Accident Law Staff

Accident Law staff are a large team of some of Queensland’s best legal professionals that care for you throughout the entire duration of your claim.

From the time of the accident, through rehabilitation, and onward towards your recovery, Accident Law staff and our Lawyers will guide you to achieve a successful outcome for your claim. Accident Law staff have been helping clients like you since 1983 across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and all of Queensland, and we know communication with you is key.

That’s why your Lawyer keeps in touch with you regularly. In addition, other Accident Law staff are on hand and will also speak with you regularly, helping get you back to being you – fast. Find out more about Accident Law, The Personal Injury Lawyers or our parent company TPIL Lawyers or  or read more about our staff below.

Erin Byrne | Associate

Erin joined TPIL Lawyers in 2008 and is another example of our ‘home grown’ success stories. Erin has worked her entire legal career with us.

With all her years of practice, Erin has taken on and won some of our most challenging and stressful claims, from severe road crashes and intricate work incidents to some of our more unusual and complex claims.

Erin is a perfectionist – only the best will do, and her attention to detail is second to none.

Experience really matters, and that is something you’ll see in the hundreds of reviews we get, many of which Erin has played a big part in.

We were most surprised to learn recently that Erin is a gamer! But when the gaming laptop gets put down and the headset taken off Erin is kept busy by her beautiful baby and her two cute Dachshunds.

Tim Cooper | Practice Leader

Tim’s track record speaks volumes. He has more than 15 years experience (and over a decade of that experience working with us) and he has been involved in several major cases resulting in million dollar settlements.

Tim’s knowledge across all areas of compensation law and his love for advocating for his clients has made him someone that new clients often ask for. Tim’s ability and expertise has been recognised by the State’s Defendant insurance lawyers as one of Queensland’s leading Plaintiff Public Liability Lawyers.

Tim is also a dedicated family man and you’ll often find him on the beach with his wife and kids, kicking a ball around, reading a book and dreaming of travel. Tim is very active and loves sport, with a particular interest in tennis, AFL, soccer and golf.

He can also tell you some great places to eat and drink from his encyclopaedic knowledge of eateries in and around Brisbane. Tim’s professional adage is that he treats all clients like family members, and he will ensure you get the maximum compensation for your claim.

Karen Gibbs | New Client Manager

Calling a law firm to see whether you have a claim can be a daunting experience for most people. Our New Client Manager, Karen, has for many years been the friendly voice on the end of the phone, there to assist many a nervous, first-time caller and welcome them into the firm as a valued client.

Karen is the consummate professional, and will ensure that your time with us as a client starts off on the right foot.
Outside of the office, Karen is also our resident pet expert. As a puppy schoolteacher for over twenty years and an owner of two dogs herself, she can attest that the power of “positive reinforcement” works not only on the dogs, but also on husbands.

Sanath Hettiarachchi | Lawyer

Sanath may join us as one of our newest lawyers, but he also comes a packing with much experience globally.

With injury knowledge and superannuation insurance deep in his past, he knows all too well why settling for the best compensation (and lawyers) is utterly vital.

You’ll find Sanath approaches clients with a genuine compassion and a real willingness to achieve the best possible outcome. Fighting hard against large insurers every day is a workout in itself, and fight for you, you can bet he will.

This bilingual lawyer has not only lived in multiple countries, but his work experience has only enriched his understanding of all our different cultures, people, and their needs. Especially when we can face our lowest moments as humans when critically injured.

Sanath wears many hats in his day job. However, in his spare time, you’ll find him either with a chef’s hat on cooking, a racing helmet on watching the Formula 1, or a cricket hat on cheering on his team. His lovely wife of ten years (and fur baby) thankfully manage to remove some of his hats, so they can get some time with this busy gentleman.

Vaughan Jackson | Associate

Vaughan is a hardworking lawyer that has been fighting for the rights of his clients for over 20 years. Throughout his career he has acted both for insurance companies and for everyday Queenslanders affected in motor vehicle and work incident litigation. This experience on both sides of the legal fence gives Vaughan the upper hand.

He has gathered an excellent insight into the approach and thought patterns adopted by the insurance firms as they manage compensation claims and this, along with his great sense of humour, makes Vaughan one of the most valuable members of the TPIL Lawyers team.

His insider knowledge has helped hundreds of clients get the compensation they deserve and get their lives back on track.
When not working, Vaughan is a super active early riser. He enjoys running, swimming, trail hikes and walks with his partner and Jamali, his Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Greg Lauritsen-Damm | Practice Leader

Greg is our in-house Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law and has practiced for over 13 years.

It has been said that whatever Greg doesn’t know about personal injury law probably isn’t worth knowing.

Greg has the ability to spot an issue in a case well before his client even knows that the problem exists. ‘Tenacious’ is an understatement. Greg will fight for every last cent that his clients are entitled to.
A family man who loves the outdoors, you’ll be his best friend if you love Rugby Union.

James Madden | Managing Director

“It really bugs me when an insurer denies a claim – almost like it is standard operating procedure for them”.

James stands up for the underdog. He has built his career representing clients who, through no fault of their own, have suffered as a result of somebody else’s actions. He has earned his reputation and is well respected by his peers for his…
Ensuring that everyone has access to justice is something that James is concerned about. Early in his career James chose to be a passionate advocate for everyday Aussies instead of acting for big corporations.

He has spent years battling the powerful “Goliaths” of the insurance industry to achieve exceptional outcomes for his clients (and often without the need to go through a protracted trial). There are no issues in your case that he hasn’t seen, and dealt with, many times before.

With his honest, caring and straight-talking approach, James has successfully represented hundreds (actually, it is probably thousands) of clients in relation to their:

– Car compensation claims

– Work incident compensation claims

– Slip & Fall/Public Liability compensation claims

– Professional negligence compensation claims

James doesn’t spend all of his time in the office and values the work/life balance. James has previously sat as an AFL Canberra Tribunal Member and Appeals Board Member and was heavily involved in both playing and coaching American Football.

He loves music and really gets a thrill out of trying to make the perfect Spotify playlist (even if his favourite music is Country music – cringe).

And when he is not doing that, he is brainwashing his two young daughters on the finer points of cheering for the world’s greatest football team (and we all know who that is, right?).

Connect with James on Twitter @QLDLawyer or feel free to contact him.

Tracie McIntyre | Chief Operating Officer

Tracie is the Chief Operating Officer at TPIL Lawyers and is a qualified accountant (CPA) and a graduate of AICD (GAICD). Her commercial experience spans twenty years, multiple different countries and numerous industries. She began her career at Ernst & Young, growing the wealth of high net worth individuals and their associated businesses. She has worked in senior executive roles for businesses ranging from successful tech start-ups to large corporates and government agencies. We have been fortunate to have Tracie as part our team now for 14 years.

Tracie strategically guides and grows businesses while improving resilience. Tech automation, process improvement and high growth environments are 3 things that Tracie is passionate about. Her finance background is supported by a wide range of business and governance skills. She has an in-depth knowledge of commercial contracts, recruitment, change management, negotiation and dispute resolution.

Tracie describes herself as being focused on innovation, integrity and collaboration and enjoys building strategies to assist in wealth creation such that each business can reach its full potential.

Tracie an avid theatre buff and loves to travel. She loves a conversation in her poorly articulated French and very much misses exploring the world thanks to COVID.

Allison Millson | Law Clerk

Allison is known to go ‘to the ends of the earth’ to research our claims, and we’ve seen it in her continually happy clients. Allison’s primary focus is on motor vehicle litigation claims, and she has helped many clients to get their lives back on track after debilitating incidents and hardships.

She is a real treasure trove of knowledge and process design skills. She is always trying to make things easier in the complex legal landscape.

Allison is another pillar of this firm. She has been with us for over twenty years, and as a netball fan, knows her way around both the netball court and the compensation claim courts.

She effortlessly glides between her busy workload, her netball, and two gorgeous young girls. We would not be the firm we are without her.

Carrisa Myers | Law Clerk

Carrisa has been with us for nearly ten years. She has a green thumb, and claims to have ‘a million plants’ in her new home. We have it on good authority she may be right…

Carrisa tends to those plants just like her clients, and her reviews show it. She now has vast experience working in all areas of litigation law, including workplace litigation compensation, public liability and motor vehicle litigation.
You’ll also find her regularly assisting with the development of our procedures and precedents, vital tools that help speed up your claim and get compensation to you quicker.

When she is not fighting insurance companies for you, Carrisa also loves the outdoors. You’ll find her heading to yoga or to the beach, going camping and relaxing with a crime thriller. She might even bring a little plant along.

Namaste Carrisa.

Jaimi Nailer | Lawyer

Jaimi grew up in Tasmania and moved to Queensland in 2014 to undertake her law degree. Jaimi has worked in the personal injuries industry since 2014, graduated from Griffith University in 2018 and was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2019.

Since then she has worked as a solicitor representing injured claimant’s in their compensation claims. Jaimi has always wanted to work in an area of law that helps people and is passionate about assisting injured people understand their rights. Her goal is to make the claim process as easy and stress-free as possible for her clients.

Everyone’s claim is different and Jaimi prides herself on getting to know her clients to assist them in getting the most out of their compensation claims as possible. Jaimi likes to spend time with her family and friends, is an avid reader and drinks too much coffee.

Debbie Pollard – Practice Manager

There isn’t much Debbie has not been involved in or experienced in her time here. Being our Practice Manager, she has the honour of being the firm’s second ever employee nearly four decades ago! Basically, she’s the mum of this firm around here, and boy do we love her for it. Not only caring endlessly after all the staff and processes, but clients too.

Her extensive knowledge in this industry and the business management of compensation claim litigation firms, has ensured customers keep coming back.

Principally this is because she ensures we deliver the best service, recovery and that we meet client’s needs. She’s been the backbone of all our operations and is largely responsible for keeping every cog oiled and turning.

There is a lot of paperwork in claims between insurance companies, and other lawyers, making her rich experience in this area invaluable. She also ensures this knowledge is passed on to all staff, new and old via regular training sessions and you’ll find her at her happiest, deep in a process manual.

This Christmas and Easter holiday loving lady can often be seen donning a full Santa and Easter bunny suit as the holidays roll around. Even if you’ve been naughty or nice, she’ll still be dishing out treats and other goodies to the staff to keep the wheels turning. In the rare downtime she gets, this busy lady will thank you for a chance to put her feet up with a nice glass of wine

Prudence Prescott | Senior Associate

Prue has been with TPIL Lawyers (and its previous iterations) for over 12 years, starting as a Paralegal before moving through the ranks from Lawyer and then on to Senior Associate. She has spearheaded some of our most complex, challenging and unusual compensation claims, many of which required detailed research and analysis.

Prue studied Linguistics at University and is an excellent writer in her spare time. Her passion lies in the research, writing and gathering of information, and using that to effect positive change in the lives of her clients.

Stephanie Rutherford | Lawyer

A Queensland and Australian representative 7’s rugby player, Stephanie is not one to be beaten to the ball by her opponents. As an elite athlete, she brings the same level of discipline, dedication and grit to the practice of law that she does to the rugby paddock.

Stephanie began her career in commercial litigation before taking a leap of faith and moving into personal injury law with TPIL Lawyers. Stephanie has really enjoyed the interaction with clients that are real people (and not corporations) and she hasn’t looked back since.

Stephanie is a dyed-in-the-wool Gold Coast local and graduated with a double degree from Bond University and Griffith University. If she’s not working or playing rugby, you will catch her walking her Husky and Groodle around the Gold Coast.

Dan Sutherland | Lawyer

Dan is a well-regarded and award-winning lawyer, having been named a Leading Lawyer by the prestigious Doyle’s Guide. Dan’s prior experience as a lawyer for WorkCover Queensland, and in a firm where he regularly acted for and advised one of Queensland’s CTP insurers, has given him valuable insights into how the insurers will view his client’s case and what he needs to do to meet, and defeat, those challenges.

WorkCover compensation claims are highly bureaucratic and complex, so many of our clients are glad he’s on our team. Dan’s rich experience has helped his many clients receive the compensation they needed right at the time they needed it.

Dan does not let up after working hours, as he crams in a full family and social life. He juggles his passion for 80’s movies, video games (mention Nintendo and watch him smile), Milo the family Dachshund and dreams of getting onto the golf course one day…

Angela Symons | Associate

Not only will she sing your praises in court, our former ‘child star’ (and now ‘star lawyer’), Angela has played in Annie Annie the Musical and The Sound of Music at QPAC.

While living in America, she landed several acting roles on TV, even acting out her future career, starring in shows such as Boston Legal! After an offer of scholarship at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Hollywood, she instead decided to make Australia her home and the law her career.
Her clients now sing her praises in her many reviews.

She has been with TPIL for over ten years, and has gathered an extensive knowledge in all claim types such as Motor vehicle litigation, workplace claims and public liability compensation claims. Given her experience, Angela has handled some of our more complex and challenging claims. She plays a large role in the management of the firm and developing our procedures and precedents.