compensation overhaul...
13/06/2012 | SEX NOW CONSIDERED PART OF WORK TRIP COMPO COVERAGE Many eyebrows were raised when a court recently ruled that a woman injured during a sexual tryst in her hotel room while on a work trip was entitled to workers’ compensation. You’d be tempted ask whether sex was now legally a regular...
29/05/2012 | 2GB RADIO INTERVIEW Maurie Stack, chairman of Stacks/The Law Firm was interviewed on 2GB by Ben Fordham on May 29 about the case of the parents of a baby girl who sued the girl’s grandmother for dropping her, causing head injuries...
16/05/2012 | GOOD SAMARITAN The news that actor Dustin Hoffman saved the life of a jogging Australian lawyer who collapsed with a heart attack in London’s Hyde Park prompts the question of what is the law regarding Good Samaritans. The two time Oscar winner and...
4/04/2012 | GOVERNMENT TARGETS WORKERS COMPENSATION BENEFITS In coming weeks the NSW government will be reviewing the whole system of workers’ compensation and payouts to injured workers. The aim is to prevent a deepening deficit in the WorkCover scheme. It’s already at $4 billion, and...
16/03/2012 | MARALINGA VETERANS SHOCKED BY 'CRUEL' RULING Veterans of the Maralinga nuclear tests in South Australia in the 1950s and '60s have suffered a major setback in their bid to sue the British government. The British supreme court has ruled that 1,000 British veterans involved with the...
15/03/2012 | UK COURT DELIVERS SERIOUS BLOW TO BID FOR COMPENSATION BY VETERANS OF NUCLEAR TESTS IN AUSTRALIA The hopes of Australian nuclear veterans for compensation for adverse health effects from being exposed to radiation during British nuclear testing in the Australian Outback were dealt a serious blow overnight by the UK Supreme Court...
14/03/2012 | FRACKING CHANGES – GETTING LEGAL ADVICE MORE NECESSARY THAN EVER The NSW government has just announced new plans to change laws and regulations governing fracking that will make it more important than ever for landholders to get good legal advice if their land is targeted by coal seam gas miners...
7/03/2012 | PASSIVE SMOKERS FIGHT BACK Smokers are a diminishing breed. Smoking accounts for 5,000 deaths a year in NSW. Smokers now make up just 16 per cent of the Australian population. Smokers are under siege as new laws are about to come in, further restricting the places...
22/02/2012 | COPYRIGHT – HOW TO STOP PEOPLE PINCHING YOUR WORK There’s a lot of talk lately about copyright. You’ve probably heard the howls of protest from Rugby League & AFL bosses over a recent court ruling that allowed televised matches to be recorded and screened a few minutes later on internet...
15/02/2012 | BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU TWEET, BLOG, TEXT, POST OR SEND A couple of years ago nobody would know what you were talking about if you warned them to be careful what they tweet, blog, text or post on Facebook. Go back a few more years and sending via email was a novelty. Many of us still don’t...
2/02/2012 | $350,000 PAYOUT FOR PUB BASHING VICTIM PATRICK CRILLY An Irish backpacker who was punched by a hotel bouncer three years ago in an unprovoked attack has been awarded more than $350,000 for his injuries. Patrick Crilly, 25, sued Bumble Group Pty Ltd trading as My Security, the employer of...
18/01/2012 | INJURED ON AN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT? While personal injury law is never black and white, knowing who to sue is often fairly clear-cut. For example, if it’s an injury from a motor vehicle accident, you sue the negligent driver’s insurer. If it’s a slip and fall in a store...
28/12/2011 | PUB ASSAULTS - CAN VICTIMS BE COMPENSATED? It’s not uncommon to hear of “glassings” and similar violent acts in pubs and clubs. The past few weeks have seen their fair share of violent assaults as we navigate the Christmas holiday period. We have been saturated with media reports...
21/12/2011 | SLIPS AND FALLS DURING THE BOXING DAY SALES The sales are almost upon us. Many await them with glee. But frantic shoppers, busy stores and overstretched employees can mean greater potential for accidents. Let’s face it, during busy times things sometimes get overlooked...
22/11/2011 | MARALINGA SURVIVOR WANTS JUSTICE Port Lincoln's John Easton is among Maralinga veterans seeking compensation for illness caused by the 1950s bomb tests. More than 1000 veterans of nuclear tests in Australia and the Pacific are seeking a compensation payout from the...
16/11/2011 | AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR VETERANS' HOPES REST ON UK COURT APPEAL WHICH BEGINS IN LONDON TODAY. Hopes of more than 1,000 surviving Australian military veterans of Britain's nuclear tests and their families for compensation for the terrible health effects of being exposed to radiation rest on a final court appeal in London which...
9/11/2011 | FACEBOOK COULD JEOPARDISE YOUR CLAIM! Facebook. Millions of people across the globe are members. These days it’s a standard form of communication – an immediate way to share information with others about what’s going on in your life, with photo evidence. All hail modern...
7/09/2011 | CHEMICAL LEAKS – WHEN SHOULD WE BE TOLD? Many of us saw the media coverage about the recent chemical leaks in the Newcastle area. Orica, a company that produces ammonium nitrate for the mining industry, leaked a toxic chemical on the 8th August. Then, on the 19th, it spilled...
3/08/2011 | ACCIDENTS WHILE WORKING FROM HOME These days we tend to expect a bit of flexibility from employers when it comes to work arrangements. It’s the 21st century after all. In many industries, an internet connection and a mobile phone make it possible to get the job done from...
29/07/2011 | AUSTRALIAN VETERANS OF BRITISH NUCLEAR TESTS HOPES FOR COMPENSATION BOOSTED BY UK COURT DECISION The hopes of hundreds of Australian military veterans of British nuclear tests seeking compensation from the UK Ministry of Defence got a boost overnight after a significant victory in the British courts. Sydney law firm Stacks/Goudkamp...
28/07/2011 | STATE UPROAR OVER GILLARD PLAN TO EXPOSE ALL PUBLIC AGENCIES TO CIVIL SUITS Every public sector agency, federal and state, could be sued over privacy breaches under a proposed civil action being considered by the Gillard government...
20/07/2011 | DON’T MISS THE TIME LIMIT TO CLAIM Understanding the different time limits that apply for personal injury claims can be a tricky business - even for lawyers. After all, the broad heading of ‘personal injury’ covers a whole range of different matters, including...
1/06/2011 | HAVE VICTIMS OF CRIME GOT A BETTER DEAL NOW? No one asks to be the victim of an act of violence. It can be both traumatic and financially crippling, with medical bills and time off work for recovery. If you suffer injury as a result of an act of violence, like an assault by a drunk...
31/05/2011 | WHEELCHAIR SPORTS NSW 2011 CHARITY GOLF DAY Thank you to everyone who attended this years golf day. A huge thank you for surviving what you could say was the worst golf conditions ever - rain, rain and more rain. However, everyone managed to get around most of the course and...
2/03/2011 | GUN LAWS Discussion about gun laws in Australia always has the potential to generate some strong views. It’s a topic that tends to come up whenever there have been a few media reports around shootings. Recent stories include drive-by’s...
11/02/2011 | WARNING AGAINST LITIGATION ON SPEC THE more restrained judicial language, the more powerful judicial criticism.
11/02/2011 | JUDGE SAVAGES KEDDIES FOR MISCONDUCT It was the Battle of the Personal Injury Firms in the NSW District Court last Friday, when Stacks scored an embarrassing defeat over rival Keddies Lawyers.
8/02/2011 | KEDDIES' 'HOPELESS' CLAIM UNDER FIRE The law firm Keddies has been criticised by a District Court judge for the ''disturbing'' way it conducted business in a case against a rival firm, and its solicitors have been referred to the watchdog...
8/02/2011 | MORE IMPROPER CONDUCT FROM KEDDIES The former partners of the personal injury law shop Keddies have been ordered to pay most of Stacks/Goudkamp's costs for unsuccessfully running a professional negligence case against the rival firm...
4/02/2011 | KEDDIES' CONDUCT "DISTURBING": JUDGE A District Court judge has today (4 February) slammed personal injury firm Keddies for running a case with no reasonable prospects of winning and making "serious departures from satisfactory professional conduct"...
22/12/2010 | SLIPS AND FALLS IN THE SILLY SEASON It’s that time of year again. Frantic shoppers, busy stores, increased patronage at pubs and clubs, more stock being delivered and unpacked, overstretched employees, and greater potential for accidents. Let’s face it, during busy times...
24/11/2010 | BRITISH RULING HITS DIGGERS' BID FOR BOMB TEST DAMAGES Australian veterans' hopes of compensation for exposure to nuclear testing in the 1950s hang by a thread after a British court decision. The Court of Appeal ruled that British veterans who participated in Cold War nuclear weapons tests in..
23/11/2010 | DISAPPOINTING RESULT FOR AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR VETERANS IN UK COURT The British Ministry of Defence has won a court case in the UK which is a set back for Australian military veterans seeking to get damages from the UK Government for health damage caused by exposure to radiation during British nuclear...
30/10/2010 | VICTIMS TEST JUSTICE SYSTEM Aboriginal victims of nuclear testing in the 1950s are likely to be denied the chance to claim millions of dollars in compensation, with the State Government refusing to help fund their legal fight...
27/10/2010 | HAVE THE FLOODGATES OPENED FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS? It was difficult to miss the publicity surrounding Kristy Fraser-Kirk’s sexual harassment law suit against David Jones, former CEO, Mark McInnes, and nine directors. She walked away with a cool $850,000...
22/10/2010 | WHEELCHAIR RUGBY TO HEADLINE WHEELS FOR A DAY To launch Spinal Injuries Awareness Week, ParaQuad NSW will host the annual ‘Wheels for a Day’ wheelchair challenge...
20/10/2010 | ASBESTOS DANGER STILL LURKS There is perhaps nothing more frightening to a parent than hearing that the landfill beneath your child’s school playground contains asbestos. Or that during recent construction work for the Government’s school building program...
11/08/2010 | WHO IS THE ‘NOMINAL DEFENDANT’? What happens if you fall foul of someone else's bad driving on the roads but can’t identify the person responsible...
29/07/2010 | STATE REFUSES TO FUND MARALINGA COURT BATTLE The Rann government in South Australia has refused to meet with representatives of Aboriginal people affected by British nuclear tests...
23/07/2010 | $7.5M FOR HIT-RUN TEEN GEORGINA WOODS She hates school, dreams of being a veterinarian & loves her family pets. Georgina Woods' mum Julie describes her 13-year-old as a typical teenager, except every day is a struggle since a cowardly hit-&-run driver left Georgina for dead...
1/07/2010 | NEW DIRECTOR FOR STACKS GOUDKAMP Compensation Law firm Stacks Goudkamp has appointed senior associate Kasarne Robinson as director, effective 1 July
2/06/2010 | The dangers of 'chat' These days, saying goodbye to friends at school only means, goodbye until I get home and log on. SMS, email and social networking sites are just part of life for today’s youth...
12/05/2010 | What lies beneath - the pool safety debate When questioned about pool maintenance, many owners might tell you they spend a fair amount of time cleaning and checking chlorine levels. And there ends their responsibility...
7/04/2010 | Protecting your good reputation Your reputation is precious. You spend your lifetime acquiring it. It represents who you are, and how you are perceived by others. So when someone says or does something to injure your reputation it can be devastating...
28/03/2010 | Australian victims of nuclear testing sue U.K. Aborigines and servicemen join class action, represented by Cherie Blair, wife of former British prime minister...
5/03/2010 | Hunter, Central Coast vets file for legal action The names of 23 Hunter and Central Coast nuclear veterans will appear on a landmark class action to be filed against the British Government in May by Cherie Blair, the human rights lawyer and wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair...
3/03/2010 | Tom Goudkamp interviewed on WSFM Tom Goudkamp from STACKS/GOUDKAMP was interviewed on WSFM discussing the Maralinga Class Action...
3/03/2010 | Maralinga blast survivors sue MORE than 300 Australians are joining a class action against the British Government for damage from nuclear tests that could cost Australian taxpayers tens of millions of dollars...
3/03/2010 | Victims of 2003 wary of fire trial Plaintiffs in the Canberra bushfires court case have lost a last-minute bid to delay the start of the historic trial which is due to begin next month...
3/03/2010 | Maralinga blast survivors sue MORE than 300 Australians are joining a class action against the British Government for damage from nuclear tests that could cost Australian taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.
2/03/2010 | Aborigines to sue British Government over tests Australian aborigines and former servicemen are to sue the British Ministry of Defence over diseases and disabilities that they claim were caused by nuclear testing in the Outback more than 50 years ago.
1/03/2010 | 100 South Australians join class action... SECRET records detailing the fate of dozens of babies born in the shadow of Maralinga's nuclear testing hold the key to a case building as the state's largest class action.
1/03/2010 | The day the black and red cloud came for us ... MAUREEN Williams was just a baby in her mother's arms the day the "black mist" changed her people forever.
1/03/2010 | The day the black and red cloud came for us MAUREEN Williams was just a baby in her mother's arms the day the "black mist" changed her people forever...
1/03/2010 | 100 South Australians join class action SECRET records detailing the fate of dozens of babies born in the shadow of Maralinga's nuclear testing hold the key to a case building as the state's largest class action...
24/02/2010 | The plight of the humble 'doggy bag' Gone are the days when you could over-order at a restaurant and simply ask for a doggy bag to take the excess food home. These days, a request to take uneaten food away from a restaurant is quite likely to be refused...
17/02/2010 | The decision to sue your attacker It would be nice to think that all victims of an act of violence could receive adequate compensation for the injuries they sustain...
11/02/2010 | Nuclear veterans want better compo deal RAAF veteran Geoff Gates drove back and forth through the South Australian bush wearing just shorts, shirt and boots, occasionally wondering why British scientists wore overalls and showered at the end of each day.
7/02/2010 | After the Fallout Australian soldiers who cleaned up after the British atomic tests at Maralinga have never received compensation...
4/02/2010 | Alan Jones on 2GB talks to Ric Johnstone Alan Jones on 2GB talks to Ric Johnstone, president of the Australian Nuclear Veterans Association, about the class action Stacks is taking to the UK courts on behalf of the Australian veterans.
31/01/2010 | Sydney Firm to take on British Government Sydney Law firm Stacks will represent the Australian Nuclear Veterans Association (ANVA) in England's High Court, in a class action for Australian servicemen and UK veterans who were exposed to British nuclear testing between 1952 and 1958.
23/01/2010 | Nuclear test veterans take claim to UK courts They say they have suffered effects including cancer, and genetic mutations in their children...
22/01/2010 | Tom Goudkamp spoke on ABC Central Coast Stacks/Goudkamp lawyer Tom Goudkamp spoke on ABC Central Coast about the class action involving the Australian nuclear veterans along with veteran Alan Batchelor.
30/12/2009 | Pub assaults - Can victims be compensated? It’s not uncommon to hear of “glassings” and similar violent acts in pubs and clubs. These past couple of weeks have seen their fair share of violent assaults as we navigate the silly season...
23/12/2009 | Child sex offences - the future As a nation, we are sometimes unforgiving when it comes to offences involving children. It would be hard to miss the media coverage surrounding convicted paedophile Dennis Ferguson...
16/12/2009 | Maralinga vets join British class action AUSTRALIANS exposed to deadly radiation in the Maralinga nuclear tests of the 1950s and 60s have abandoned plans to sue at home and will instead join a British class action seeking compensation for damage to their health...
16/12/2009 | Beware the office Christmas party The work Christmas party. Many of us have a story. We’ve all witnessed karaoke performances by inebriated work colleagues who suddenly discover their star potential. While sometimes embarrassing the next day, these incidents are often harmless...
2/12/2009 | The forgotten Australians compensation debate Most people would agree that the national apology by Kevin Rudd to the ‘forgotten Australians’ on 16th November went some way to acknowledging the pain and suffering...
11/11/2009 | The Need for Speed Many of us are guilty of driving over the speed limit at one time or another. And many of us are fairly confident...
4/11/2009 | Shonky Tradesmen - What protection do we have? Many of us have heard about or experienced dodgy work done by tradesmen...
28/10/2009 | Can I Claim Compensation... If no police action was taken? On several occasions over the past few months, clients and patients of medical...
15/09/2009 | Compensation for Pure Mental Harm The recent outcome of a compensation claim for psychiatric injury made by two police officers who attended the scene of the Waterfall train derailment, puts into question the fairness of the Civil Liability Act.
3/09/2009 | Compensation For Asbestos-Related Disease The number of people at risk of asbestos-related diseases is far greater than at first feared.
18/08/2009 | Homebirth and Medical Negligence Most mothers will agree, giving birth is one of the most memorable and life-changing events a woman can experience.
27/07/2009 | Confusing Time Limits for Personal Injury Claims Even to the average lawyer, the time limits that now apply to filing a personal injury action can be somewhat confusing.
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