National Injury Insurance Scheme

As a practice specializing in accident compensation claims, the rights and needs of people who suffer illness and injury are our highest priority. Those rights and needs will be directly impacted by the implementation in the coming months and years of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the National Injury Insurance Scheme (NIIS).

We unreservedly support the provision of better care and support to people with disabilities.  However, we also agree with the position taken by the Queensland Law Society and the Law Council of Australia that it is essential for common law rights to be preserved and for people to have a choice about their ongoing care and support needs.  This may not happen if the NIIS is implemented in one of the ways suggested by the Productivity Commission – that is, for catastrophically injured clients to no longer recover damages for care and assistance and instead be diverted to the NIIS for the provision of those services.

Many of our clients recover significant damages for care and assistance and are then able to put into place and pay for appropriate and beneficial services as they choose. Those clients who are injured through the fault of others should not be required to give up that choice and flexibility and instead have the extent of care determined by a government scheme which determines the payment and provision of care services.

This issue is likely to receive attention from the Queensland government and the media in the coming months.  We are happy to talk about what it might mean to you and your family and to discuss what approaches might be made to your local representatives.  Please do not hesitate to give us a call or make a time to come in to see us.