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 | Senior 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.

Vaughan Jackson | Senior 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

Our Managing Director, James, has represented clients who, through no fault of their own, have suffered from somebody else’s actions. He has seen it all. He has spent years battling the insurance industry to make sure his clients settle for best. There are no issues in your case that he hasn’t seen.
With his honest, caring, and straight-talking approach, James has successfully represented hundreds of clients in relation to their: Car compensation claims, Work incident compensation claims, Slip & Fall/Public Liability compensation claims and Professional negligence compensation claims.

James doesn’t spend all his time in the office and values the work/life balance. He loves music and really gets a thrill out of trying to make the perfect Spotify playlist. And when he is not doing that, he is brainwashing his two young children 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 LinkedIn @James Madden.

Tracie McIntyre | COO/CFO

Tracie is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at TPIL Lawyers and is a qualified accountant (CPA) and a graduate of AICD (GAICD). Her 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 roles for businesses ranging from start-ups to large corporate and government agencies.

Tracie strategically guides and grows businesses while improving resilience. Her finance background is supported by a wide range of skills as she has an in-depth knowledge all things business.

Tracie describes herself as being focused on innovation, integrity and collaboration. She is an avid theatre buff who would love to strike up a conversation with you in her poorly articulated French but is such a busy body, you’ll have to catch her at the right moment

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.

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

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 | Senior 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 | Senior 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.

Alannah Clayton | Lawyer

Alannah is a friendly, down-to-earth Gold Coast local. She has worked her way through the ranks in the legal firm, first starting out on reception to then spending the time speaking to new enquiries to understand their problems and discuss the options. These experiences have allowed her to gain valuable insights into what clients need during tough times whilst also being a shoulder to lean on.

Growing up in a family of labour workers, she can understand the significant impact that an injury can have on someone’s life.

This personal experience drives her commitment to ensuring clients feel supported throughout their recovery and claim.

Outside the office you will usually find Alannah cheering on the mighty Brisbane Lions, or spending time at the rink, ice skating.